I swept this unusual but rather attractive French Mirus Wood-Burning Stove very recently in a property in Mill Lane Saffron Walden. The stove is unusual in that the fuel is not loaded from the front, but from a side door. Looking on the web it is easy to see that these antique Mirus stoves are very sought after and achieve very high prices when sold on. It would appear that Mirus were making stoves in the early part of the 20^th Century, a number I looked at were made in the 1920’s.

Unfortunately for the customer I had to condemn the installation as being unsafe to use, as can be observed from the photos, the stove pipe was not securely fixed to the bottom of the liner. As can be seen the stove pipe had been secured using a jubilee clip, when this had failed a piece of chicken wire had been used. This is always a difficult moment for the sweep, who must tactfully point out the defects and negotiate a solution. In this instance the customer was very reasonable and could immediately see the fault and recognize that it required remedying. The customer added that it wasn’t the first problem he had encountered since buying the property, adding that the previous occupier from whom he had bought the property was a ‘bit of a bodger’!

I suggested when the customer has the repair undertaken, he have the elbow removed and replaced with a T-Piece which will collect any soot coming down the flue and to have a sweeping hatch fitted to the stove pipe.