Chimney Cleaner

[Evastar]

Just had a guy around to clean my chimney and put a cowl on. i was originally quoted ?85 euro, that was ?50 to clean the chimney and ?35 for a cowl that was supposedly permanently screwed on and wouldn't need to be removed ever. Anyway, when they arrived surprise, surprise, they said i had a birds nest in my chimney, (even though the chimney had a cowl already fitted) and needed a more expensive cowl, then they said i needed one fitted over the gas flue as well! so he was looking for ?150 instead of ?85. When i refused to get one fitted over the gas he turned really nasty, wished me a happy house fire! he wasn't too happy either when i asked him where all the sticks from the birds nest were in the ashes, cos i couldn't see any. so he managed to get ?100 out of me instead of ?85, and still departed in a huff, certainly won't be getting him back again.


I was always led to believe that birds couldn't get into the chimney that had the gas flue from the gas boiler, anyone know if this is true or not?

[RedSpider]

chimney sweep?

are you a victorian?

[Evastar]

no, but i like having a real fire

it's cosy and romantic, and also i think it's handy to have an alternative source of heat just in case the electricity or gas is off.

[Kalipo]

What a load of tosh.. how can a bird get past the cowl..

You have been ripped off, plain a simple.. no other ways about it..

As for gas.. are you Elizabethan??

[cactikid]

humming bird was it?or was it an ostrich .

[patkins]

The only way the bird could get into your chimney Eva is from inside the room where the fireplace is.
So, maybe it was the cuckoo from the clock.

[maca]

It might be a pheonix rising from the flames

[aftermath]

I was always led to believe that birds couldn't get into the chimney that had the gas flue from the gas boiler, anyone know if this is true or not?[/FONT][/B]

Eva i had birds nesting in mine, they are clever little things, they were getting down my chimney, so i had them removed nest and all, and had a wire mesh dome fitted, the following year the clever little blighters were seen pulling the dome off with their beaks, now i have one cemented in, that seems to have stopped them,

i never forget being woken every morning to the sound of the youngens squiling when they were getting fed.

[Evastar]

we had a wire mesh cowl up on the chimney from the fireplace, and i watched very carefully when he was removing the ashes, there was no sign of any birds nest.

we had a birds nest in the chimney in my parents house years ago, and when the chimney was cleaned could see all the sticks and debris falling down the chimney, so i'm pretty sure there was no nest in the chimney this time.

i'm not that bothered about the extra 15 euro for the cowl, it's what he was saying about the gas flue that leads from the boiler that concerns me, he was trying to make out that there were sticks and leaves in it but when i asked to be shown some of these i was told that they couldnt be reached or removed? he also contradicted himself, firstly he said that there couldn't be a fire in that chimney because it's just for the gases from the boiler, then he reckoned that if i didn't fit the extra cowl i could have a fire in it.

basically i guess i'm wondering do i need to get someone else up to take a look at it or is he just talking crap?

[daithi]

thats fair expensive
down our way its 30 to get the chimney or 50 for two cleaned pand he stuck the cowl on for free
that i bought in the shot for 10 euro and its made from heavy steel
and theres no fear of a bird getting through it

also if theres birds in the chimney you will hear them

[Kalipo]

Why would i bird nest in a fully working chimney.. the fumes would kill them..

[maca]

Oh ffs kal the birds have gas masks on duh

[super jumbe]

Ok you called a chimney cleaner and they want extra money for removing birds nest!!!!!

They were called to clean the chimney, does it matter if they found a birds nest or a bees nest, that?s what they were there to do in the 1st place.

I wouldn?t pay them an extra penny???????

If they refused, you have a right to have a second opinion.

[Evastar]

no they didn't want extra for removing the non-existent birds nest, they were trying to make out that i needed to buy a cowl for my second chimney, even though it has the gas flue from the gas boiler in it and as far as i am aware, couldn't possibly have birds nesting in it.

i'll call my friend who's a builder, see what he has to say.