Is it a good idea to sweep your own chimney?
5 Reasons to hire a professional
1. Improper chimney sweeping equipment
Most people think that a regular vacuum cleaner is a substitute for a professional vacuum. Only after getting their furniture and house covered in a layer of soot and dust does it become apparent that a professional vacuum was required. They cost 3 times as much for a reason.
Most of the expertise in sweeping a chimney involves choosing the right equipment to use for each individual situation. Yes, not all chimneys are equal.. different size, shapes, blockages, lengths etc all have an impact on the type of equipment that will most suit the job.
2. Expensive Damage
Soot has a particular tendency to escape through even the most extensively covered fireplace or stove opening. Any small hole not shut off will lead to a plume of soot blown throughout the room. Soot being lighter than dust travel further and causes more damage. In the event of having a lot of soot sitting high up in the flue, when its dislodged it falls down the length of the flue exiting through the fireplace or stove and entering the room where it will land on carpets and furniture leading to extensive damage.
3. Create a more dangerous situation
Often the risk of chimney fires is increased when a flue is incorrectly swept, whereas if left alone the risk would have been reduced. Untrained chimney sweeps and DIY enthusiasts risk dislodging creosote when they incorrectly sweep the flue and expose the creosote build up to the sparks from a fire. Leading to chimney fires and chimney stack damage.
4. Incorrect usage of equipment
Ladders are an integral part of a chimney sweeps equipment. If used incorrectly by inexperienced users they can lead to accidents and in some cases be life threatening. Only experienced trained users should use ladders to climb onto roofs.
5. Inspecting the system
A lot of the experience you pay for when hiring a chimney sweep is the after inspection. To inspect the flue to make sure of its integrity, are their any cracks, is the flue lining intact etc.