Chimney Sweeping - Frequently Asked Questions

 A clean and clear chimney is essential for your safety, and for the longevity of your chimney system. Specifically:

• Removing soot and tar deposits significantly reduces any fire risk
• A clear & efficient draught moves the products of combustion away from your house faster, and further reduces the fire risk.
• A sweep can identify other debris that might present a problem that you can't see (e.g. nest material).
• An efficient air flow helps your chimney reach an optimum temperature faster, and reduces the chance of carbon monoxide production.
• Burning fuel efficiently produces less smoke and is more environmentally friendly.
• Burning fuel efficiently means you require less of it, which is cheaper for you!
• Tar can combine with condensation to form acidic compounds that can corrode your chimney liner over time.
• Your home insurance may require an annual sweep to remain valid

The following industry guidance is recommended:

• If you are burning wood your chimney should be swept quarterly when in use. This typically equates to twice per year. For example, if you use your fire regularly between October and March, then a sweep in January and April is a sensible plan. As an absolute minimum it should be annually. We find this is what most customers go for.
• If you are burning smokeless fuels your chimney should be swept at least once per year
• If you are burning oil or gas your chimney should be swept at least once per year, with an additional safety and service check by a Gas Safe / OFTEC technician (as appropriate). 

We also recommend booking in for the quieter months of March - July where there is more flexibility for appointments!

All of our prices can be found on our Prices page. We have two price points. One for a small open fireplace or stove, and one for a larger inglenook-style fireplace. We are open about all costs in advance. The price of a sweep covers one hour's work and this is usually enough time. Any time thereafter is charged per 30 minutes, and we will ALWAYS let you know if extra time is needed. All our other services are also listed on the Prices page.

This depends on several factors, but typically takes between 30 minutes to an hour. However, if there is a significant amount of buildup or if repairs are needed, it may take longer. 

We ask that someone is available to provide access to your home and to answer any questions if they arise. However, our goal is to ensure that your chimney is cleaned with as little disruption to your schedule as possible.

We take a lot of pride in keeping your home clean, and our customer reviews will testify to this. There should be no mess (although this cannot be 100% guaranteed). We have a wide range of sheets, foam blocks and magnets that we use to close off the fireplace effectively, and a powerful industrial hoover that works to collect any soot as we go. We will treat your home as if it is our own. 

The only way to know that your chimney is safe to use is by having it swept (even if you've got a copy of the previous certificate). A certificate means it was clean and clear on the day of sweeping, but doesn't give any guarantee as to how it was used afterwards. We would always advise that you don't take the risk. We've prevented a few horrors for new home owners!

We start with appointments as either 'AM' or 'PM' as we may have several appointments within each time period, and you never quite know how long each one will take. An AM time frame is an arrival between 9am-1pm, and a PM time frame is 12.30-4.30pm. However, we can message you on the day to let you know when we are on the way. Please send us a WhatsApp message to 07376 352 437 for that confirmation.

Of course! We will happily reschedule any appointment. We do however ask that you give us as least 24 hrs notice please. We also try to group appointments by location, as this helps to cut down our environmental impact from driving. So we ask for your patience if there is some time before we are able to come back out. We will do our best to make it ASAP!

We have an automated booking system that will send you a confirmation email when you book, and a reminder 48 hrs before your appointment. If you are not in when we arrive then we will call you. However, if we need to move on to the next appointment because you are not there, then we reserve the right to charge 50% of the basic sweep price via an invoice. All of our T&Cs can be found in our 'Privacy & Terms' page in our website footer menu.

We are flexible with payment options. We have a card reader that we take to each appointment, or we will accept cash. Please note that all cash goes through the business and is matched to the sweep certificate, so there are no cash discounts. We also have the option to raise an invoice which is payable on the day, but we would prefer payment at the end of each appointment please.

We use the Sweep Certificates automated system. This enables us to send your sweep certificate digitally. Please note that it will come from an email address that isn't monitored. Therefore, if you have any questions or have not received your certificate then please contact us on info@stepintime-chimneyservices.com and we can resend it. 

If you don't have an email address that's OK! We can still hand-write a certificate for you.

Your sweep certificate validates that your chimney was left clean and clear on the day of sweeping and that it was swept to national standards by a trained professional. However, it does not guarantee or validate your chimney thereafter for any period of time. This will be the same for any sweeping company. Once you start using your chimney again, then soot will start to build up straight away.

There is a common misconception by some insurance companies and housing authorities that HETAS is a legally required governing body / standard for chimney sweeping. This is not the case. There is no single approved governing body for chimney sweeping in the UK! When it comes to sweeping, HETAS provide training courses only, and an optional membership programme (as do many other training organisations). Our training was provided by RodTech UK Ltd, to the same national standards. We are therefore not registered with HETAS as we did our training elsewhere. 

We have a dedicated page for log burner installations, guidelines and information on Ecodesign, ClearSkies ratings, and smoke control areas. Please see the "Log Burner Installations" page in our header menu for all your answers!