The fact of the matter is we asked a suposedly HETAS registered 'professional' to check our chimney before we used it.
He came out, said he'd checked it and said it was safe to use. He even gave us a certificate and actually it turned out he's not done a propper smoke test. Two weeks later the chimney was deemed unsafe for use and we've since had a log burner installed.
I am sorry to hear that you feel that you have had a bad experience, can I make the following observations:
Firstly I
am a HETAS approved chimney sweep and my registration can be checked. Secondly, without specific knowledge of which chimney / job we are discussing I can only say that I sweep within the guidelines of the Guild of Master Sweeps and when asked to perform a test I test to Appendix E of the Document J of the Building Regulations.
Customers are quite often confused as to their own requirements regarding their chimney / flue and is not always what is
requested. I am frequently asked to 'check the chimney' and I have to interpret this by asking questions, for example:
1) Is it being used or has it been boarded up
2) Are they changing the use of the flue e.g fitting a log burner
3) Do they believe it to be defective e.g smoke leaking
I would then be guided as to their requirements from the answers given, as given in Document J mentioned above.
A visual inspection is always made when arriving to complete any job, including the chimney pot, cowl, stack etc on the outside of the property. A torchlight inspection is made internally to see as far as possible inside the flue. The debris (if applicable) would be checked to see if there is excessive mortar lining or bricks in evidence after sweeping. Requirements say that if the brush passes up through the flue for its entire length a minimum of 4 times it is deemed to be acceptable for this type of service. From this there is no way of assessing any internal issues and the chimney would be certified as checked following a successful smoke evacuation check.
Smoke testing is generally only carried out when specifically required as this is a 2 man job and therefore has a much higher charge and requires a longer appointment slot.
I have no recollection of a complaint of this nature at any point and would feel that if the complainant felt so strongly they would have immediately contacted the Guild and or HETAS and made a formal complaint, if they felt that they couldn't speak to me directly about it. Be assured that the Guild of Master Sweeps takes any complaint seriously and each would be thoroughly investigated.