Does My Gas Fire Need Chimney Sweeping?

If you have a wood or coal fire, you’re probably already aware that your fireplace will need some maintenance. However, if you have a gas fire, you may be wondering whether your gas fire needs chimney sweeping.

 

Keeping the chimney passage clear

If you have a gas fireplace with a chimney or flue, then it will need to exhaust harmful fumes. So, it’s important that the passage is kept clear, so the fumes can evacuate with little resistance.

Although your gas fire won’t produce much soot or creosote, the chimney can still become blocked. This easily happens, as cobwebs build up over time and the dust is pulled from the room the gas fireplace is in. You may also find that bird nesting material gets into the chimney from the top. These aspects all contribute to clogging up the flue, and this can be enough to seriously restrict the flue from being able to ‘pull away’ all the fumes.

Wear and tear over time

Chimneys will deteriorate over time, which can lead to holes in the flue. This can cause huge issues, including gases evacuating into other rooms within the home, or to an adjacent property. So, fumes need to be able to adequately evacuate for safety reasons.

This is perhaps best explained using an analogy. Imagine a chimney is like a straw: if you make a hole in the side of the straw, then you can’t use it to get the drink to the top. A chimney works in a similar way, as if there’s a hole in it, then this could prevent the fumes from properly evacuating the room.

 

Blocking the flue

Another thing that can happen to your gas fire over time is that the flue can become blocked. For example, loose pieces of pargetting can block the flue, or they can fall onto the appliance, which in turn blocks the gas supply.

This can be extremely dangerous, so it’s best to ensure that your gas fire is regularly tended to in terms of chimney sweeping.

 

How often does my gas fire need chimney sweeping?

You should ensure that your gas fire is swept, and your chimney is inspected, once a year at a minimum. It’s also very important to ensure that the gas fire itself is serviced by a gas safe engineer on an annual basis. Regular maintenance of chimneys can help prevent chimney fires too.

To book your chimney inspection, speak to a member of our friendly and experienced team today.