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| the sweep |
Today we swept the chimney.
It would be a lot simpler to call the local sweep, or send a small child
up, but why do that when you can do it yourself? Why indeed.
Sweeping our chimney (a metal pipe which goes from the wood
burner in the lounge up through the bedroom, through the attic and out of the
roof) is a complicated affair due to the fact there is no easy access to insert
the brushes. This means we have to
dismantle the lower parts of the chimney and take them outside. We then hang a special sack that I made to
catch the soot beneath the space through which Paul can pass brushes to sweep
the upper parts of the chimney. Are you still with me?
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| attaching the bag to catch the soot after the lower pipe has been removed |
I stand
in the garden and tell Paul when the brushes appear out the top, my favourite
part of the whole process.
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| "I can see the brush!" |
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| cleaning the chimney pipes |
It’s a tiresome task but very necessary, we ended up with
quite a large pile of tar. A clean
chimney keeps the stove burning efficiently and prevents the risk of fire. Such fun!
I bang mine with a cloth-covered wooden mallet, and all the stuff falls to the bottom where I clear it out with a dustpan and brush. It's worked so far!
ReplyDeleteYour method sounds much more fun but I think we've got too many bendy bits.
DeleteGood work, both of you! I spot a pack of red wine.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria x
Well spotted Maria. That photo was taken when we had just got back last April and the red wine needed warming up a bit!
DeleteOne job that does not have to be done anymore in our house. I bet your stove draws like the wind.
ReplyDeleteLucky you, it's not a task I relish. Yes, it does burn very well.
DeleteI remember Daddy and Terry dismantling it that time to get the stuck bird out!
ReplyDeleteWe haven't had any down the chimney this year - yet!
DeleteWe always go up on the roof and sweep our chimney down because it is far easier that way.
ReplyDeleteI don't fancy getting up on our roof - it's a bit high.
DeleteWhen I moved in here three years agoI decided as a precaution to have the chimney swept. I called my sweep in. He put the brush up and then discovered the chimney is eight foot across. So normal sweeping was sort of not possible. He did what Cro does in the end and just banged around with the brushes from side to side and got any soot to dislodge and fall down. It seemed to work. If you burn the woodburner burns hot and fast and the wood is well seasoned then soot should not be a problem really.
ReplyDeleteA neighbour once offered to clean our chimney as he had the brushes. Never again, he made a right old mess. We have a professional in now , although it does cost £40 it is worth it.
ReplyDelete