THE NIGHTS have grown colder and it's almost that time of year where Tamworth residents like to sit by a crackling fire.
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One of the few chimney sweeps in town has urged residents to have their flues and chimneys checked before they light up.
Kevin Howe has swept thousands of homes and he's seen the devastating consequences of a neglected fireplace.
"It's just like clean lungs, if you put cotton wool inside you can't breathe," he said.
"If your chimney is swept every 12 months, it's less likely to get a creosote build up and cause a chimney fire.
"If it has a lot of creosote a flash back and burn can take the house apart, or burn the house to the ground."
Creosote is flammable tar-like substance that's caused when green or treated woods are burned in fireplaces.
When a fireplace is cleaned it's given a safety inspection as well, that's especially important for people with old brick chimneys that might have fallen into disrepair.
Mr Howe took over from Robinson Heating and Cooling and has worked as a chimney sweep for the last decade.
Part of the plumbing and heating trade, there's no chimney sweep apprenticeships, Mr Howe learned the hard way.
"It's not a common job and for most people it all comes down to the dollars and cents," he said.
"In Tamworth you can do anywhere from two to three a week to five or six a day.
"Last year we might have cleaned 80 or 90 brick chimneys and a couple of hundred plus in flues."
There is a set of national standards for heating and cooling, and Tamworth Fire and Rescue commander Tom Cooper has been called to numerous house fires caused by unclean chimneys or flues in his time.
"It can catch fire and cause all kinds of dramas, if it's not installed correctly or there's a loose brick you have to be very careful," he said.
"A lot of chimney fires I have been to are because something is stuck in the chimney, like a bird making a nest.
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"Sometimes you see fire break into the roof and if that happens it can burn for some time before it's noticed."
Mr Cooper took the opportunity to remind residents that heaters need to be checked once a year as do electric blankets.
Residents should also turn off gas bottles connected to barbecues if it is not used for months throughout winter.
Tamworth Fire and Rescue NSW offers free home fire safety checks for residents who are unable to do it themselves.
Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
