Our woes with our chimney continue... it's still damp despite having been rebuilt above roof level and then reprinted..... but I digress. We had a new cowl fitted which was supposed to cure the damp. But it had no bird guards and squirrels got in and built a nest.....

So the chimney sweep came to call.....

Or rather another chimney sweep that he had subbed the work to as his van was off the road.

My mother in law "baby sat" the sweep as we were at work (we shawl the ask her to do this sort of stuff again. It's just not fair on her).


We came home to a very smelly house and a very sooty (horizontal surfaces) sitting room.



Mum's version of what happened is


"He said he would look at the chimney with the squirrel's nest first. He set out his dust sheets and started working with his rods. It took a very long time to get a small amount down. He carried on with his rods. Eventually, he got a similar amount down. He could not shift any more with his rods. He said the only way to clear the nest was to set it on fire. I expressed my concern. He said that it would not damage the chimney lining and indicated that it was a normal way to deal with it as he could see I was unsure. He went to his van and came back with a roll of blue paper roller towel he started unrolling it and scrunching it up. I said that if he had to use that method to clear the chimney that he should use newspaper. He took some out of the log basket, agreeing that it would be better. He pushed it up the chimney and went outside to make sure the smoke was going out. He came back in and said that it was so it was doing alright. I went and stood outside for a while to keep an eye on it. Eventually, the smoke changed from grey to black. I wonder if the blackened door (on the wood burner) was because he burned the blue roller paper in the stove ... Which may have caused the black smoke as it was not likely to burn well. He assured me that it was all cleared. I asked about the soot. He told me that there had hardly been any as he thought that the squirrels had kept it clean going up and down. It was all fine."

We are wary of lighting the fire as we are not convinced the chimney is clear.

I spoke to the original sweep who spoke to the sub-contractor who gave a different story of having cleared it all with rods and then burnt the debris/waste in the wood burner (why would you??). He gave me the second guy's number and was keen for me to do any "sorting out" with him (but my contract was with the first guy, and the second guy asked for the cheque to be made out to the first guy.


Anyway, questions for the panel....

Is setting fire to a flexi lined chimney an acceptable way to clear it.

If he did it is it likely to have been successful?

is he likely to have damaged the liner?

How should I proceed?

Wrote in message:
Our woes with our chimney continue... it's still damp despite having been rebuilt above roof level and then reprinted..... but I digress. We had a new cowl fitted which was supposed to cure the damp. But it had no bird guards and squirrels got in and built a nest.....

So the chimney sweep came to call.....

Or rather another chimney sweep that he had subbed the work to as his van was off the road.

My mother in law "baby sat" the sweep as we were at work (we shawl the ask her to do this sort of stuff again. It's just not fair on her).


We came home to a very smelly house and a very sooty (horizontal surfaces) sitting room.



Mum's version of what happened is


"He said he would look at the chimney with the squirrel's nest first. He set out his dust sheets and started working with his rods. It took a very long time to get a small amount down. He carried on with his rods. Eventually, he got a similar amount down. He could not shift any more with his rods. He said the only way to clear the nest was to set it on fire. I expressed my concern. He said that it would not damage the chimney lining and indicated that it was a normal way to deal with it as he could see I was unsure. He went to his van and came back with a roll of blue paper roller towel he started unrolling it and scrunching it up. I said that if he had to use that method to clear the chimney that he should use newspaper. He took some out of the log basket, agreeing that it would be better. He pushed it up the chimney and went outside to make sure the smoke was going out. He came back in and said that it was so it was doing alright. I went and stood outside for a while to keep an eye on it. Eventually, the smoke changed from grey to black. I wonder if the blackened door (on the wood burner) was because he burned the blue roller paper in the stove ... Which may have caused the black smoke as it was not likely to burn well. He assured me that it was all cleared. I asked about the soot. He told me that there had hardly been any as he thought that the squirrels had kept it clean going up and down. It was all fine."

We are wary of lighting the fire as we are not convinced the chimney is clear.

I spoke to the original sweep who spoke to the sub-contractor who gave a different story of having cleared it all with rods and then burnt the debris/waste in the wood burner (why would you??). He gave me the second guy's number and was keen for me to do any "sorting out" with him (but my contract was with the first guy, and the second guy asked for the cheque to be made out to the first guy.


Anyway, questions for the panel....

Is setting fire to a flexi lined chimney an acceptable way to clear it.

If he did it is it likely to have been successful?

is he likely to have damaged the liner?

How should I proceed?




Light a small fire & see what happens.

If it's not ok ring the first guy, if necessary politely remind
him he has your money, & it is his reputation you were relying
on.

