Looking after your appliance for efficiency and safety

Keeping your fire as efficient as possible will save fuel and help keep you safe. Regular Chimney Sweeping, appliance maintenance, and using fuels that are specifically designed for your appliance will help to burn more efficiently and maintain the safety of your appliance.

Chimney Safety

• Don’t store wood next to your fire or stove as this could ignite.
• Only use wood that contains less than 20% moisture.
• Don’t leave open fires unattended and always use a fireguard.
• Burn fuels recommended by the appliance manufacturer.
• Ensure the installer has fitted smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
• Your chimney and flue ways will need to be swept regularly by a NACS Chimney Sweep, who will issue you with a Certificate of Chimney Sweeping.
• Wood should be kept in a dry log store and coal in a coal bunker.

Keeping your chimney clean and safe

To ensure maximum efficiency from your fuel appliance, it is important to have your chimney swept regularly. Keeping your chimney clean will minimise the risk of a chimney fire and help to protect against any damage or dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide fumes.

For your solid fuel appliance ensure that you use a registered NACS Chimney Sweep such as Chimney2Sweep. It is only through established trade organisations that you can be sure the job you are paying for will be done correctly and that safety checks will have been made. A NACS Chimney Sweep will also issue a Certificate of Chimney Sweeping which can be used as proof for your insurance purposes.