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section A Sweep Is As Lucky As Lucky Can Be

CHIMNEY SWEEPS HAVE BEEN REGARDED AS LUCKY LONG BEFORE DICK VAN DYKE WAS STEPPING IN TIME OVER THE ROOFTOPS OF LONDON

One legend tells us that when King leaving your house just as clean as when George II was parading on horseback they arrived. In fact, the modern-day along the cobbles of the capital of Chimney Sweep now does much more England, a large dog appeared in front of than just putting a brush up the chimney. the horse, startling it and causing the King The modern-day Chimney Sweep carries to lose control of the reins. The crowd with them an arsenal of knowledge in watched in horror as the stallion reared, addition to their set of rods and brushes nearly throwing the King. A lone, filthy and will be able to find any faults in the and shabbily dressed figure emerged into chimney, flue system or appliance, often the road, caught the halter of the horse before they become an issue. For an and calmed the animal. As quickly as the industry so steeped in tradition and lore, figure appeared, he vanished again. The you may also be surprised to see the King, wanting to reward the man, asked advancements in technology now being for his name but was told that no one used. It’s now common to find that your knew it and all they knew was the man Chimney Sweep will be using rotary power was a Chimney Sweep. From that day on, sweeping equipment, with many turning the King declared to specialised Chimney Sweeps to be For an industry so steeped in internal camera regarded as lucky. It tradition and lore, you may also be systems to assess then became tradition in the chimney sweeping profession to go door to surprised to see the advancements in technology now being used the condition of the chimney to guarantee it is door on New Year's day safe to use. Some and wish the people Chimney Sweepsgood fortune and prosperity for the year even carry a drone for checking chimneyahead. Chimney Sweeps aren’t only stack, cowlings and waywardknown for their ability to alter the odds; in chimney pots.'Mary Poppins', Bert the Chimney Sweep sings: In addition to this, your Chimney Sweep will take the time to explain how to get theNowhere is there most out of your woodburner and fromA more happier crew your fuel. It’s important to allow enoughThan them ‘wot’ sings air into the appliance for the wood gases"Chim chim cher-ee to combust as around 80% of the potentialChim cher-oo" heat energy in wood is actually gas. If the And for good reason. Chimney Sweeps air controls aren’t open enough, these pride themselves on their happy nature, gases won’t have enough oxygen to ignite, for to be a Chimney Sweep you really must causing the gases to be wasted up into the love what you do. chimney and potentially causing future A lot of the same values remain in the Chimney Sweeping community today but you may be surprised at how much the practice has changed. Gone are the days of complications, such as tar build up or corrosion to the flue/liner. You’ll know you’ve got it right if you see bright, yellow flame with a lot of life in it. draping sheets over the furniture for fear Try to avoid slow moving, red or orange of a sooty avalanche turning the cream flame as this is an indicator that you need armchairs into a blackened mess. With the to open the air vents to allow more air to use of specialist soot cloths and an array the woodburner. Avoid stoking up the of equipment, the Chimney Sweep will be stove with lots of wood and shutting the

By Kristian Jennings

Kristian of Jennings Chimney Sweeping specializes in Chimney problem diagnosis and is a member of the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps

air vents down; true, it is likely that this will allow the woodburner to ‘stay in’ for longer, but ultimately, you are wasting the majority of your fuel and potentially causing problems for the flue/liner. Next time your Chimney Sweep visits, have a chat with them. They will be happy to explain the best practice for you to get the most out of your fuel and to save yourself some money. For those of you who are thinking of having a woodburner installed, I’d recommend speaking to a chimney professional before committing to a particular appliance. It’s important to make sure the woodburner is appropriate for the space it is to be sited. Although purchasing a woodburner with a higher KW output may seem advantageous, getting the correct stove for the space will allow you to heat the space more efficiently reducing your wood bill every year and preventing possible future complications within your flue system. Finding a Chimney Sweep at this time of year can be challenging. With the majority of people choosing to have their chimney swept in the winter burning season, the last few months of the year (or silly season, as us sweeps call it) are notoriously busy. To make sure you’re not left waiting, get in early and book your slot with your sweep at the tail end of summer and remember to blow them or a kiss or give them a shake of their hand – it is lucky after all.

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