Although chimney sweeps are often associated with Victorian times, if you have a working fireplace in your home it’s important that you get it cleaned regularly. 

In most cases, it’s recommended that you get it cleaned twice a year – once before winter when it’s used most heavily and once afterwards. If you don’t use your fireplace regularly, it’s still important to have it cleaned at least once a year. 

• What do chimney sweepers do?
• The most common chimney issues
• How much does it cost to hire a chimney sweeper?
• How to hire a reputable local chimney sweeper
• Licencing and insurance
• Getting quotes from chimney sweepers

 

What do chimney sweepers do?

The most common reason a chimney sweeper is hired is to clean a chimney, something that’s recommended you do twice a year. 

However, chimney sweeps can do a lot more than just clean a chimney. In fact, they’re experts in almost all aspects of how your chimney works. 

You may want to hire them for other safety work, like visual checks of your chimney and flue. If any faults are found, they’re normally able to fix or replace the part at risk, or at least recommend someone who can. 

Other smaller tasks like replacing glass doors and seals or putting in anti-bird/possum measures can also be done by a chimney sweep.

The most common chimney issues

The most common issue with chimneys in Australia is a build up of soot and creosote. Over time, this build-up can begin to smell, but it can cause other issues too. 

This coating of soot makes the chimney thinner and thinner, which can lead to problems. When smoke has nowhere to go, it comes back into your house rather than escaping out of the chimney. Anyone who’s sat at a campfire or burned something in the kitchen knows how unpleasant this can be. 

A more dangerous aspect is that the creosote that lines the chimney walls is flammable too. Putting a flammable fuel source above a lit flame is a problem waiting to happen, and this can lead to a house fire. 

How much does it cost to hire a chimney sweeper?

There are a lot of factors to consider when you’re looking at a quote. Factors such as the size of your chimney, how easy it is to access and when you last had it cleaned all play a part in what you’ll have to pay. 

As a guide, Sydney-based London Chimney Sweep quotes the following costs on their website:

• $165 callout fee
• Chimney cleaning and inspection from $295
• Terracotta chimney pot replacement from $750
• Inspection report from $250

As with all jobs, it’s recommended to get multiple quotes to see what best fits your budget.

How to hire a reputable local chimney sweeper

Because of the risks of not cleaning your chimney properly, it’s important to hire someone who really knows what they’re doing. 

When you look for a chimney sweep near you, make sure you ask about things like their:

• Experience
• Qualifications
• Insurance
• References

Nowadays, a lot of this can be done online simply by browsing websites or through the hipages directory. Each tradie on hipages has their qualifications checked, showcases reviews from previous clients and can display pictures of their work. 

Getting quotes from chimney sweepers

When you’re hiring someone to clean your chimney, it’s important that you get a written quote before they start work so you know exactly what services to expect. 

If you’ve never hired someone to clean your chimneys before, it’s a good idea to speak to a few different tradies to get a sense of what services they provide and how their quotes compare to similar professionals.