ᐅ Negative pressure monitor / chimney 4 Pa?

Sebastian79 schrieb:
You shouldn’t rely solely on the DiBt-certified chimney for your own safety – eventually, the seals will wear out.

I was happy to pay the 380 euros for the safety monitor for the sake of my family.

It recently went off when the oil heating system was burning irregularly and caused negative pressure.

Just as a side note: this has happened to my father several times where the chimney drew air back inside. The house gets dusty, there is a slight smell of smoke, and that’s about it. (Of course, proper ventilation is necessary!) No one gets harmed or anything like that. People tend to exaggerate. Either the chimney sweep has a legal basis (and can clearly explain it to you) or he doesn’t. Why would you spend a lot of money on a DiBt-certified chimney if it ends up being completely useless?

That said, a pressure monitor offers real advantages compared to just relying on the DiBt approval when dealing with the chimney sweep. If you are building new, please make sure it’s air-independent. The chimney doesn’t care if it draws combustion air in or not.

Nonsense, he doesn’t have to show you anything – he can simply demand it. He is also responsible for it...

And it’s nice that it worked out that way with your father. There are supposedly people who fall asleep during this, and the embers keep glowing with coal...

andimann schrieb:
There must be a clear legal regulation somewhere on this, right?! It can’t be that someone has to pay 1,000 euros for a pressure monitor (with measuring technology worth probably less than 20 €) just because the local chimney sweep inspector feels like charging it, while the next person doesn’t have to pay at all?

Yes, I have learned by now that building regulations are full of absurdities, but this would definitely be arbitrary.

This has less to do with building law. There is the SchfHWG, and from section 8 onwards the responsibilities of the district chimney sweep inspector are laid out.

By the way, the chimney sweep inspector performs sovereign duties – he is personally and professionally liable, so his existence depends on it if he is negligent. Negligence also includes letting something pass that he considers unsafe.

It’s not called arbitrariness, it’s called discretion!

Happy Easter!

Sebastian79 schrieb:
One should not rely solely on the DiBt-certified chimney for personal safety – because eventually, the seals will wear out.

I was happy to pay 380 euros (about 420 USD) for the protector for my family’s sake.

It recently also triggered when the oil heating system burned irregularly and caused negative pressure.

Where did you get it for 380 euros (about 420 USD)? I have occasionally been offered it for the usual 1,000 euros (about 1,100 USD).

About my ventilation system supplier.

However, you can also order the P4 directly from the manufacturer for almost the same price.

That is simply the easiest option. By now, I would prefer one with an external output to indicate activation accordingly.

Of course, he has to show you the basis if he wants something from you. Otherwise, you simply refuse the changes and he has to report it. By then, it will be clear whether his demands are legally justified. I consider it completely impossible that anyone in Germany has to be liable for anything right now. Please show me a court ruling where a chimney sweep had to pay even one cent to anyone for anything. It’s all big scare tactics and nonsense because he can easily talk his way out of it (he only inspects the condition at the exact moment of the inspection; parameters can already have changed by the time he leaves...).

A fireplace with DIBt approval is absolutely sufficient because there is no technical condition under which the ventilation system can generate strong pressure—except through extreme! senseless manipulation of the system (one would have to seal ALL the supply air ducts in the house airtight at the same time—which makes no sense and cannot happen on its own). And then you are actively involved and can prevent damage. It is not like you suddenly collapse.

That is why entire forums exist against chimney sweeps, where they come with completely exaggerated demands and courts have to deal with this nonsense. Either there is a clear law and you are out of luck, or there isn’t, and the chimney sweep is just talking nonsense.

As I said before, with new builds it’s better to install a pressure monitor instead of relying on the DIBt approval. That ties the chimney sweep’s hands (simply because everything has been done) and, in theory, you can use any fireplace you want.