If you have seen my name before you may know that I am buying a house this Friday. One of the things I want to get taken care of soon (especially since it is so cold out today) is to have the chimney swept. I know it should be done every year. The previous homeowners have never had the chimney swept and they have not had a fire in their stove for the past 2 seasons.
How much is it usually. I got one phone quote of $150. I remember as a kid in my parents house it cost something like $75-$100 (over 20 years). The guy had a big vacuum he hooked up the the fireplace and then he went on the roof for 30-45 minutes. My Dad paid him and we got a little bundle of kindling.
So, before I light any fires I want someone to clean the chimney and tell me the house won't burn down. Anybody know of one that services the Chester County, Downingtown Area?
Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
yeah, I remember my Dad making a point to have it done every year until he got a gas insert. When the homeowners said they had never had it cleaned in 5 years I was shocked 😮 . In the back of my mind I was thinking to myself.....first thing when I move in, get the chimney done. Along with a chimney fire I was thinking of fried critters.
Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
Excellent planning! Too many people never think of it or just don't bother.
I Googled chimney sweep chester county pa and got a lot of local companies, quite a few of which said they've been around for a long time. If you don't get recommendations it won't hurt to call a few to get quotes and ask for referrals.
John
I booked it with Top Hatter Chimney Sweep. They have been around for 30 years, guesstimated $150-$165, and are coming out on Monday when I have off. We'll see how they do.
Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
I am finally getting a chance to check out some stuff online after the move.
The guy came and he actually wore the top hat when he knocked on my door. The guy my Dad used had a hat but he kept it in the car.
Anyway....it cost $165. I don't know how I feel about it. He had the vaccuum and the brush and did his think in the stove, but he never went on the roof. He said with the new technology he can do everything from below. At the time I accepted his answer, but now I'm thinking he didn't check the chimney cap, the chimney liner, etc. He just had a brush on a flexible wire thing for bends.
He told me I needed a front grate for my stove. I knew I needed one, it was all deformed and a few things were broken on it. He recommended I get a new door because that was slightly warped and not a good seal.
Does your chimney sweep go on the roof or is this a new thing?
Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
[quote author=Lone Lock link=topic=1331.msg10343#msg10343 date=1327082225]
Does your chimney sweep go on the roof or is this a new thing?
I have had both. The first time he used binoculars to look at the bricks, caps, etc. Most of the time, they just worked from the inside.
My chimney is from 1927, so there is no lining in mine, so not as complicated, but requires more brushing...
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I'd be happier with a chimney sweep who took the time to go up on the roof and really check the chimney. There's just too much that can't be seen well from the ground, and even if he could see all sides, checking it with binoculars doesn't tell the true condition of the mortar or spot potential problems inside.
John
I am thinking I may call a different guy next year and ask them to go up on the roof. He also kept telling me that my stove is set up to burn wood, not coal. Since he swept it I have been spending time on other websites..... :anono1:..... learning about burning coal. My stove is a Vermont Castings Vigilant II and it is specefically designed to burn coal.....especially with the grate that I had to replace which allows me to get a deeper bed of coals without them resting against the glass doors. I can burn wood in it, but it is designed for coal. I have a feeling this guy hasn't seen many coal stoves. He has been in business for 30+ years so I figured he was experienced.
My stove is an older model with minor differences.....and not as clean
A different Vigilant II coal stove Part 1 of 2
Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
Since you're set up to burn coal I'd definitely look for a different guy next year and spend some of the in-between time talking to other sweeps until you find someone you feel more comfortable with.
A nice aside of burning coal is less build-up in the flue and less chance of a chimney fire, since you won't have the resins and by-products from burning wood. Once you get yourself familiar with the stove I would imagine you'll be able to bank it off to burn longer than a wood fire, too.
We had a coal furnace for a good part of the first decade we owned our home (sometimes wish I still had it!) and the only thing I had to do, other than regular ash dumping, was to open and empty the chimney clean out a time or two in between servicing.
John
I'm not familiar with coal, but I am okay with wood. We have since sold the house with the wood fireplace, but had it cleaned every year. The first guy we tried didn't go on the roof either, until I called his boss. When I set up the initial appointment, I asked specifically that they go on the roof to check things out because the house was new to us and we didn't know what the PO had done for maintenance. Looking from the ground just never made me comfortable enough that everything was okay. You should be able to ask for a roof check when you make the appointment. Each time they visited us, including the roof check, it was $140 - $150 in north central Wisconsin
Yeah, I think I am going to find another chimney sweep next year. DW and I were talking about having a professional come in to put in a floor vent or two so we can get the heat from the basement upstairs. I had it between 80-90 all weekend yet the heat wouldn't work its way up the stairwell. I think we also need a cold air return (or that is what the floor vent in the living room is for). Whoever we get to do this I want to know that they know about heating a house with a stove and can do it up right so I can maximize the heating potential of the stove in my house. Whoever that person is, I would think they would also clean chimneys.
Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
We don't heat with a stove, but my in-laws do and DH is very familiar with their system. He says that you are right in finding someone who knows about heating with a stove, and suggested that you try talking with businesses that sell fireplaces for some recomendations as that's how his parents found the company they use. He also said that you should have someone check on a fan for your duct work (if the house has any). That can push the air through the ducts to the rest of the house and is an easier/cleaner install that floor vents. And it still allows the privacy between rooms that floor vents do not.
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