WHO DECIDES ABOUT THE SWEEPING
Who has decided that my heating boiler / local fireplace should be sooted?
Sweeping of fireplaces with associated flues has taken place as long as we have used fires for heating and cooking. As early as the 17th century, there was statutory sweeping in urban areas due to the fire hazard. The currently valid "Accident Protection Act" states that the individual property owner has an overall responsibility for fire protection in their property, including an obligation to have flues and fireplaces cleaned of coverings that can cause fire. The municipality has an obligation to ensure that this is done and also has the right to charge a fee for this.
Who has decided how often the sweeping should be done?
The municipality, in the form of a rescue committee or similar, has the task of establishing regulations regarding the sweeping. It stipulates how often the sweeping must be done on different types of fireplaces, but also depending on how they are used. There are also a number of other rules regarding sweeping and cleaning of smoke ducts and smoke ducts. These regulations are legally binding and can be equated with law.
Who has decided what the cleaning will cost?
Kommunen har, enligt lagen om skydd mot olyckor, rätt att bestämma om de avgifter som får tas i samband med sotning och rengöring av imkanaler. Detta kallas för sotningstaxa och är en fastställd avgift, på samma sätt som andra avgifter för kommunala tjänster, t ex dagisavgift och soptömningsavgift.
WHO IS GETTING TO CHIMNEY SWEEP?
Vem får sota min eldstad?
In each municipality there is a company that has exclusive rights to sweeping and cleaning in the municipality. In some cases, this is managed under the municipality's own auspices, but in most municipalities the company is appointed through a public procurement. This company has an obligation to carry out sweeping on all fireplaces in the municipality. Nowadays, as a property owner, it is possible to get an exemption from the obligation to have this company clean their premises. Dispensation is given to the property owner in person after applying to the emergency services in the municipality.
If I have to clean myself, how do I do it?
You contact your municipality, responsible board (rescue board) and ask for a dispensation application. They give you the information you need. Until you have had your dispensation granted, it is the municipality's contractor who will clean your property. When examining the application, the municipality should consider the complexity of the incinerator, the risk situation, the individual's knowledge and the general conditions for the task. Examination of the application should include the prerequisites for sweeping the facility as a whole. The person who is to carry out the sweeping should himself demonstrate that the necessary knowledge of sweeping and fire protection is available. When a property owner applies to carry out the sweeping within the property where he himself resides, the municipality should take special account of the fact that the property owner normally has some knowledge of the structure and function of the facility as well as a personal interest in the sweeping taking place in a way that provides good fire safety .
Can the municipality refuse to clean my own house?
The municipality can refuse you, and in that case you can appeal the municipality's decision to the county administrative board.
NOTICE OF SWEEPING
I have received a notification about sweeping, what does it really mean?
A sweep notification is a reminder that it is time to sweep your fireplace so that it does not exceed the applicable deadline. It is also a suggestion of the day and time when the cleaner is nearby and has time set aside for your property. You can then, by accepting the day and time, get the sweeping done at a cheaper price than if the sweeper were to go out only for your property. Please note that if the time does not suit you, you must always notify the sweeper of this, otherwise you will have to pay the delivery fee.
I haven't had a fire since the last sweep, can I avoid sweeping it then?
Yes, then you contact the chimney sweep and say that you have not fired, and it will be marked as unused. It will then be your responsibility to ensure that it is not flammable should you wish to use it again. You must then also contact the cleaner and inform them that you are putting the fireplace back into use.
Can a flue become a cause of fire if it is not swept?
Generally speaking, it is so. All combustion of organic material can give rise to such deposits in the chimney that a soot fire can occur. This depends on the facility's care and maintenance, how the firing takes place and how the flues look.
Do I have to let the cleaner in?
Yes, in the law on protection against accidents there is a special section that regulates the sweeper's right to access to all fireplaces in the municipality. As a property owner, you also have an obligation to ensure that the sweep is carried out in a timely manner and before you use a fireplace, you must be sure that it is not subject to a fire ban.
If I want to change the day, it costs extra, why?
