Find a certified chimney sweep in Nottingham and Derby

Expect to pay roughly £60 to £120 for a standard sweep. HETAS puts the East Midlands average at £60 for one lined flue, and MyBuilder quotes £60 to £120 in Derby. Open fires, heavy soot, difficult access and nests can all add to the price, so ask for the full cost when you book.

Source: HETAS, MyBuilder

Allow about an hour. Open fireplaces usually take less time than stoves, and a complex flue or a blockage can take longer.

Source: Checkatrade

A standard sweep should cover a full flue sweep, dust sheets and a sealed access point, vacuuming, a visual check of the flue and appliance connections, and a certificate recording the work and any findings. Many sweeps also run a smoke test, so ask if yours does.

Source: HETAS

Book just before the heating season starts, and again after the peak of the season if you sweep twice a year. Sweep before lighting a fire that has not been used for a long time.

Source: HETAS

HETAS advises at least twice a year for wood or house coal, and at least once a year for smokeless fuel. Some sources advise more for wood: Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue recommends four sweeps a year for wood burners. Heavy use and damp fuel increase the need, so follow the date your sweep writes on your certificate and any condition in your home insurance.

Source: HETAS, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue

Stop using the fire and book a sweep if you notice smoke entering the room, a bad smell when no fire is lit, tar around the flue or damper, soot falling into the stove, a weaker burn, or scratching and bird noises.

Source: HETAS

Yes. HETAS says a chimney needs regular sweeping whatever its type, even if it is lined. Tell your sweep about the liner, because some power-sweeping attachments can damage certain lining systems.

Source: HETAS, HETAS guidance

A chimney serving a gas fire usually needs an annual check, and a sweep only if there is a blockage. Balanced flue and flueless gas fires have no traditional chimney to sweep. Any work on the gas appliance needs a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Source: Direct Fireplaces

Get out, stay out and call 999. Warning signs include a loud roaring noise, sparks or flames from the chimney pot, and smoke or a burning smell in nearby rooms or the loft. Only if it is safe, close the air vents and flue dampers and move flammable items away from the fireplace.

Source: Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue

Sweeps do not need an official qualification to trade, so anyone can offer the service. Membership of a trade body shows that a sweep has been trained and assessed. NACS, for example, requires its members to hold valid insurance. Ask which body your sweep belongs to and check its directory.

Source: Derby Sweep, NACS

The Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps, NACS, APICS and Sweep Safe are sweep associations that train, assess and monitor their members. HETAS runs an Approved Chimney Sweep scheme, which has been open to members of those four associations and is adding a direct route for experienced sweeps. A sweep can hold more than one of these.

Source: HETAS

Often, yes. Many home insurance policies ask for proof of sweeping by an approved sweep. Requirements vary, so read your policy wording or ask your insurer, and keep each certificate in case you need to make a claim.

Source: Homebuilding & Renovating

You can, but you will not get a professional certificate, which your insurer may want. A trained sweep can also spot faults while they work, and HETAS recommends using a professional.

Source: HETAS, Homebuilding & Renovating

Stop using the appliance until the fault has been fixed. NACS members must record defects and dangerous conditions and issue a warning notice. Other sweeps should tell you what they found and note it on the paperwork.

Source: NACS

Let the fire go out completely the day before and avoid using the stove for several hours beforehand. Empty the ash pan, clear the mantelpiece and the area around the fire, and cover nearby furniture and soft furnishings.

Source: HETAS, Checkatrade

Much less than people expect. Sweeps bring protective sheets and use a vacuum, though HETAS notes that a mess-free sweep cannot be guaranteed. Cover furniture if the chimney has not been swept for a long time.

Source: HETAS, Checkatrade

Some sweeps take it away, and others double-bag and seal it for your household bin. Sweeps who remove waste must be on the Environment Agency's waste carrier register. Removal can cost extra, so ask first.

Source: HETAS

Yes, once the nest is inactive. Disturbing an active nest is illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. If you suspect a nest, do not light the fire, and ask a sweep for advice. Nest removal typically adds £100 to £200, and a bird guard can help stop it happening again.

Source: Help Wildlife, HETAS

Landlords in England must provide a CO alarm in any room used as living accommodation that has a fixed combustion appliance, except a gas cooker. The rule covers private and social rented homes. It does not apply to owner-occupied homes, but the Guild still advises fitting an alarm if you have an open fire or wood burner.

Source: 2022 Regulations explanatory memorandum, Find a Chimney Sweep

Often yes, but check the local rules. All of Nottingham City Council's area is a smoke control area. In Erewash, the areas surround Long Eaton and Ilkeston. If you live in Derby, ask the council's environmental health team to confirm your address. In a smoke control area, wood is only allowed in a Defra-approved exempt appliance. In England, smoke from your chimney can bring a penalty of up to £300, and buying unauthorised fuel to use in a non-approved appliance can bring a fine of up to £1,000.

Source: GOV.UK, Nottingham City Council, Erewash Borough Council

Burn kiln-dried or well-seasoned wood, and look for the Woodsure Ready to Burn mark. Avoid old pallets, furniture and scrap wood, which can contain harmful contaminants.

Source: Nottingham City Council

Check your tenancy agreement and ask your landlord before you use the fire. Your landlord must also provide a CO alarm in a room with a fixed combustion appliance.

Source: 2022 Regulations explanatory memorandum