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I just tried to get a sweep out to do our chimney, and it looks like it's going to be mid-Nov(!) before anyone will do it. I had a quick search and Amazon do sweeping kits for c.£70 which hook up to a cordless drill. Does anybody here sweep their own chimney? Looks like the sweeping bit might be simple, but how much carnage the process causes is another matter.
Good idea to have a go, or wait for a sweep to do it?
I got a simple old style brush and do it every year - not sure how well it cleans it but I don't get soot coming down causing problems. I tape a plastic sheet over the fireplace with a hole for the brush.
Drain rods + brush, cost = very little.
Use a plastic sheet covering the opening as much as possible, be that stove door or hatch in the flue. Takes all of 15 minutes.
Might be worth getting a sweep booked once in a while, if they can bring a boroscope along to inspect the chimney/flue/liner/etc.
Burn wood hot (and don't burn wet wood) - there won't be much deposited in the chimney. Or burn anthracite.
This is the one I was looking at....
I used to do my own. Think I got all the kit from Screwfix for the price of a single sweep by a professional. Basically a chimney brush on the end of some drain rods. Plastic sheet taped over with a hole for the rods to feed through. Send em up then bring them back down again. Always did a fine job. A cheap vac for the soot is a must though, Aldi had some in for 30 quid last time I was in.
All doable, just consider whether you want or need a certificate of sweeping for your insurance.
I have 3x stainless steel flues. Theyre all new 5" stuff so there's nothing freaky about it, and visual inspection after sweeping is v easy. A set of brushes and rods, some gaffer tape and an old pillow case and [s]she wont know what hit her[/s] it's a POP.
If the chimney is lined you'll want the super flexible rods. Stoves online have them. £25 a metre.
"All doable, just consider whether you want or need a certificate of sweeping for your insurance."
Hands up - whos got one from a sweep then ?
As mentioned Screwfix for the bit and an old sheet. Very easy to do and no need for a drill
i have found one use for the drill method.
when i had a top exit 6 inch flue into 8inch chimney it was fine to just pullthe bricks out and wedge the brush up.
now i have a rear exit 5.5inch flue into 8 inch chimney...... try getting an 8 inch brush round there with a standard drain rod.....
although in that scenario i just go onto the roof and sweep the 8 inch down to the flue -then use a smaller brush for the 5.5" from the top.
open the door and sweep.... how ever the flexy spinny shit would let me do it from inside the stove negating going onto my roof....which would make me happy - im not exactly over the moon to be going onto my roof twice a year..
My insurance requires a certificate (as will most insurance companies if you tell them you have a stove) so I pay for someone to do it as 40 quid is cheaper and easier than battling the insurance company if I had to claim.
If you trust your insurance company not to try and weasel out of a claim, and you are happy to battle with lawyers for several years if they do, you could save yourself some cash.