KEEP YOUR HOME SAFE
No nonsence, no fuss, no mess.
The customers safety is of paramount importance to us. Please read this section for advise on how to keep your home and the occupants safe.
UK fire statistics show that each year on average over 30 thousands houses have chimney fires. This will be largely due to not getting the chimney swept often enough or burning fuel that is inappropriate for the appliance and causing tar to build up in the chimney.
Some insurance companies will no longer pay out for claims made due to chimney fires unless the chimney has been swept by a professional chimney sweep and a valid certificate of sweeping issued that is recognised by insurance companies. If the fire brigade is called out to a chimney fire and it is proven that the chimney has not been properly maintained, then the local council can bill you for the call out, which can be expensive!
Chimney fires can not only destroy homes but also endanger the occupiers of the dwelling.
Click on LEARN MORE to view the NACS "Heat your home safetly" leaflet
INFORMATION AND ADVICE
No nonsence, no fuss, no mess.
Fuel advice
HOW TO IDENTIFY GOOD FIREWOOD
Use the correct fuel and if using wood then it must be very dry (ideally below 20% moisture).
Burning wet and unseasoned wood is the biggest cause of tar and creosote build up, which can cause chimney fires. House Coal and Smokeless Coal should be stored in a Coal Bunker.
The video above from Stovax gives some great tips.
Burning wood fuel efficiently
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
Once you have chosen the best type and well seasoned wood as your fuel it's important to be able to use it as efficiently as possible. Unless you have your own copse at the end of your garden or have constant access to wood via other means then you want to get the best value for the wood you're buying.
Therefore understanding how your woodburner works to ensure it burns correctly is a must. This video from Pete is quite a good introduction.
Poem :Traditional English
LOGS TO BURN
Logs to burn, logs to burn, Logs to save the coal a turn, Here's a word to make you wise, When you hear the woodsman's cries.
Beechwood fires burn bright and clear, Hornbeam blazes too, If the logs are kept a year, to season through and through.
Oaken logs will warm you well, if they're old and dry, Larch logs of pinewood smell but the sparks will fly.
Pine is good and so is Yew for warmth through wintry days, but Poplar and the Willow too, they take too long to blaze. Birch logs will burn too fast, Alder scarce at all, Chestnut logs are good to last, cut them in the fall.
Holly logs will burn like wax, you should burn them green, Elm logs like smouldering flax, no flame is ever seen.
Pear logs and Apple logs, they will scent your room, Cherry logs, across the dogs, they smell like flowers in bloom.
Ash logs, so smooth and grey, burn them green or old, burn up all that come your way they're worth their weight in gold.
Tommy McAnairey
CARBON MONOXIDE AWARENESS
A rousing live performance from the trad singing, carbon monoxide campaigning canary, Tommy McAnairey.
Features excerpts from two of Tommy’s most celebrated songs, ‘The Ballad of Uncle Pat (Stone Dead In Three Minutes Flat)’ and ‘Any Fuel Can Harm’.
SAFETY TIPS
8 tips for
FIREPLACE SAFETY
A screen is particularly essential if you have a child in the house. Glass doors on log burners can get up to 200 degrees within a few minutes and can cause 2nd and 3rd degree burns.
Feature Subtitle
CHIMNEY FIRE PREVENTION
How often your chimney needs sweeping depends on the type of fuel you use.