Affordable Chimney Sweeps

faq

Do you service my town?
Our coverage area for the services we provide, extend around the North Shore, Merrimack Valley, Southern NH, and Some suburbs of Boston. Give us a call and we can let you know if we service that area. Heck, even if we don’t, we might make an exception for you.


How do I know which service I need?
We receive over a thousand calls and emails a year of that very same question. So, when a homeowner calls, we will ask for some basic information and then determine the correct service to provide to the customer. Often it is usually scheduled as a Level 1 and Level 2 Inspection because the chimney has not been checked in a very long time.


How do I make an appointment?
Call us at 888-507-9337 and one of our friendly staff will answer your call and listen carefully to your concerns. The next step is to collect some data on your home and yourself so that we can schedule a service call appointment. Once we have scheduled you in our system and you have no more questions, we will lock in the appointment and the next time you here from us would be to confirm the service appointment.


What should I expect when the technician arrives for service?
Generally, if it is scheduled as a Level 1 inspection and if the chimney does not need to be cleaned, then we proceed to a Level 2 Video Scan Inspection. Should the chimney be dirty (creosote or oil soot deposits), then we would move forward with a sweep of the flue to remove these deposits from the inside of the flue because it would hide structural defects from a Level 2 Video Scan Inspection. We charge a standard fee for the service appointment that includes the Level 1 and Level 2 Inspections and then a smaller fee to sweep the chimney if it needs it. This seems to work out better for our customers because sometimes the chimneys can sometimes be either clean from not using it or is venting a gas appliance, which burns clean, and this saves the customer money for labor we didn’t need to perform.


Due Diligence:
By doing our Due Diligence we can provide our customers with the time and professional service regarding your concerns. If needed we will set up a ladder to access the top of the chimney or set up our state-of-the-art Chim-Scan system and properly scan and  diagnose the problem(s) of the chimney(s) and offer you, our customer, affordable solution(s) to correct the problem(s). In some instances, we even identify overlooked or hidden fire/safety hazards. Not a surprise, but we have found on occasion that a vendor provided the customer incorrect pictures that don’t even go to their home’s chimney.


What Happens if you find something wrong?
Our technicians are a team of highly trained and experienced chimney professionals who are dedicated to providing our customers with the highest quality services possible. We use the latest equipment and techniques to ensure that your chimney will be repaired to code with the highest quality products and the best warranties in the industry at an Affordable price when compared to our legitimate competition. But remember, Affordable does not imply cheap. We do not compete with vendors who are not licensed, insured, CSIA certified and who do not use video scan technology. We will also not use bargain basement materials to do a job. We want to only be at your home one time to repair it right.


Can I use my chimney without repairing it?
The short answer is no, it cannot be used. We hear this question every day. We understand times are difficult with inflation as high as it is, but we can never say a chimney is safe to use. We understand also that you may plan on moving or maybe they don’t use the fireplace all that much or only for emergencies. We understand that this is not the news you would like to hear and that it’s an unforeseen cost, but wouldn’t you rather know what is going on inside the chimney that either vents flammable embers or carbon monoxide exhaust gases.?

As a homeowner myself, I understand the idea of spending money on an unexpected expense. However, it only takes just one time for a slightly ignited fireplace ember to go up the chimney and escape vacuum space between the mortar, bricks or damaged chimney liner that is unsafe and igniting a chimney fire that travels through the home. Maybe it is the boiler liner or furnace liner that was left unrepaired and these products of combustion, I.e., carbon monoxide gases or Sulfuric (Carcinogenic) gases vent through the vacuum space of air where there is liner damage and vents into living space of the home such as a bedroom. These are of course worst-case scenarios, however, there are more than 80,000 home fires a year in the United States and I myself would not want to be part of those statistics.


Isn’t my chimney grandfathers because of its age?
No, there is no grandfather clause when it comes to safety. Once a non-compliant or defect is found, it is required to immediately bring up to National Fire Protection Association. Chimney’s which are often overlooked because of the lack of knowledge available and due also to the lack of skilled CSIA Certified Chimney Technicians in the area, many Homeowners are not even aware of problems within the chimney because they are out of sight, hidden behind walls and not regularly maintained as the National Fire Protection Association Requires of homeowners, which is that “All masonry chimneys shall (meaning required) be inspected and cleaned, if necessary, annually.”


Can Affordable Chimney Sweeps accept other vendor’s estimates? 
I wish we could, but the short answer is no. Sometimes, customers ask us for a 2nd opinion to an estimate they received and over the years we have learned not to rely on other vendors’ pictures or estimates in the industry. It is unfortunate but there are vendors who still lack either the knowledge, qualifications, or equipment (video scanners) to determine the internal condition of a chimney ventilation system.

Final Word:
Affordable Chimney Sweeps could save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars, while making your chimney sound and keeping you, your family, and your investment sound in your home while keeping more money if the bank and during the current economy, we can all use some extra money in the bank.