The price that is set in the sweeping tariff assumes that the sweeper takes the houses in turn, so that the sweeping takes place in the most cost-effective way possible. If the sweeper has to break this schedule, it means an extra cost that is imposed on the property owner. It also means increased administrative work with rewriting work lists, and not least, work with finding another job for the cleaner to fill the gap left in the work planning for the day the cleaner was scheduled to come to you.
If I want to have the sweep done at my convenience, can I have it then?
Yes, anything is possible. If the announced day or time does not suit and you/you choose another day or time, it may mean that the cleaner goes out to your property and cleans, which of course entails additional costs and these are the ones that are invoiced. In such cases, you are charged for the working time and distance it takes to drive out, do the work and drive back again. Then you get a higher price after the sweeping rate, i.e. then the property owner has to pay the actual cost. Among other things, you pay for: travel to the property, the time it takes to clean fireplaces, mileage allowance and travel time.
I can't bear to set up the steps, what do I do then?
Just be sure to show the cleaner where the ladder is, and he can probably get it out himself. This may cost a little extra, if it is very far to the place where the steps are.
If I'm not at home, can I post a key to the sweeper?
It works fine, put the key somewhere or give it to a neighbor, then you inform the cleaning expedition where the key is. It should also be accessible to the boiler and it can be good to put newspapers where the soother will go. In addition, it can be good to protect furniture that is close to the fireplace.
If I want to change the day, it costs extra, why?
The price that is set in the sweeping tariff assumes that the sweeper takes the houses in turn, so that the sweeping takes place in the most cost-effective way possible. If the sweeper has to break this schedule, it means an extra cost that is imposed on the property owner. It also means increased administrative work with rewriting work lists, and not least, work with finding another job for the cleaner to fill the gap left in the work planning for the day the cleaner was scheduled to come to you.
If I want to have the sweep done at my convenience, can I have it then?
Yes, anything is possible. If the announced day or time does not suit and you/you choose another day or time, it may mean that the cleaner goes out to your property and cleans, which of course entails additional costs and these are the ones that are invoiced. In such cases, you are charged for the working time and distance it takes to drive out, do the work and drive back again. Then you get a higher price after the sweeping rate, i.e. then the property owner has to pay the actual cost. Among other things, you pay for: travel to the property, the time it takes to clean fireplaces, mileage allowance and travel time.
I can't bear to set up the steps, what do I do then?
Just be sure to show the cleaner where the ladder is, and he can probably get it out himself. This may cost a little extra, if it is very far to the place where the steps are.
If I'm not at home, can I post a key to the sweeper?
It works fine, put the key somewhere or give it to a neighbor, then you inform the cleaning expedition where the key is. It should also be accessible to the boiler and it can be good to put newspapers where the soother will go. In addition, it can be good to protect furniture that is close to the fireplace.
FIRE PROTECTION CONTROL
What is "fire protection control"?
The law on protection against accidents has brought about some changes within the sweeping system. Since approx. 25% of residential fires are caused by errors and deficiencies in heating systems, members of the Riksdag considered that the corresponding system of fire protection control did not give sufficient results. It was then decided that a separate fire safety inspection of the entire combustion plant, from the boiler room door to the chimney crown, would be carried out and kept separate from the regular cleaning from a fire safety point of view. This means that a fire protection check and a cleaning of the combustion plant must now be carried out separately from each other.
Can the municipality allow a property owner to carry out the fire safety inspection himself?
No, they can't. It is a municipal responsibility to ensure that the fire safety inspection is carried out in the municipality, under its own auspices or outsourced, and a property owner may not carry this out on his own. The municipality thus decides who will do it for you.
THE INVOICE
What does the basic fee mean?
The basic fee is the initial cost that is charged to each property owner regardless of what is done in the house. It is intended to cover partly the administrative work carried out inside the expedition and partly an average value of the time it takes for the cleaner to move between workplaces during the day.
I have a restaurant as a tenant, but I get the invoice on their business channel, why is that?
It is always the property owner who is responsible for the fire protection in his property (LSO ch. 2 §) If the right-of-use holder (the restaurant) does not pay for the cleaning or otherwise does not fulfill his obligations, we turn to the property owner.
