When should you get your fireplace serviced?

A fireplace is an elegant, energy-efficient centrepiece for many homes. However, to make sure it performs at its absolute best, you need to keep an eye on its maintenance. Luckily, you only need to have your fireplace serviced depending upon the fuel used, once or twice per year. 

But when? 

In this article, we’ll take you through why you need to service a fireplace, what’s covered in a sweep and survey, and also the best time of year to get the professionals out.

What is a sweep and survey?

A chimney CCTV survey works by feeding a CCTV camera into your chimney to collect evidence on its condition. Surveys can identify blockages and advise on when a chimney clean should be scheduled. They can also assess flue damage, provide evidence for insurance companies, and just keep an eye on your chimney over time. It’s advised that a CCTV chimney inspection is carried out once a year. 

If you, or your neighbours, are having major refurbishment work carried out, it is always advisable to carry out a CCTV inspection before and after the work is completed to see if the work has caused any damage inside of the flue.

A chimney sweep is carried out to remove build-up of soot and creosote in order to lower the risk of chimney fires, and also to keep the chimney functioning as well as it can.  For gas fires this is recommended once per year, for solid fuel like wood and smokeless fuel this is recommended to be done at least twice per year at the beginning and end of the fireplace season.

For chimneys that have not been cleaned in a long time or where poor-quality fuel has been used, we also offer a Power Sweeping service, where we send specialist rods and brushes up the flue that spin at a 2000-3000 rpm’s and will clear hard deposits from the inside of the flue that normal hand-held cleaning brushes cannot clean.

Why should you service a fireplace?

If you abandon regular sweeping and servicing of your fireplace, this can compromise the performance and safety of your fireplace. This is especially true when you consider that the chimney is a hidden-away area of the home, and so a survey is the only way of properly assessing its condition.

Cleaning should also be carried out regularly, as removing blockages, soot and creosote build-up is important for boosting the efficiency of your heating system and also reducing the likelihood of chimney fires. It will also help prevent the premature deterioration of the pargetting in the flue, which is the lime render used when your chimney was built.

When should you get your fireplace serviced?

But what times of year should you get your fireplace serviced? HETAS recommends that spring is the perfect time to get a fireplace cleaned, as it comes right after your fireplace has been used a lot over the cold winter months, and has therefore most likely accumulated lots of material which needs to be cleaned away. They also recommend that you book in your second servicing a month or so just before the start of winter to get it ready for heavy use.  

This guidance can differ depending on the type of material and quality of fuel you are burning, how old your fireplace is and other factors. To get tailored advice, just give us a call at Enviro-Flame and we can help you work out a maintenance schedule. 

Who should service your fireplace?

To carry out a thorough job that adheres to health and safety, and leaves your fireplace in top condition, you need to get a professional company on the job. 

Here at Enviro-Flame, we use all the latest equipment to remove accumulated blockages and leave you with a chimney that is clean, efficient and, most importantly, safe. We also use state-of-the-art CCTV cameras to precisely assess the state of your chimney and make recommendations. 

Keep your fireplace safe and performing at its best with fireplace maintenance services from Enviro-Flame. We’re the leading experts in fireplace supply and maintenance for London and beyond, providing CCTV flue surveys and chimney sweeps that work for your schedule. Use our online booking system to arrange an appointment that suits you.