Servicing & sweeping
Servicing to keep your stove at its best
A stove that is swept and serviced once a year lights easily, burns cleanly and lasts. We sweep the flue, check the seals and working parts and put right anything that has worn, so you head into winter with a fire you can trust.
What a service covers
A proper once-over, not a quick brush
- Flue sweptChimney or liner cleared and the draw checked.
- Seals checkedRope seals on the door and glass replaced if worn.
- Firebricks and baffleInspected and swapped if cracked or burnt out.
- Glass and airwashCleaned and the airwash checked so it stays clear.
- Door and grateHinges, catch and grate checked and adjusted.
- Safety checkA look over the whole install for peace of mind.
Why it matters
What a yearly service actually buys you
Every winter of burning leaves something behind. Soot and tar coat the flue and slowly choke the draw, rope seals compress and let air leak past the controls, and firebricks crack from the constant heating and cooling. None of it announces itself. The stove just gets a little harder to light, a little hungrier for wood, and the glass blackens a little faster, until one day it is a genuinely poor fire and a genuinely dirty flue.
A yearly sweep and service resets all of that. The flue is cleared so the stove draws the way it did when it was fitted, the seals are put right so the air controls actually control the air, and worn parts are caught while they are a small job rather than a repair. A swept flue is also your main protection against chimney fires, because the tar that builds up in a neglected flue is exactly what catches light.
There is a paperwork side too. Many home insurers may ask for proof of regular sweeping if you ever make a chimney-related claim, and some appliance warranties require regular maintenance as a condition. The written record we leave after every visit keeps you covered on both counts, filed alongside the HETAS certificate from the original installation.
Warning signs
Signs your stove is asking for attention
You do not need to wait for the annual visit if something feels wrong. A stove that has become hard to light or needs the door cracked open to get going is telling you the draw has weakened, usually a flue that needs sweeping or a cowl problem. Smoke curling into the room when you open the door points the same way. Glass that blackens within an evening, when it used to stay clear for weeks, usually means the airwash is blocked, the rope seals have gone, or the wood is not dry enough.
Rust spots on the top plate, a door that no longer clicks shut firmly, a smell of tar in the room on damp days, or bits of debris dropping into the firebox are all worth a visit. In rural spots we also find the occasional jackdaw nest, the most common blockage we clear, and we fit a bird-guard cowl afterwards so it does not happen twice. Whatever the symptom, we diagnose it properly rather than guessing, and if the fix is bigger than a service, for example a liner that has reached the end of its life, we tell you straight and quote it clearly.
How we sweep
Power sweeping, HEPA clean, no mess
We sweep with rotary power sweeping gear, a flexible drive with a purpose-made head that cleans the full bore of the flue or liner far more thoroughly than pull-through brushes, paired with a HEPA-filter vacuum that captures the dust at source. The room is sheeted, the stove is sealed while we work, and the only evidence we leave is a clean flue and the paperwork.
We sweep and service across Lichfield, Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Cannock, Walsall, Aldridge, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Burton upon Trent, Stafford and Derby, including homes around Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, Tamworth and Derby. Book before the season and we will have you ready for the first cold night.
HETAS registered
Installed with care, certified with confidence
We self-certify eligible installations and notify Building Control on your behalf, so the work is signed off properly and your certificate of compliance is issued for your records.
- HETAS-registered installer
- Certificate of compliance issued
- Meets your home insurance
Common questions
Servicing, answered plainly
How often should a wood burning stove be serviced?
Once a year is the sensible rhythm for a stove in regular use, ideally before the heating season. A yearly service keeps it burning efficiently, catches worn seals or glass early and keeps your warranty and insurance happy.
Do you sweep the chimney as well?
Yes. A service and a sweep go together. We clear the flue or liner with rotary sweeping gear and a HEPA vacuum, check the draw and make sure nothing has built up over the year, with no mess left in the room.
What does a service include?
We sweep the flue, check and replace rope seals and firebricks if needed, clean the glass and the airwash, check the door and grate and make sure the stove is drawing and sealing as it should. You get a record of the visit at the end.
Do I get a certificate or record for my insurance?
Yes. You get a written record of the sweep and service, which is what many insurers ask for if you ever make a chimney-related claim. Keep it with your HETAS certificate and you are covered on paper as well as in practice.
Will you service a stove you did not install?
Of course. Most of the stoves we sweep and service were fitted by someone else years ago. If we find anything that needs attention, a worn baffle, a tired liner, a missing cowl, we tell you straight and quote for it separately. No pressure, no invented faults.
When is the best time to book a stove service?
Late summer or early autumn, before the first cold nights. The soot from last winter has done its damage by then, sweeps everywhere get booked out from October, and a September service means you go into the season with everything checked and ready.
Book your free home survey
Tell us where you are and what you are thinking
Send a few details and we will call to arrange a visit, bring samples and give you a proper quote. No pressure and no obligation.
HETAS-registered installs. We cover Lichfield, Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Cannock, Walsall, Aldridge, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Burton upon Trent, Stafford and Derby.
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