HETAS Registered — Sweep & Installer

The trusted craftsman
behind Tameside's
warmest hearths.

HETAS-registered chimney sweep and stove installer serving Ashton-Under-Lyne, Tameside and Greater Manchester.

Twenty-six five-star reviews. One trusted craftsman. Michael Craven.

Request a Quote 07898 314788
★★★★★
5.0 — 26 Google reviews
Fully Insured
Traditional wood burning stove with roaring fire

Michael Craven

HETAS Master

Certificate issued with every sweep

Insurance-accepted HETAS certificate

★★★★★

5.0 Rating

26 Google Reviews

HETAS Registered

Sweep + Installer

Fully Insured

Public Liability

Ashton Local

Born & Based

CCTV Inspection

Available On-Site

Chimney sweep at work on a traditional chimney
26

Five-star reviews
and counting

About OCS

Meet Michael. A craftsman of fire.

OCS stands for Oliver's Chimney Sweep — a family name carried into a family trade. Michael Craven runs the business from Ashton-Under-Lyne, where he's earned dual HETAS registration as both a solid fuel engineer and a working chimney sweep. It's an uncommon pairing, and it's the reason OCS customers only ever need to call one number.

From a gentle annual sweep to a full stove installation with a freshly lined flue, Michael handles every job personally. No subcontractors, no rushed visits, no upsells. Just clean, certificated work that leaves your hearth safer, warmer and better than he found it.

HETAS Installer

Solid fuel engineer — stoves, flues & liners

HETAS Sweep

Insurance-accepted sweep certificates

CCTV Equipped

Full flue inspection available on-site

Clean Work

Dust sheets, vacuums, no mess left behind

Book Michael

Services

Everything your hearth needs.

From an annual sweep to a brand-new stove — all under one trusted HETAS roof.

Chimney Sweeping

Annual sweeps with full power-rotary and traditional rods. Dust sheets down, HEPA vacuum, insurance-accepted certificate issued before I leave.

HETAS certified

Stove Installation

Solid fuel, multifuel and wood-only stove installation. Supply-and-fit or fit-only. Fully HETAS-certified with Building Regs notification included.

Full install service

Servicing & Repair

Log burner and stove servicing. Rope seals, glass replacement, firebricks, baffle plates. Keep your stove burning cleaner for longer.

All makes & models

Flue Liner Installation

Flexible metal, rigid sectional and non-metallic block liners. Installed to HETAS standard with full system compliance and certification.

All liner types

Open Fire Installation

Traditional open-fire installations. Back boilers, registers, fenders and full hearth builds — restoring the heart of your home.

Heritage & modern

CCTV Inspection

Full video survey of your flue. Spot cracks, nests, blockages and liner damage before they become emergencies — footage sent to you afterwards.

Add-on service

Guards, Cowls & Pots

Bird guards, anti-downdraught cowls, rain caps and new pots supplied and fitted. Keep wildlife out and draw consistent — a small job that saves big ones.

Supply & fit

Pellet Stoves

Modern pellet stove installation — cleaner-burning, programmable heat with DEFRA-approved efficiency. Perfect for new-builds and smoke-control zones.

DEFRA approved

Reviews

What neighbours are saying.

★★★★★
5.0 / 26 Google reviews
"
★★★★★

"Michael installed a wood burner in our 1920s terrace and I couldn't be happier. Turned up on time, explained every step, left the place cleaner than when he arrived. HETAS certificate arrived the same evening. Proper tradesman."

Emma H.

Ashton-Under-Lyne · Stove Install

"
★★★★★

"Found Michael through a neighbour and booked an annual sweep. He ran a CCTV camera up the flue and showed me a crack in the liner I'd never have known about. Sorted the whole job in a day. Honest, thorough, and the insurance paperwork was spot on."

David R.

Stalybridge · Sweep + Liner

"
★★★★★

"Booked OCS after another 'sweep' gave us a certificate without actually doing a proper job. Michael's HETAS expertise was clear from the start — he serviced our multifuel stove, replaced the rope seal and glass, and gave us a proper written report. Night and day."

Sarah & Tom W.

Mossley · Stove Service

"
★★★★★

"Had Michael install a new flexible flue liner and log burner. The work was flawless — dust sheets everywhere, vacuumed up, new pot and bird guard on the chimney stack. Building regs paperwork came through a week later. Five stars isn't enough."

Paul C.

Droylsden · Full Install

"
★★★★★

"Called Michael after a jackdaw nested in our chimney. He cleared it, sorted a bird guard the same day, and gave us the best chimney sweep we've ever had. Professional, fair-priced, and genuinely enjoys his trade. I'd recommend OCS to anyone."

Joanne M.

Oldham · Sweep + Bird Guard

Join them.

See all 26 five-star reviews on Google.

Book Your Sweep

FAQs

Questions worth asking.

Straight answers about sweeps, stoves and HETAS paperwork.

It depends on what you burn. For seasoned wood, once a year is the standard. For coal and smokeless fuel, at least twice a year (bituminous coal needs a quarterly sweep). Pellet stoves and gas fires — once every 12 months. I'll always advise based on what I find during the sweep, and most insurance policies require an annual HETAS certificate to remain valid.
HETAS is the UK's official body for solid fuel safety. A HETAS-registered engineer can self-certify stove installations under Building Regs without needing a separate local authority inspection — saving you time, paperwork and fees. On the sweep side, only HETAS-certificated sweeps can issue documents that are universally accepted by home insurers. OCS is registered for both, which means one trusted name handles your whole system.
Yes — every chimney sweep comes with an official HETAS certificate, issued on the day and emailed to you the same evening. Every stove installation comes with a HETAS installation certificate and a CP12/Building Regs notification. