IN the old days of London Town, it was said to be good luck if a bride saw a chimney sweep on her wedding day.
“That’s true,” said Wayne Fletcher. “But you’ve got to kiss the chimney sweep, too. That’s what brings you the good luck.”
Wayne Fletcher is a chimney sweep from Mildura, but he’s already taken.
He and his wife, Catherine, are in Broken Hill this week, bringing good luck to anyone with a vent that needs a good clean.
According to Mr Fletcher, unkempt chimneys and flues are a major cause of house fires in winter.
“People tend to not clean them regularly,” he said, “and some insurance companies won’t pay out unless you have your chimney swept every 12 months. So, if there’s a fire, and you can’t provide evidence that you’ve cleaned your chimney or flue, they won’t pay out.”
And that’s the best one could hope for, the worst being a home reduced to ashes, a scenario Mr Fletcher said can come about due to simple summertime nonchalance.
“Over the warmer months, soot can dry up and drop down onto the top of the baffle plate,” he said. “Birds can fly down there over summer, too. There are a lot of things that can happen.
“I think it’s a sensible to have your chimneys and flues checked, and probably swept, every year before you use them. Because, if you’ve got a blockage, it can quietly do damage to flue itself, over time.”
Mr Fletcher has been a chimney sweep for over a decade, having studied the ageless craft under the tutelage of an older gentleman for seven years. Fortunately, the days of children being lowered down chimneys were long past by the time the young man did his apprenticeship.
“We don’t do that anymore,” Mr Fletcher laughed. “We’ve got special nylon brushes that go all the way to the other end.
“I also do gutter cleaning, solar panel cleaning, and the cleaning of rangehoods in commercial kitchens.”
Those with a funnel that may be trouble should call Fletcher’s Flues on 0467554319.
