Anyone do this ? Looking at buying a kit myself looks simple enough
Diy chimney sweeping
- Thread starter Jamouk
- Start date
It is simple enough. Only don't make the same mistake I did: Kept on pushing up the chimney, adding more and more rods, expecting to feel some resistance when I reached the chimney pot. Eventually ran out of rods, so went out the door to look and see if it had popped out the top yet, and walked smack into the brush!
Fosbery Holster
Well-Known Member
A chap l knew said his father would go up on the roof to the chimney stack and pop a chicken down the flue, it would flap all the way down cleaning the flue as it went, it made a bit of a mess in the room below but usually the chicken was alright……”cheep” way of chimney sweeping though !!
Norfolk Horn
Well-Known Member
I do my wood burner and it easy. Set of drain rods and a brush the correct size for the flue.
Old hoover working away so not much mess at all.
Now for confession as @VSS did it only seems fair I do to.
No flue brush so ladder up to the chimney pot. Dropped a pull rope down with a length of chain for weight on the end. Tied a load of thorn bush to the rope and dragged it down the chimney.
Just a bit more mess than the brush and hoover,
but it did work.
Not a recommended method but needs must.
Old hoover working away so not much mess at all.
Now for confession as @VSS did it only seems fair I do to.
No flue brush so ladder up to the chimney pot. Dropped a pull rope down with a length of chain for weight on the end. Tied a load of thorn bush to the rope and dragged it down the chimney.
Just a bit more mess than the brush and hoover,
but it did work.Not a recommended method but needs must.
Easy to do, but the new carpet and decorator are expensive if you make an a. Rse of it
Swedish
Well-Known Member
Very easy to do, if your access is awkward or the flue is a small one then you can get set of rods that are thinner and more flexible than the standard drain rods. Get a cheap 'shop' vac from screwfix too, good filtration and will take plenty of abuse for such tasks and save mucking up the posh house vac.
My stove is running 24/7 at this time of year,so let it go out and sweep once a month,I get about 2 buckets of creosote/soot out with very little mess,I use a ,think it’s called a typhoon,attached to a drill ,my chimny is spotless after,always stick my phone up and take a pic to check its clear.
Stalker62
Well-Known Member
Whilst I don't want to...
.
And I am the last person in the world, to give advice about any DIY venture...
Have you given a thought to any house insurance implications?
We have a chap comes around every year, who sticks a Dyson up the chimney (or whatever he does).
Takes him a little over an hour, and I think he is now at £65.
Upon completion, he issues a 'certificate' that he has done the works.
My only concern would be this.
You do your own chimney .
Your house burns down in some terrible (fireplace related) blaze.
The insurance company (looking for outers) asks to see your annual 'certificate' for your chimney...you know where I am going with this.
There is more reading on this - for those that see life through similar bitter and twisted eyes...
Just a thought.
.
And I am the last person in the world, to give advice about any DIY venture...
Have you given a thought to any house insurance implications?
We have a chap comes around every year, who sticks a Dyson up the chimney (or whatever he does).
Takes him a little over an hour, and I think he is now at £65.
Upon completion, he issues a 'certificate' that he has done the works.
My only concern would be this.
You do your own chimney .
Your house burns down in some terrible (fireplace related) blaze.
The insurance company (looking for outers) asks to see your annual 'certificate' for your chimney...you know where I am going with this.
There is more reading on this - for those that see life through similar bitter and twisted eyes...
Just a thought.
landkeeper
Well-Known Member
Skeet gun and 2x no9s !
Have you not got any small children?
Andy seatrout
Well-Known Member
Easy to do, but go and measure your rods and count them ( to get an overall length) then measure the chimney opening to ceiling and go upstairs ( measure do the same) then if you can get in the loft do the same, go outside estimate the chimney above the roof. Add a foot for floor and ceiling upstairs then you’ll know how far you need to push….
If you have too many rods- put the ones you don’t need away ( otherwise you’ll keep adding and knock the chimney pot off)
Two other top tips;
Do not rotate the brushes - you’ll forget and accidentally unscrew one ( I had to make a soot door in our loft to retrieve it)
Secondly - go gently, if you go too hard you knock bricks out….. if you’ve a wood burning stove with a standard chimney I put a soot door in the back of the chimney breast above the ‘seal’ that the flue links to…. That way I can brush the chimney and leaving the stove doors shut, get everything down into the stove ….. you can even just shut the soot door and leave it in there to settle- makes far less mess
If you have too many rods- put the ones you don’t need away ( otherwise you’ll keep adding and knock the chimney pot off)
Two other top tips;
Do not rotate the brushes - you’ll forget and accidentally unscrew one ( I had to make a soot door in our loft to retrieve it)
Secondly - go gently, if you go too hard you knock bricks out….. if you’ve a wood burning stove with a standard chimney I put a soot door in the back of the chimney breast above the ‘seal’ that the flue links to…. That way I can brush the chimney and leaving the stove doors shut, get everything down into the stove ….. you can even just shut the soot door and leave it in there to settle- makes far less mess
do the cleaning in between your self,mine would need at least 4 cleans a year to keep it how I like it,insurance says once a year.
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
Easier to send a small child up from the bottom..... but I suppose a chicken from the top would be worth a go...
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
Either method is easier than getting an insurance pay out!
reiver
Well-Known Member
I heard that story a few times. The problem is catching the hen before if flys out of the fire greate
Used to do our chimney with a few pages of newspaper & a few grains of recovered powder 
Put a trainer/running shoe on the fire. With all the chemical fumes they give off, that'll clear your chimney and it'll make your eyes water. The fire brigade person said that's a new one to him. Don't ask how I know.
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