Springfield, Drexel Hill, and other surrounding areas are prime targets for chimney sweep scams because we usually see quite a bit of cold weather and snow during the winter months. People ask us how to avoid chimney scams all the time and we try to blog about it fairly often as well. Our goal is to help keep you from being taken advantage of by a scammer who has no interest in actually inspecting or cleaning your chimney, and may do more harm than good. So today we want to show you several things to keep in mind when you need to hire a chimney sweep.

Avoid Chimney Scams

As they say, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Let’s say someone shows up at your door, rings the doorbell, and tells you that they think you may have a problem with your chimney. They may even ask if they can take a closer look to be sure. They’re probably going to find something wrong and charge you what sounds like a pretty good price to fix it. Then they’re probably going to disappear with your money upfront.

They may even offer an inspection and cleaning for $50 or $75 cheaper than a CSIA Certified chimney sweep with a guaranteed discount on services if they find other problems. Again, don’t fall for these too-good-to-be-true door to door salesmen. Certified chimney sweeps don’t go door to door looking for business; we wait for you to call us when you’ve done your research.

Find a Certified Chimney Specialist

The Internet is a wonderful tool when you’re looking for local services. You can find nearly anything with a little help from Google. You can usually even use Google Maps to see the street address of the business.

  • org – Look for CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps in your immediate area by using the search box. The results page will give you a list of certified chimney sweeps and describe their current certifications.
  • Use Google to search for the keywords certified chimney sweep followed by your town name or zip code. Visit the websites of potential chimney specialists, call them to inquire about services, check their credentials with CSIA, and ask for testimonials.
  • Ask your neighbors, family, and coworkers for advice. Ask about specific company names that you’ve already researched online.

Don’t always hire the very first company you contact. Ask around and learn all you can about other similar services in your area. We encourage people to do a lot of research before making your final decision with something as important as hiring a chimney inspector and sweep.

Call the guys at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service at 610-626-2439 if you’d like to schedule an appointment with one of our CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps for a post-winter chimney inspection and cleaning. Most of our customers are repeat customers who rely on us to help keep their chimney and fireplace working properly season after season.