Ask him politely what he intends to do & stress you have already
paid him & want it sorting asap.

Did he put the cowl on?

--
Jim K


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

In message , jim
writes
Wrote in message:

How should I proceed?

Light a small fire & see what happens.

A good time of year to add leaves, which will produce plenty of smoke,
so you can easily see the result from outside. Alternatively, use one
of those purple smoke things. Packs available via eBay, although I
bought a single one from local iron monger. Looks like an old Mount
Vesuvius conical firework.

--
Graeme

On 18/11/16 10:52, wrote:

Anyway, questions for the panel....

Is setting fire to a flexi lined chimney an acceptable way to clear it.

Seems a strange way. Are squirrel's nests really that solid?

If he did it is it likely to have been successful?

Dunno. I would use a smoke pellet and see that all the smoke goes up the
chimney. Light a few bits of newspaper in the grate to get some draw
going, then lob in a smoke pellet.

is he likely to have damaged the liner?

No. The heat from a bit of paper is nothing compared to the flue gas
temperature from a well lit anthracite coal fire.

How should I proceed?

Never employ either of them again and tell everyone you know.

If you are really worried, find a decent sweep and ask for a CCTV survey
to be sure.

On 11/18/2016 10:52 AM, wrote:

Our woes with our chimney continue... it's still damp despite having been rebuilt above roof level and then reprinted..... but I digress. We had a new cowl fitted which was supposed to cure the damp. But it had no bird guards and squirrels got in and built a nest.....

So the chimney sweep came to call.....

Or rather another chimney sweep that he had subbed the work to as his van was off the road.

My mother in law "baby sat" the sweep as we were at work (we shawl the ask her to do this sort of stuff again. It's just not fair on her).


We came home to a very smelly house and a very sooty (horizontal surfaces) sitting room.



Mum's version of what happened is


"He said he would look at the chimney with the squirrel's nest first. He set out his dust sheets and started working with his rods. It took a very long time to get a small amount down. He carried on with his rods. Eventually, he got a similar amount down. He could not shift any more with his rods. He said the only way to clear the nest was to set it on fire. I expressed my concern. He said that it would not damage the chimney lining and indicated that it was a normal way to deal with it as he could see I was unsure. He went to his van and came back with a roll of blue paper roller towel he started unrolling it and scrunching it up. I said that if he had to use that method to clear the chimney that he should use newspaper. He took some out of the log basket, agreeing that it would be better. He pushed it up the chimney and went outside to make sure the smoke was going out. He came back in and said that it was so it was doing alright. I went and stood outside for a while to keep an eye on it. Eventually, the smoke changed from grey to black. I wonder if the blackened door (on the wood burner) was because he burned the blue roller paper in the stove ... Which may have caused the black smoke as it was not likely to burn well. He assured me that it was all cleared. I asked about the soot. He told me that there had hardly been any as he thought that the squirrels had kept it clean going up and down. It was all fine."

We are wary of lighting the fire as we are not convinced the chimney is clear.

I spoke to the original sweep who spoke to the sub-contractor who gave a different story of having cleared it all with rods and then burnt the debris/waste in the wood burner (why would you??). He gave me the second guy's number and was keen for me to do any "sorting out" with him (but my contract was with the first guy, and the second guy asked for the cheque to be made out to the first guy.


Anyway, questions for the panel....

Is setting fire to a flexi lined chimney an acceptable way to clear it.

If he did it is it likely to have been successful?

is he likely to have damaged the liner?

How should I proceed?



he SHOULD have sent a wee boy up .....

--
Beat fraud ... tug a wig
I like to live as a poor man, but with lots of money
The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive
Creativity in retirement is knowing how to spend time without spending money

On 18/11/16 12:23, Jim GM4DHJ ... wrote:
On 11/18/2016 10:52 AM, wrote:
Our woes with our chimney continue... it's still damp ....

How should I proceed?


he SHOULD have sent a wee boy up .....


Finally! A use for Nicola Sturgeon!

--
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will
eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such
time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic
and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally
important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for
the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the
truth is the greatest enemy of the State.

Joseph Goebbels

On 11/18/2016 11:55 AM, Tim Watts wrote:
On 18/11/16 10:52, wrote:

Anyway, questions for the panel....

Is setting fire to a flexi lined chimney an acceptable way to clear it.

Seems a strange way. Are squirrel's nests really that solid?

If he did it is it likely to have been successful?

Dunno. I would use a smoke pellet and see that all the smoke goes up the
chimney. Light a few bits of newspaper in the grate to get some draw
going, then lob in a smoke pellet.

is he likely to have damaged the liner?

