Summary – The new national regulations on fire prevention have changed the sweeping routines, which has caused confusion among many homeowners. every four years.- The development of combustion systems has led to the fact that most fireplaces and wood-burning stoves are now so-called clean-burning stoves, which produce less soot and therefore do not need as frequent sweeping.- Grenland fire and rescue carry out regular inspections of combustion systems in public and private buildings, and calculates how often it should be swept based on the firing pattern and soot in flues.- Homeowners can help keep the flue clean themselves by removing soot, for example with a dish brush or an industrial vacuum cleaner.- Sweeping happens less often in winter due to internal HSE rules, but if a lot of soot is discovered in a pipe during an inspection, sweeping can be set up at short notice. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. The recent bitter cold has led to many people burning more than usual. Some have also used fireplaces and wood burners that they don’t normally use. Several people have nevertheless noticed that a longer time passes between each time the groom comes to visit. It’s not random at all. A few years ago, the new national regulations on fire prevention came into force. It states that the municipality is responsible for ensuring that smoke ducts in heating systems are cleaned when necessary. Previously, the requirement from the governing authorities was that it should be cleaned at least once every four years. Modern boilers produce less soot – As in most areas, there has also been a development when it comes to combustion plants. The vast majority of fireplaces and wood stoves are now so-called clean-burning stoves, says Morten Meen Gallefos. Fire chief Morten Gallefos in Grenland fire and rescue. Photo: Leif Dalen / news He is head of Grenland fire and rescue. They regularly inspect heating systems in public and private buildings in the Grenland municipalities. – Clean-burning fires create almost as much soot as old fireplaces, and there is therefore no need for as frequent sweeping as before, explains the fire chief. Gallefos understands that some do not remember when the fireman last visited, but the fire service and the municipality have an overview. – If you are afraid of a pipe fire or do not feel confident that the heating system is working properly, just call us, says the fire chief in Grenland. DSB on sweeping In 2021, chimney fires increased by 38 per cent compared to the period 2016–2020. It was a marked increase and may be due to the fact that in 2021 there were more cold spells during the year, more expensive electricity and that as a result of corona we stayed at home more. In the regulations on fire prevention from 2016, it is stated that the municipality must ensure that smoke ducts in heating systems used for heating buildings are swept when necessary. The sweeping must be carried out in a professionally satisfactory manner that causes the least possible inconvenience for owners and users. After sweeping, the sweeper must ensure that all soot is removed and taken to a suitable place. DSB does not regulate how, or whether, the municipalities collect a fee for their duty to ensure sweeping and supervision of combustion plants. Most municipalities still charge fees for this. Some municipalities charge a one-time fee, while most municipalities charge an annual or quarterly fee. A chimney is built to be used and sweeping and supervision of the heating system should precisely help to ensure that it is safe to use. New clean-burning fireplaces and proper heating (with dry wood and sufficient draft) mean that the need for sweeping has decreased drastically in recent years. Source: The Directorate for Social Security and Emergency Preparedness (DSB). Calculates how often it should be swept But generally speaking, so-called need-tested sweeping is a debt. – In practice, this means that we carry out inspections where we map the firing pattern, check soot in flues and calculate how often it should be cleaned, says Gallefos. He explains that after the inspection, someone may, for example, be told that there will be sweeping every four years, while others will receive an interval of sweeping every four years. Fair foreman Trond Waskaas was recently inspecting an over 100-year-old house at Grorud in Siljan. Here he checked, among other things, the amount of smoke in the smoke pipe that goes from the chimney to the pipe. – Removing soot in the flue is otherwise something you can do yourself, for example with the help of a dish brush or an industrial vacuum cleaner, explains Waskaas. With a mirror, Trond Waskaas checks the amount of salt in the pipe. Photo: Tom Ole Buaas / news Celebrating less often in winter He also opens a hatch at the bottom of the pipe and uses a mirror to look up into the pipe. The gap in the bottom of the pipe is among the things that are checked during an inspection. Photo: Tom Ole Buaas / news – To get a full overview, it may also be necessary to go up on the roof and look down the pipe, but in the winter months I rarely go up on the roof to sweep, says Waskaas. He refers, among other things, to internal HSE regulations and says that most of the sweeping work is carried out in the spring and autumn. – But if during an inspection we come across a pipe with a lot of soot, it is quite possible to set up a sweep at short notice.
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“New” sweeping routine creates confusion – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
