Category: Uncategorized

Lockdown number 2, same sort of thing as it was back in march 2020, but not exactly! It’s all good news though. Because unlike in March, when the government’s advice was much misunderstood – prompting many sweeps and installers to […]

So winter is just around the corner and our summer has been one that has been surrounded by Covid-19, lets try and forget about that for a second! Normally most of my Summers are spent entertaining children (not my own) […]

Many people ask “when is it best to have my chimney swept” Although there is no definite answer to this question from a chimney sweeps point of view its actually best during the summer months, here are a few reasons […]

Which Chimney Sweeps association to choose? These are my views and some other sweeps may not agree, I’m not blogging this to discredit anyone.  For me it was simple, I wanted to choose one that stood out from all the […]

The Government have decided to go ahead and ban the sale of wet wood under the volume of 2 cubic meters.   DEFRA (The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) is bringing in the mandatory certification scheme next year 2021  The smaller […]

Chimney myths and preconceptions  There are a lot of myths surrounding fires, chimneys, stove as well as fuels and what to burn; from their construction, how they work and how they are cleaned. Many of these are simply based on […]

Some questions we often hear are “Who will fit my stove?  Which stove installers are the best?  Why should I use a HETAS engineer? Well, when it comes to choosing stove installers, recommendation is always king, but it pays to also […]

How it works Having an open chimney is like leaving your window open all the time. Fitting a Chimney Balloon to an open chimney is like fitting the gap with double glazing. The Chimney Balloon is designed to inflate and […]

Wood-burning stove or open fire? Arabella Youens examines the pros and cons of both options. In the country, most houses need a powerful source of heat in the depths of winter to boost or counter the cost of having the […]

What’s more Christmassy than this?  Chestnuts… When most of us think of the festive season, there are a few things that instantly come to mind; sparkly tinsel, Mariah Carey, mince pies, and of course supressing the agonising screams while you […]

It’s that time of year again, we are all packing our Christmas decorations away. The big question is –  How are you going to get rid of that over-sized tree standing in your sitting room? If you have a wood […]

There is a problem with air quality in the UK which can cause health issues for all of us.  Wood burning stoves and open fires are responsible for a part of this problem. According to the government report, burning solid […]

As part of your yearly sweep why not test that CO alarm and smoke alarm, I will always encourage my customers to do so. I see so many customers who hide their alarm behind pictures and curtains, they are NOT […]

Regulations require both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in rented residential accommodation. The Regulations apply both to houses and flats. Failure to comply can lead to a civil penalty being imposed of up to £5,000. Check the legislation […]

The chimney sweep, or climbing boys as they were often called, was a harsh profession to be in and most likely one that would severely cut your life short. Those employed were often orphans or from impoverished backgrounds, sold into […]

Why You Should Open Up Your Fire When we first got central heating brought about a trend of closing up fireplaces and installing either gas or electric fires in their place. That, or ridding homes completely of the character of […]

Everyone loves Christmas and the general festive season. Full of brightly decorated trees and twinkling lights, delicious sweet treats, and plenty of opportunities to spend time with your nearest and dearest, there’s little wonder why it’s so often referred to […]

As the days become colder and the frosty mornings start, the nights longer & more and more people will start lighting up their fireplaces or stoves. It’s time to get your chimney swept and relax in front of your fire […]

In this post, the term “solid fuel” means any fuel that is not a liquid or gas (e.g. wood, coal, mineral smokeless fuels, wood derived fuels and biomass). The term “appliance” means any device or fire manufactured to be used […]

  CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING – You can’t see, taste or smell it but it can be deadly The effects can come on very quick, that’s why its important to have an alarm fitted in a place where its going to be […]