No. The heat from a bit of paper is nothing compared to the flue gas
temperature from a well lit anthracite coal fire.

How should I proceed?

Never employ either of them again and tell everyone you know.


Agree with all that

If you are really worried, find a decent sweep and ask for a CCTV survey
to be sure.


No, surely the perfect excuse to get a USB pencil camera with a decent
lead, and push it up using "wiring" rods :-)

On 11/18/2016 12:32 PM, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 18/11/16 12:23, Jim GM4DHJ ... wrote:
On 11/18/2016 10:52 AM, wrote:
Our woes with our chimney continue... it's still damp ....

How should I proceed?


he SHOULD have sent a wee boy up .....


Finally! A use for Nicola Sturgeon!

wee jimmie crankie ......

--
Beat fraud ... tug a wig
I like to live as a poor man, but with lots of money
The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive
Creativity in retirement is knowing how to spend time without spending money

I'd think if the nest was close to the top some kind of inspection from
there maybe using a camera might be the best way. Chimneys are a pain in
most cases. maybe we have just lost the expertise or modern liners have made
things a lot more complicated than they used to be. I can recall chimney
fires were quite regular things when I was young and we still used coal.

Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
wrote in message
...
Our woes with our chimney continue... it's still damp despite having been
rebuilt above roof level and then reprinted..... but I digress. We had a new
cowl fitted which was supposed to cure the damp. But it had no bird guards
and squirrels got in and built a nest.....

So the chimney sweep came to call.....

Or rather another chimney sweep that he had subbed the work to as his van
was off the road.

My mother in law "baby sat" the sweep as we were at work (we shawl the ask
her to do this sort of stuff again. It's just not fair on her).


We came home to a very smelly house and a very sooty (horizontal surfaces)
sitting room.



Mum's version of what happened is


"He said he would look at the chimney with the squirrel's nest first. He set
out his dust sheets and started working with his rods. It took a very long
time to get a small amount down. He carried on with his rods. Eventually, he
got a similar amount down. He could not shift any more with his rods. He
said the only way to clear the nest was to set it on fire. I expressed my
concern. He said that it would not damage the chimney lining and indicated
that it was a normal way to deal with it as he could see I was unsure. He
went to his van and came back with a roll of blue paper roller towel he
started unrolling it and scrunching it up. I said that if he had to use that
method to clear the chimney that he should use newspaper. He took some out
of the log basket, agreeing that it would be better. He pushed it up the
chimney and went outside to make sure the smoke was going out. He came back
in and said that it was so it was doing alright. I went and stood outside
for a while to keep an eye on it. Eventually, the smoke changed from grey to
black. I wonder if the blackened door (on the wood burner) was because he
burned the blue roller paper in the stove ... Which may have caused the
black smoke as it was not likely to burn well. He assured me that it was all
cleared. I asked about the soot. He told me that there had hardly been any
as he thought that the squirrels had kept it clean going up and down. It was
all fine."

We are wary of lighting the fire as we are not convinced the chimney is
clear.

I spoke to the original sweep who spoke to the sub-contractor who gave a
different story of having cleared it all with rods and then burnt the
debris/waste in the wood burner (why would you??). He gave me the second
guy's number and was keen for me to do any "sorting out" with him (but my
contract was with the first guy, and the second guy asked for the cheque to
be made out to the first guy.


Anyway, questions for the panel....

Is setting fire to a flexi lined chimney an acceptable way to clear it.

If he did it is it likely to have been successful?

is he likely to have damaged the liner?

How should I proceed?

On 18/11/2016 10:52, wrote:


" He said the only way to clear the nest was to
set it on fire.



It used to be illegal to set fire to your chimney to clean them out ....
Google this - may find it still is.
In any event would not have wanted to set fore to a liner.

Tim Watts Wrote in message:
On 18/11/16 10:52, wrote:

Anyway, questions for the panel....

Is setting fire to a flexi lined chimney an acceptable way to clear it.

Seems a strange way. Are squirrel's nests really that solid?

If he did it is it likely to have been successful?

Dunno. I would use a smoke pellet and see that all the smoke goes up the
chimney. Light a few bits of newspaper in the grate to get some draw
going, then lob in a smoke pellet.

is he likely to have damaged the liner?

No. The heat from a bit of paper is nothing compared to the flue gas
temperature from a well lit anthracite coal fire.

How should I proceed?

Never employ either of them again and tell everyone you know.

If you are really worried, find a decent sweep and ask for a CCTV survey
to be sure.




+1 to all that
--
Jim K


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/