What’s the best vacuum cleaner for chimney sweeps?

Every year, thousands of chimney fires are prevented by regular chimney cleaning.

Chimney sweeps carefully remove soot, creosote and other dirt and debris from the chimney system so that homeowners can continue to safely use their fireplace, without the risk of blockages.

Professional chimney sweeps use a range of equipment to help them to safely access and clean all areas of the fireplace, including rods, brushes and safety equipment to protect them from the potentially hazardous dirt and debris.

This includes the use of a specialist ash vacuum cleaner to capture and trap the microparticles of soot and other harmful particulates they extract.

If you are a chimney sweep or are responsible for employees who sweep chimneys, its important that your safety equipment meets HSE standards.

For the vacuum cleaner or dust extractor, that means using a machine that is certified to extract at least 99.9% of medium hazardous dusts. ‘M-Class’ vacuum cleaners that have been tested and certified will display an M-Class badge or sticker on the machine.

The UK’s National Association of Chimney Sweeps (NACS) was formed in 1982 as a professional Trade Association, promoting high standards for the sweeping, inspection and maintenance of chimneys.

NACS has used and tested the Vacmaster WD M38 PCF M Class Dust Extractor for chimney sweeps, stating:

“The NACS has used and tested the above machine for chimney sweeping. The machine has been tested extensively both on site and in the NACS Training centre. The Vacmaster machine has proved to be a popular choice for members. It is lightweight and comes with a trolley and useful tools for picking up soot and debris. In addition, the Vacmaster machine has a Hepa filter system and is supplied with disposable filter bags to trap the soot for safe disposal. The NACS Training Team have no hesitation in recommending the Vacmaster machine. I have also bought the Vacmaster myself over a year ago and found it to be reliable with a very good suction to pick up soot.” Martin P Glynn, CEO

The Vacmaster WD M38 PCF M Class Dust Extractor is a powerful, 38 litre wet and dry vacuum cleaner for industrial use.

Removing 99.9% of dust with an occupational exposure limit value of > 0.1 mg/m3, this versatile bagged vacuum cleaner benefits from a 2-stage dust collection system, push clean filter, variable speed control and a visual airflow warning indicator.

A suction inlet sealing cap prevents accidental entry or release of hazardous dust from the machine when not in use, or during transport.

If you’re looking for the best vacuum cleaner for chimney sweeps, we encourage you to look at the Vacmaster range, choosing the most appropriate vacuum cleaner for your needs.