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Chimney sweep - Mercia Marina

NB Lola

By NB Lola
in General Boating

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jenlyn Veteran II

jenlyn

Posted
Posted

Hi all,

 

I will be looking for a chimney sweep in the new year. Anyone recommend a sweep who can come to mercia marina near Derby?

 

Or, if i needed to do it myself, where would I get the bits?

 

:wacko:

 

speak to steve taylor on widebeam JENIQUE, also moored at mercia, he will help you

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cloggy Collaborator

cloggy

Posted
Posted

Hi all,

 

I will be looking for a chimney sweep in the new year. Anyone recommend a sweep who can come to mercia marina near Derby?

 

Or, if i needed to do it myself, where would I get the bits?

 

:wacko:

 

Just buy yourself a flue brush from any chandlers or plumbers merchant and do it yourself, its not a hard job.

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NB Lola Rising Star

NB LolaDonate to Canal World

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You are also forgetting the £200 charge to replace the flue when I break the lining and the fire rope comes away, followed by me tripping into the marina, new clothes etc. A chimney sweep is much cheaper for the guy who spent 3 days in hospital after dropping an open bean can on his foot!

 

 

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sociable_hermit Experienced

sociable_hermit

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Yes, they defintely have flue brushes in the Chandlery at Mercia, I've just bought one.

 

You might need to reshape it a bit, depending on where you intend to keep it, as the standard length is over 6'10" [how tall do they expect narrowboat flues to be, exactly?].

 

With the fire out, I normally sweep down with the chimney in situ first, then remove the chimney and sweep down the flue. I've bent the end of the wire handle into an "L" shape so I can twist the brush round while sweeping.

 

Mine has a back boiler which traps some of the soot so the next stage is to sweep that down. This is the stage where you might get grubby so have some hot water on the go for washing your hands (washing up liquid + salt or sugar will shift just about anything). Once all the soot is down to grate level clean out the grate same as normal, and everything should end up in the ashpan. Dispose in the normal way, wash hands, job done.

 

Steve is on the end of the first pontoon after the security gates, big widebeam, far right hand side. He is a helpful chap but be warned he's also a short@rse so no help for taller chimneys! :P

 

I'm also a Mercia regular and so is MJG, and I'm sure there are others too.

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jenlyn Veteran II

jenlyn

Posted
Posted

Yes, they defintely have flue brushes in the Chandlery at Mercia, I've just bought one.

 

You might need to reshape it a bit, depending on where you intend to keep it, as the standard length is over 6'10" [how tall do they expect narrowboat flues to be, exactly?].

 

With the fire out, I normally sweep down with the chimney in situ first, then remove the chimney and sweep down the flue. I've bent the end of the wire handle into an "L" shape so I can twist the brush round while sweeping.

 

Mine has a back boiler which traps some of the soot so the next stage is to sweep that down. This is the stage where you might get grubby so have some hot water on the go for washing your hands (washing up liquid + salt or sugar will shift just about anything). Once all the soot is down to grate level clean out the grate same as normal, and everything should end up in the ashpan. Dispose in the normal way, wash hands, job done.

 

Steve is on the end of the first pontoon after the security gates, big widebeam, far right hand side. He is a helpful chap but be warned he's also a short@rse so no help for taller chimneys! :P

 

I'm also a Mercia regular and so is MJG, and I'm sure there are others too.

 

short, steve? also plump and strange accent, lol

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David Schweizer Veteran II

David Schweizer

Posted
Posted (edited)

snip < Mine has a back boiler which traps some of the soot so the next stage is to sweep that down. This is the stage where you might get grubby so have some hot water on the go for washing your hands (washing up liquid + salt or sugar will shift just about anything). Once all the soot is down to grate level clean out the grate same as normal, and everything should end up in the ashpan. Dispose in the normal way, wash hands, job done. > snip

 

 

I was alway told that is far better to wash your hands in cold water after sweeping a chimney, Hot water apparently opens the skin pores and any soot still on your hands gets into them, wheras cold water closes the pores and reduces the absobtion of soot.

Edited by David Schweizer
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landroversforever Explorer

landroversforever

Posted
Posted

I was alway told that is far better to wash your hands in cold water after sweeping a chimney, Hot water apparently opens the skin pores and any soot still on your hands gets into them, wheras cold water closes the pores and reduces the absobtion of soot.

Using cold water is a habit I have got into as its the recommended way to do it at work (tritium contamination). I do it with anything when my hands are really sooty, oily, dusty etc.

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Tim Doran Proficient

Tim Doran

Posted
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I have a wire brush taped to a stick. Keep it simple.

 

If you think that soot will fall behind the boiler in the fire, then put a bit of plywood into direct the soot forward into the hearth.

 

If you burn wood then you really should be checking the chimney very frequently as the tar seems to build up really fast. If you let it build up and then in the night the boat bumps then it could fall and block the chimney. YOu really would not want this to happen.

 

Tim

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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

Posted
Posted

Bunch of fresh holly sprigs and strong string

 

It was "traditional" to drop a goose down a chimney, but I can't see that working with a boat. A moorhen might do though...

 

Richard

 

It wouldn't show the soot either

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Bobbybass Experienced

Bobbybass

Posted
Posted

I have a wire brush taped to a stick. Keep it simple.

 

If you think that soot will fall behind the boiler in the fire, then put a bit of plywood into direct the soot forward into the hearth.

 

If you burn wood then you really should be checking the chimney very frequently as the tar seems to build up really fast. If you let it build up and then in the night the boat bumps then it could fall and block the chimney. YOu really would not want this to happen.

 

Tim

 

I take the plate out...and my wife holds a carrier bag tight under the flue...

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