Things have really tightened up these days.

I got my corgi, not once but twice, but each time scrapped it as I didn't want the hassle, and there wasn't the work to justify the responsibility.

Ventilation is a very complex subject, and not as simple as you would think. I'd simply say on the subject, be sensible, and do what a qualified fitter says.

That way you have someone to blame.

Actually I did see yours, hence mine! It's just that the suggestion or request or order, or whatever, that we should have the hole in the bottom of the kitchen wall, came from some chaps whose credentials quite soon came into question (the word scam arose in the neighbourhood) when they were doing the rounds 'checking' and charging a tidy sum - yes we paid
so I thought Bil or someone may know the legal niceties! Not to mention the actual physcial risks (the previous owner obviously got her gas contract without the hole in the wall, apart from the one ABOVE the cooker!)

Jee's "a Match" rather him than me...lol... what a risky job !!!

Oh right, well I couldn't tell you about the 'scam' - our builder did ours when he was reforming the house and l presume it all came in with the final bill.

The previous owners of our house were Spanish, so even if they got their gas contract without it (if they indeed had one), we could not have done.

We also have a smaller vent through the floor to the outside underneath the calientador on the floor above - the gas fitter wanted it done.

We haven't got a vent above the cooker.

In the UK, you cannot supply all the ventilation needs of an appliance thru the floor, as it's all too easy to cover such a vent accidentally.

As I say, always check with a pro. Incidentally, never be afraid to ask to see their credentials, and if they are coy, tell them to **** off soonest.

It has got a proper flue as well as the vent in the floor and it is also next to a window.

It was our local CORGI (or Spanish equivalent) man who fitted it so we assumed it was OK. He does everyone's around here,- water heaters, central heating et al - he is The Man! If you ask for a gas fitter he is who you will get. And he gave us a proper bill with the IVA on!

Thought I'd post an up-date incase anyone else needs their chimney cleaned and can't find a sweep.

Well I went ahead and ordered the kit. They delivered only 3 days later. The rods are very flexible approx 15mm dia and went up the pipe & round the bend without any problems. Got a pan full of soot out. And now if I hold a sheet of newspaper up to the fire it nearly gets sucked up the chimney.

The only downside was that I ended up looking like I'd been up the chimney myself,
I must remember to wear a mask next time too as I'm still spitting black suff out hours later, even my tongue was black

You mean as an epitath?

"It wasn't my fault - blame the gas man".

I like it

Yeah. You really don't want to breathe that crap.

Living in a ex mining village, I recall when every house in the village had a big coal fire in one of those huge old steel ranges, and chimney fires were common place during Winter nights especially.
Flames and huge showers of sparks would shoot up into the night-air, whilst dense clouds of stinking smoke would almost black the whole street out.
Mostly they tended to burn themselves out ok, but once in a while they could start a fire or wreak havoc indoors, if the old chimney breast was not up to the mark.

When you say 'burn themselves out OK' that's a bit of a misconception. Most chimneys are made out of house bricks, with the modern ones lined with terracotta. Those materials aren't designed to take very high temperatures, and chimneyfires can burn at temps up to 2,000 C. Sooner or later the damage from such fires means the whole chimney has to be relined.

If you smother these fires with salt, it will extinguish the chimney fire

Nope. Sorry, but that isn't true. The correct steps are as follows. Cover the fire with dry or damp sand, and drape a wet blanket or cloth over the opening to reduce air flow. Then pour some water carefully onto the sand or earth, so as to create steam that will fill the flue and that will do the trick.

This is very similar to how we put chimney fires out when I was a firefighter in the UK.

Steam smothers the fire like foam but also reduces the temperature because of the water vapour which also helps to extinguish the burning soot, clinker and resin from the wood.

However, we used a plastic cup to throw small amounts of water up the throat of the chimney to create maximum steam before the fire cooled down too much.(Be sure to wear some gardeining type gloves to prevent being burnt). Plastic cup purely so as not to end up with the additional problem of broken glass.

It is also advisable to check any rooms or spaces that adjoin the flue for hot spots as if the flue is damaged in any way soot may have been spilling out without you knowing.

Sorry Bill, I stand corrected, I read it somewhere and it actually worked for me many many moons ago lol


Something to do with the gases it said?.