TO CLEAN YOURSELF
Is the municipality obliged to allow a property owner to clean himself?
No. According to the law, the municipality may only allow a property owner to sweep his own facility if it can be done in a manner that is satisfactory from a fire protection point of view.
Can you hire a cleaner other than the municipality's regular cleaner?
Yes, the law says that the property owner can get permission to let someone else do the sweeping. Currently, there is no municipal decision in your municipality that gives the opportunity to hire a chimney sweep other than the municipality's.
Who in the municipality makes decisions about consent for property owners to clean up themselves?
Primarily, it is the rescue service that must make these decisions. The case is handled by the rescue manager
Can you appeal the municipality's decision?
Yes, you can appeal to the County Administrative Board no later than three weeks after receiving the decision.
Does the municipality charge for examination of applications to be allowed to do the cleaning themselves?
Yes, the municipality charges a fee for an application to clean yourself.
How does the municipality check that a property owner who has received permission to clean himself is really doing it?
The property owner must document when sweeping has taken place. This documentation can then be checked in connection with the fire safety inspection or during other supervision by the municipality.
FIRE PROTECTION CONTROL
The fire safety inspection aims to detect any errors and deficiencies in the facility. The inspection involves a test of the facility's function and that its properties mainly comply with the requirements that applied when it was put into use. Primarily, it is the property owner who is responsible for fire safety - both at the time of installation and during ongoing use. It is also the property owner's responsibility to maintain the facility for fire prevention purposes. This is important to keep in mind as the issues are not only about life and health, but also purely in terms of property. Any negligence may mean that the insurance is no longer valid.
WHICH OBJECTS ARE COVERED BY THE FIRE PROTECTION CONTROL?
The idea of the fire safety inspection is that it should be more systematic and thorough than the fire safety inspection that was previously carried out, then according to the Rescue Services Act. Today, the Fire Safety Control is covered by ch. 3. Section 4 of the "Accident Protection Act". It states that all objects that are subject to the sweeping itself - fireplaces and chimneys - as well as roofs and associated building parts must be checked. It is MSB - the Authority for Community Protection and Preparedness (formerly the Swedish Rescue Agency) that prescribes which objects are subject to sweeping and fire safety control.
The following items are subject to inspection:
Heating, hot water, hot air and steam boilers.
Fired kitchen stoves, ovens and other comparable fireplaces.
Local fireplaces.
Im channels from restaurants, commercial kitchens and similar spaces.
WHAT IS INVESTIGATED IN THE FIRE PROTECTION INSPECTION?
During the fire safety inspection, it is not only the fireplace installation itself that is examined, but also the roof coating and other associated building parts, such as for example joist penetrations and boiler rooms and roof safety devices. Furthermore, the inspection affects the fans, filters and dampers that belong to the property's smoke ducts. The inspection is mainly carried out visually. Where applicable, in-depth checks are carried out using instruments. The tightness of the duct can be tested, for example, by temperature measurement, smoke pressure testing or leakage measurement.
Sweeping fireplaces and flues
Sweeping is required by law for anyone who has a fireplace in use. When burning, soot deposits form in the combustion plant and the associated flue. It is therefore important that sooting and cleaning takes place regularly to prevent these coatings from being ignited by hot fire gases and from a fire occurring in the flue, a so-called soot fire.
When sweeping fireplaces and flues, all surfaces through which the flue gases pass are cleaned. This means that combustible soot coatings are removed to such an extent that the risk of a chimney fire and the damaging effects of a chimney fire are minimised.
Good to think about before sweeping
- Res markstegen så att vi kommer upp på taket.
- Set up a non-combustible soot bucket with a lid into which we can empty soot and ash.
- Cover any fragile surfaces and floors near the fireplace.
- Please provide some old newspapers.
- Shovel the way up to the steps in winter.
Keep in mind that the fireplace must be turned off and cooled down before the visit.
Of course, the required roof ladders and anti-slip protection for the ground ladders must be installed and well maintained.
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