We have a wood burner and a lined chimney and last year it cost €83.00 for it to be cleaned, a process which took all of 15mins. The heating company has been calling us daily to do it again this year and informs us that the Law now states that will have to be done twice a year! Is there any truth to this? Back in old Blighty we used to have our chimney swept for about £30.00 which always sounded like a fair figure. Anyone any thoughts on this?
We have just paid 60 euros TTC with invoice and certificate, local heating engineer and plumber, 2 men, very thorough difficult access. Our area isn’t known to be the cheapest in France …
Once a year is the requirement unless things have changed. I would shop around if poss.
nice one !
We pay 130 euros once a year. For this he does both the insert and the pellet central heating plus both chimneys. I've never timed him but he does a super job and leaves everything spotless. The brush is mechanically driven linked to a vacuum cleaner.
So far as I know the number of times a year depends on the insurance company. Ours says once a year. Failure to do so merely affects the amount you get in the event of a chimney fire causing damage.
Your guy is thorough, hang on to him, and he still gets 60€ an hour, to me that would be 1.5 to 2 times what a paramedic gets paid, after years of studying, examinations, shift work 24/7 every day of the year, saving lives and limbs literally, in the dark, in the wet or ice, outside or in drug dens, maybe an injured violent patient or the mentally unstable. And all that either alone or in twos, it's not all helicopter glory boys.
WOW at those rates, say an average of 60€ for 30 to 45 minutes work and travelling they are on about 660€ a 7 hour working day, and a 35 hour week that equates to 3300€ allow 6 weeks off consisting of holidays and national days then he "earns" 152000€ per year .......... I am sure that even half that productivity the resultant 76000€ is damn good money for sticking a brush up a chimney, cleaning up the mess, checking for leaks and damage, coffee included. Probably the resultant insurance he has to pay is expensive.
We pay 65 euros for a job well done . The invoice is then proof we have the chimney cleaned by a professional. I understand this is necessary for house insurance purposes.
Nothing...do it yourself, I do mine monthly...
We pay about that, but our guy is here for around 45 mins, thoroughly cleaning the wood burner, sweeping the chimney, cleaning the glass, refitting /replacing the cord and then tidying up before he goes. We have this done once a year and burn the Ramoneur logs every couple of weeks when we have the fire going all the time…
Check with your insurers - if they insist you have the chimney cleaned twice a year you will not be insured for a chimney fire claim unless you can prove you did so.
We did have ours cleaned by a pro (80€ a visit) but one time he failed to clear solid soot from the top bends of the flue, just making a hole in it but not clearing it, and we discussed with the installer who modified the joint between the interior and exterior. Now we can disconnect the bends completely and ensure they are properly cleaned on the top landing before replacing them and resealing the joint.
We bought a professional sweep's kit, expensive but very high quality, and now do it ourselves twice a year. We take a date- and time-stamped photo of the stove and the angles on the landing and the brush sticking out of the chimney, should evidence be required. We do a better job than the professional ever did. The cost of the kit was covered within a year.
I would not clean anyone else's chimney as that might risk their insurance, but it fulfills the requirements of ours. Not all chimneys may be as easy as ours with bends within reach, easily taken down and replaced. However there's nothing mysterious about cleaning a chimney, just push, twist and add the next section of stick. A good vacuum cleaner helps (good old Henry!) and with our solid floor it's easy to clear up the little dust which results. The tarry, sticky, solid stuff is the enemy rather than powdery soot, and a single clean per year wouldn't prevent that from building up and blocking the flue.
I contacted my insurance company and asked if I can clean the chimneys myself. They said 'yes', but if I had a fire which was caused by a chimney, they would only pay out 70%. No mention of legal requirements. Could this be down to your local Prefecture?
we pay about 65 - 70 euros. He is there for at least half hour, no coffee, no chatting as i am working and not available ;-)
It is indeed the law that the chimney (if being used) must be swept twice a year and that one of those occasions must be during the winter months. Our sweep (team of 2) charges 98 Euros TTC but we get the chimney swept and they also totally clean the stove itself.
I pay 70€, it is twice a year, which is stupid, I do it once. You need to keep receipts. I've never heard of anyone being fined for not doing it, it's more of an insurance thing.
Me too, 15 minutes max, with a coffee and a chat!
You need a chauffagiste Patrick. The link below will help you find one in your area. Follow the instructions to "trouver un pro"
We have butagaz heating and, so far, I haven't found a ramoneur who 'does' chaudiere gaz ramonage. tbh I've tried 4, 2 couldn't do anything until spring the others said they don't do gaz. In the UK I never needed a gas flue cleaned, but the regulations don't seem to specify the type of fuel.
You have to have your chimney swept at least twice a year, more often in some places, and it should cost between 40 and 80 euros. You can check the information here http://droit-finances.commentcamarche.net/faq/15317-ramonage-obligatoire-la-reglementation
Ours cost about €65/70-not exactly sure as I don't have the bill to hand. That's for each fire-we have 3 but one isn't used much so he inspects that and tells us if he thinks it needs cleaning but it's not done every year so this year only 2 needed cleaning and only charged for the two. The sweep is here about an hour and does a greag job- no mess, he cleans everything up but he also gives us advice if he thinks there's a problem. When he was here in Oct. he certainly didn't mention anything about needing to be done twice a year. Have you tried a local sweep? Your neighbours will be able to recommend one I'm sure rather than using a heating company.