help - ramoneur needed!

[Cassis]

Post script:

The "buches de ramonage" that you can buy say that they are supposed to COMPLEMENT mechanical sweeping, not replace it.

[Deimos]

The stuff you buy to burn at my local Brico say you should get it swept once a year, burn one of the "logs" each year then burn one of the sachets each week. The people who installed by wood burner say to have it swept twice a year (but I'm only going for once). I don't bother with the "logs" but do burn one of those sachets each week (amazing coloured flames you get).

I think one should be careful even if your insurance say it's OK to do it yourself. If you do it yourself then need to claim, the insurance company can claim that you obviously did not do it properly - or you would not have had a fire. Thus, as you cannot have done it properly, they do not need to pay. If you have it done professionally and get the certificate, then have a fire they will try and claim it from the guy who did the work as obviously he did not do it properly either !!.

Ian

[Chocolate]

We had our chimney swept the week before a woodburner was professionally installed last October. The stove was in use solidly until April when the weather warmed up enough to let it go out. Two weeks ago I thought it time to prepare it for the new season. The ashes were scraped out, the ash-pan completely emptied and the hoover sucked up the mess made. To my horror it also began to lift a tiny part of the small blankety thing inside the top of the stove. I put my hand in, felt around and gently removed the chunks of black clinker/tar and lifted the blanket from inside with a view to putting it back in smoothly. However the corners were thoroughly burned and beginning to disintegrate.

We panicked and rushed off to the supplier in Cahors. She insisted that the blanket must never be removed, (hers had not been for 5 years) and the chimney must be swept three times in the burning season if used all the time. We were flabbergasted to say the least. Firstly that the blanket was OK ( it was burned for goodness sake!) and that the chimney was to be swept so often. Nowhere does it state this in the instruction booklet, nor were we told when it was installed, ( we are almost certain) and no-one else we have asked has it swept so often. She also firmly stated that we must not use the stove until it has been swept. We now await the arrival of the chimney sweep! We asked her if we could do some of the sweeping ourselves and she stated that the rods and brushes system available in the shops  was OK, but only if the brush was plastic, (for the tube up our chimney). A French neighbour says he thinks the cost of the professional is worth the fuss his wife makes if he sweeps theirs himself. The hoover is even used in the upstairs bathroom and he swears she would vacuum the loft if able! He /it can't really be so messy can it?

[Dick Smith]

St Amour - would your guy come as far as Mortain? The local ramoneur is a joke.

[Coco]

Sorry Dick, we couldn't even persuade him to go to friends at St Lo and that's less than a third of the distance to Mortain!  These guys really are EXTREMELY parochial.  Still, I suppose if they have enough work to keep them going why bother travelling further afield?!

[Dick Smith]

True, true. The bloke in Mortain doesn't own a calendar, let alone a watch. No certificate (presumably working on the black) and none too good a job. If anyone else knows of anyone I'd be glad to hear of them.

[Will]

As the bloke in Mortain's wife works for the AGF agent in the town it could present an interesting situation if claiming on the insurance (I think we are talking about the same one - the name is somewhat reminiscent of the Rev Awdry's railway engine?).

[Dick Smith]

Indeed, Monsieur Locomotive au Citerne. Didn't know about the wife's connection - we are with Axa, so would avoid that one (hopefully).