What a sweep certificate shows

After every sweep we leave a short written certificate. It is worth keeping with the house papers, but it is a record of one visit, not a guarantee and not a building document.

What ours records

• The date of the sweep and the address
• Which flue or flues were swept and the appliance on each
• How it was swept, and the result of the smoke draw test
• Anything we noticed that needs attention, written down, not just said

HETAS, which runs a register of sweeps, sets out the same idea in its Chimney Sweeping Code: a sweep on its register completes a certificate of sweeping for any solid fuel flue they sweep, records any faults or concerns, and leaves a copy with the customer. You can use that code to judge any sweep, whoever they are registered with.

What it is not

• It is not a building regulations certificate for a stove. That comes from the installer or building control.
• It is not a survey of the whole chimney. A camera survey looks further.
• It does not mean the flue is safe for ever: it records what we found on the day.

Certificates and stove installations

Fitting a stove is different work from sweeping one, and we do not do it. In England, combustion appliances, flues and hearths come under the Building Regulations, with Approved Document J as the guidance. An installer registered with a competent person scheme can self certify the work instead of getting building regulations approval, and GOV.UK lists HETAS among several schemes for solid fuel appliances. That paperwork is the document to keep for the stove itself; a sweep certificate does not replace it.

Insurance

We cannot tell you what your insurer expects. If your policy mentions chimneys, flues or stoves, the wording will say what it asks for. A dated certificate is an easy way to show when the chimney was last swept, if you are ever asked.

Rented homes and carbon monoxide alarms

For landlords in England, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 came into force on 1 October 2022. GOV.UK's guidance for landlords and tenants says that from that date relevant landlords must make sure:

• a carbon monoxide alarm is fitted in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, gas cookers excepted;
• at least one smoke alarm is fitted on each storey with a room used as living accommodation;
• alarms are repaired or replaced once they are told an alarm is faulty and find that it is.

The guidance adds that the regulations are not aimed at owner occupied homes, and that it is a general guide rather than an authoritative reading of the law. None of this asks for a sweep certificate. If you have an alarm near your stove or fire, we test it at a stove service and note it on the paperwork.

How sweeps are checked

To check a real sweep, ask which body they belong to, such as HETAS, the National Association of Chimney Sweeps, the Guild of Master Sweeps or APICS, then look them up with that body. Lumwell is a fictional business and belongs to none of them.

Want a certificate before winter? Ask us for a quote.