Do you really clean your chimney every year?

[WJT]

Last year we had our chimneys cleaned (one being the chimney flue for our central heating) at the cost of approximately 300 euros. I had heard that you must have it done every year in order for the insurance to be valid. We do not live there full time so just used it a short while last year after having this done. I just had a call back from our insurance agent that unfortunately confirmed this to be true. Even though we have not used it much we still must have this done every year. I asked her about the products that claim that if you burn them they clean the chimney and provide a certificate to provide to your insurer for proof. She said that they also confirmed that they are not acceptable and that you must have a receipt for ramonage for the insurance to be valid. 

She claims that this is not their policy but is required in France regardless of the insurer. So does everyone here have this done every year? Seems to me to be a little over the top. We no longer have an open fire in the UK but I don't believe this to be the case here. if it is we have certainly never been made aware of it.

[Lori]

You must have several fireplaces to add up to 300 euros..  I do love a house with lots of fireplaces.

We do have our (one) cleaned each year at a cost of 60 euros TTC.  We get the Certificate of Ramonage (don't know if I spelled that right) and are set for another year.  Don't know if it is actually required by the insurance company, but in the event of a chimney fire, I'm sure they would not pay if we didn't have the certificate (assuming it didn't burn in the fire !).

Perhaps someone else here will know the fact on requirement or not.

[Babnik]

I have asked our insurance company whether it was a requirement, and they have said no. I guess it depends which company you are insured with. Just ask. As to the 400 euros bill...sounds like a rip-off to me, unless you had quite a few chimneys. We just had ours done for 45 euros.

[Iceni]

We use our logburner for 5 or 6 months of the year to heat our 1 room and to cook on. The chimney was swept in August at a cost of €38 which we accept as a modest price to pay - whether an insurance requirement or not. Perhaps the price reflected the ease of the job ?

John

not

[SC]

We had a fire the flue very soon after we arrived and it was pretty scary. Ever since then we've swept them properly ourselves at the end of each winter, on the basis that if they're properly swept, they won't cause a fire so the insurance company won't be involved.

The insurance certificate with the buche de rammonage must be completed and sent to the manufacturer. The one's I've seen cover you separately for damage caused by a subsequent chimney fire that your house insurer won't pay for. At least that's what the big print says!

Steve

[WJT]

Very interesting. Our agent insisted that it was a standard requirement in France not just their policy. She said it wasn't just their policy but all Insurance companies in France would have the same stipulation. So it is very interesting that your insurer said otherwise Babnik. I think I may just give her another call tomorrow but unfortunately it appears it wouldn't change anything for me anyway at this point unless I change insurers.

By the way, the 300 euros was for one large fireplace (cantou), another smaller one and a chimney in our kitchen as well as the chimney used for our central heating flue. They were absolutely filthy and probably hadn't been cleaned for many years if at all.

As we will only be using the one large fireplace and the central heating and just using them for a short time last year after having them done, it really shouldn't be a big job. I think I will have a look at the certificate with the buche de rammonage that Sc suggested as well.  Thank you all for the information. I do love this site

[andyh4]

We have used the chemical method and the cost of the chemicals includes a one year insurance policy - fill out the card send it off and a couple of weeks later back comes the policy document.

 

From the amount of grot that fell down the chimney (even though we are also using the heating rarely because we are not there for most of the winter) I would suggest it is money well spent.

 

[Babnik]

Even though our insurer said it wasn't a requirement, I've come to be very cynical and unless something is down in writing, I don't believe anyone on the phone. Anyway, we had our chimney cleaned last week, and even though it is very large, and I'm sure hadn't been cleaned in ages (by the amount of soot that came down), the price was only 45 euros. That's why I was a little surprised at the 300 euro price tag for your chimneys.

[WJT]

Babnik, we had it done by the local company that delivers our oil for central heating so next time will definitely shop around.

Andyh4, when we arrive this weekend, I am going to purchase one of the chemical logs mentioned and send off the certificate. We have a duel source central heating system that uses wood and oil but do not even know how to use wood in it anyway but appears the previous owner (a deceased elderly widowed man, so cannot ask) used wood quite a bit, hence the reason the chimney flue for the boiler was so dirty. If we are only using oil, is it necessary to have it cleaned? I would assume that it is just for ventilation and the smoke from oil is clean and would not produce a build up of soot.

[Justsomeguy]

I dont know about the Insurance implications, but you need to get an annual certificate to say that your chimney(s) have been cleaned for the Pompiers, if you have a chimney fire and they attend. We had a  chimney fire when we first arrived in the Aude and the Pompier came and dealt with it very efficiently (they even swept the chimney!) but said this one was free but could charge after this if we didn`t get a certificate from a sweep.