Any chimney sweeps / gas fire fitters about

cant u get her adopted?

She's too old Delta but I did suggest to my wife we brick her up in the fireplace.

Certainly some insurance policies insist on a lined chimney. I believe in Canada an unlined chimney is actually illegal. In this country, however, building regulations don't insist on them, as long as the original chimney is secure.

However ... a metal chimney liner will have joints just every couple of feet, while the old brick chimney will have hundreds of joints, every one of which could fail and leak smoke into bedrooms, attics, next door or, indeed, your living room.

They fail because of chemistry. No wood in this country, even kindling, is ever dry, because of the moisture (H2O) in the atmosphere. Coal contains sulphur (S). Combine the two and you get H2SO4 - sulphuric acid, which, as you'll remember from chemistry at school, is pretty powerful. We see the effects on metal grates, but while we simply replace those when they get eaten away, we ignore what's going on up the chimney.

Also, damp wood or coal deposits tar, which is a real fire hazard. You can sweep a smooth metal liner thoroughly clean, but a rough, irregular brick chimney will always retain deposits. People's roofs really do catch fire in these circumstances.

So, no, a metal liner's not essential, but, imo, worth the money. Put it this way - I paid to have one fitted in my chimney when I reopened it. Seeing how much soot was engrained in the original chimney when it was opened up convinced me.

Just realized it's a gas fire she's fitting, not a fireplace or woodburner.

Oh well ...

Thanks screaming. Are you saying it would probably be overkill for a gas fire then?

I honestly can't say. I've never lived in a house heated by gas.

But I would guess there is a danger of poisonous gases from a gas fire leaking out of an old chimney into my house, and, if advised to line a chimney by a fitter, I would do so. Remember, it doesn't matter if 499 joints are fine - if one leaks carbon monoxide you (or your neighbours) could die.

feck - When she said she wanted her "chimney swept!" have you considered the possibility
that she may have been talking euphemistically about something completely different, and merely wanted
to spare her dad's blushes

Call in an independent chimney sweep. Have the chimney swept and a smoke test carried out. Then ask his/her advice. About £30.

You can buy smoke pellets too:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rothenberger-Standard-Smoke-Pellets-Tube/dp/B00200WF6A

Thanks screaming & genelec.

thebrave, REPORTED.

thebrave, the Magdalane Sisters will soon knock that kind of nonsense out of your head.

feck - I obviously have no experience of a Magdalene asylum, tho' I did attend a
De la Salle Grammar school, which may amount to one and the same thing

What a sensible (if slightly strange) thread I thought. Then thebrave chucks his twopennorth in....:)

bruce, the brave is a fellow tim having a bit of banter. No offence was taken or (imo) intended. Sensible but strange describes me to a tee.

Just demolished the old fireplace. As Trigger once said on a documentary about manic depression "when you see a chink of light at the end of the tunnel it usuallly turns out to be that of an oncoming train".

Fraudy still waiting for the uphill gardener call out fred.

have you considered knocking the whole house down and starting again?

If the chimney is ok, then no liner needed,,,the gas fitter will "bomb" the chimney to make sure it is sound & not blocked. 7 also check that there is enough pull.
He might need to look in the loft to check the brickwork is not leaking smoke when bombing

Try get in done for xmas please.Not wanting Santa getting stuck in some chimney before he gets to my house,cheers

Thanks koi.

to the others.

put a call out for sooty1

Does he know a sweep?

Zodiac might be available to clean your chimney. She normally has very little to do nowadays - although there are bound to be a few sellers this week at the mickey-mouse tracks (with apologies to the real Mickey of course).

I'd leave the chimney un bricked if i were you, for this reason. When the plastic push fit joint fails on the plumbing you've done yourself causing water to leak onto the ring main you've done yourself and protected by the wrong amperage mcb causing the cable to overheat and burst into flames..... it'll give somewhere for the smoke to go!!

Cheapskate

So far anything that's been done wrong has been down to the "experts" you hold in such high regard nonay.

After removing the old fire and fireplace yesterday I found the opening had been bricked on one side of the fireplace. This means the opening is no longer in the centre of the chimney breast. In fact the chimney breast would have to be 6 inches wider to make the opening in the centre. God save us all from "experts".

Does your daughter have any backs, lays or perhaps arbs, today?

She is waiting for the flat turf to restart saddo.

Stuck my hand up the chimney today and it looks like the previous occupant had a flu fitted. I can feel a circular tin object with ridges. You'd think I'd have done that in the first place.

You shud of done that in the first place