Frequently Asked Questions

At Academy Sweeps, we recommend following guidance from UK fire safety authorities. Chimneys should usually be swept at the following intervals unless your appliance manufacturer or insurance policy states otherwise:

• Solid fuel appliances
  Smokeless fuel: at least once per year
  House coal: twice per year
  Wood burning stoves: every 3 months while in regular use
• Gas appliances
  Once a year, some Gas appliances with no access to sweep need removing and reinstalling by a Gas safe engineer enabling access for us to sweep the chimney.
• Oil appliances
  Once a year.

https://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/safety/home-safe-home/fire-hazards-in-and-around-your-home/chimney-safety/

Regular sweeping helps prevent chimney fires, improves appliance efficiency and keeps your home safe.

If your chimney hasn’t been swept in the past 12 months, it’s best to arrange a sweep as soon as possible.

If it hasn’t been used since the last sweep, the issue could be caused by:

• Weather conditions
• Cold air trapped in the chimney
• A blockage such as debris or a bird nest

If you suspect a blockage, contact Academy Sweeps and we’ll help diagnose the issue and clear it safely.

Yes, but only when it is legal and safe to do so.

Bird nests are protected during nesting season March - September, so we cannot remove nests if they contain eggs or chicks. Many chimney nests in the UK are built by Jackdaw.

Outside of nesting season we can remove nests and install a chimney cowl to help prevent the problem happening again.

• Open fires
• Log burners
• Multi-fuel stoves
• Some gas flues 
• Pellet stoves

Most standard chimney sweeps take around 30- 45 minutes per flue.

If there is a blockage such as a bird nest or heavy soot build-up, the job can take longer as extra time is needed to clear the debris safely.

If you need to rearrange your appointment, please let us know as early as possible so we can offer the slot to another customer.

Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice may be subject to a cancellation fee.

We provide a two-hour arrival window. Traffic conditions and unexpected issues at earlier jobs can sometimes affect the schedule. If we expect to be early or late, we will always contact you to keep you informed.

For first visits we prefer someone to be home over the age of 18. If you need to leave a key with a neighbour or in a safe place, just let us know in advance.

If we arrive and cannot gain access, a missed appointment charge may apply.

Yes. Many customers simply let us in and carry on with their day. Our aim at Academy Sweeps is to provide a professional and trustworthy service that is as convenient as possible.

If we discover anything unusual or potentially unsafe, we will contact you straight away. No additional work will be carried out without discussing it with you first unless the situation requires urgent attention.

We take every precaution to keep your home clean. Protective sheets and professional vacuum equipment are used during every sweep.

If we are removing a nest or major blockage, we may advise covering nearby furniture, carpets or curtains as extra debris may fall during the process.

No, we do our utmost to make our process as clean as possible, and use tried and tested practices to prevent dust from escaping in the room.

Professional equipment and careful preparation mean mess is kept to an absolute minimum. On the rare occasion soot escapes into the room, we will clean up thoroughly.

For your peace of mind, Academy Sweeps is fully insured.

In rare situations small amounts of soot may fall after the sweep, particularly if there is moisture inside the chimney or cold air movement. If this happens and you’re concerned, just get in touch and we’ll advise.

Normally the soot is bagged and left for disposal with household waste. If preferred, we can take it away for disposal, although this may involve a small additional charge.

Payment is required at the end of the visit, unless agreed otherwise. We accept:

Cash, Card payments ( signal permitting ), and Bank transfer.

We do not take cheques unfortunately.

Yes, we can email an invoice if you require one.

Yes. We can provide payment details for online transfers. Just include your address or property name as a reference so we can match the payment.

Yes, many of our sweeps carry mobile card machines. These rely on mobile signal, so availability can vary depending on location.

Yes. After your chimney has been swept, Academy Sweeps will provide a certificate for your records, which is often required by home insurance providers.

During the visit we carry out a visual check of the chimney and appliance while sweeping. If a more detailed inspection is required, we can arrange services such as CCTV inspections or smoke tests to investigate further.

Please note that a sweeping certificate confirms the chimney has been cleaned, but it is not a structural warranty of the system.

Absolutely. If we notice anything that may require attention, we’ll explain the issue and suggest the next steps. A CCTV inspection can also help identify problems and provide useful evidence when arranging repairs.

The best times are at the end of the burning season or before the start of the heating season. 

End of season benefits - removes all deposits while they’re still manageable and prepares your chimney for the next heating season.

It also prevents acidic soot and creosote from corroding your flue liner over the summer, eliminates smelly, damp odours from sitting in your home, and allows time for any necessary repairs to be done before the next winter, all while avoiding the rush. 

Start of season benefits - ensures it is clean, safe, and free from blockages like bird nests after months of inactivity. This timing prevents chimney fires, eliminates hazardous creosote buildup, improves efficiency, and reduces dangerous smoke/odours when you first light your fire. 

Yes, we can replace fire bricks in multi fuel stoves and log burners, and we can also replace the rope seals on these appliances.  We can also replace glass depending on the age of the appliance and type.

After we've swept your appliance we then carefully and safely bag the soot up into black plastic waste sacks. We would then leave the soot with the customer to dispose of in their general waste dustbin as advised to do so by HETAS and the local authorities.