There seems to be confusion about having your chimney swept. Some people consider using the 'brick' method to be fine. Others I know 'do it themselves' in the event of a fire will your insurance pay out on the methods above? Also, I have recently been told that the certificate issued with a registered sweep has a duplicate which is sent to the local fire dept. True or false?

Hi, I've always understood that Insurance won't pay out if you have a chimney fire and haven't got a valid Certificate from a registered sweep. I've no idea about a duplicate being sent to the local Pompiers, but I don't see how their turn-out would be affected if your house is or isn't "listed".

The attached advice may be helpful. I don't think the lack of a certificate prevents an insurance claim being accepted but it would certainly be very helpful. It seems if you are burning wood then two sweeps per year is recommended.

Construction et travaux - fiches pratiques

I can't believe our local pompiers would want thousands of certificates sent to them, who would process them and where would they keep them?
But getting my chimney swept professionally is one thing I don't compromise on. I feel safer because quite honestly I think there's less chance of having a chimney fire if the sweep does it. How is a brick going to get rid of a bird's nest? Never mind arguing the toss with the insurers, I'd prefer not to get to that stage in the first place.

+1

+2, although our neighbour (who is 80) climbs onto his roof and does his own every year. In fact, he did his last week. When we question it with him over the question of validity with assurers he just shrugs his shoulders, so he knows that it is on his own back. I am not sure at 80 I want to be hanging off of a chimney!

Tie your zimmer frame to the roof or get an all terrain one...

He actually resembled Father Christmas actually (our neighbour that is) with his red top but love this

LOL, I want one of those.
To get back to the question of certificates and pompiers, I guess the reason the pompiers may be interested is that possibly they may charge you for coming out if they asked to see a certificate and you couldn't produce one. As regards the duplicate, I've always assumed that the sweep keeps those, so that insurance companies or pompiers can cross-check with him if the date on the one you produce appears to be suspiciously unclear or illegible. However, my sweep used to issue scruffy little scraps of certificates and I've noticed that the last couple have been more official looking and they have reference numbers preprinted on them, so maybe there is now some central register where they have to be returned to. But that's only a wild guess.

I may also add that our neighbour has a 3 storey chalet! You will never catch me doing that!

As costs for just about everything here have spiraled over the last few years, I borrow next door's little lad, and little white dog about once a year.
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/littl...p-17382930.jpg

http://bangorchimneysweep.co.uk/images/sweepdog.jpg

The most exciting time though is when the mum comes round looking for them both......
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/chimn...y-16091807.jpg

I don't know how this urban myth about the pompiers being sent a copy of the certificat de ramonage got started. Can you imagine them looking through thousands of certificates before responding to an emergency call?

Interestingly, many ramoneurs are ex-pompiers so maybe they started the myth themseves to get extra business.

we get ours done every year, for any insurance claims.

Although I have always wondered, if your house burns down, don't think a paper certificate is going to last it out!

Costs 50e I think

I presume the ramonage would have a copy of this? I think the same, as our assurer has never asked for a copy of this.

Theoretically the person or enterprise used the do the chimney sweeping should have kept some form of record being a bonafide business n all.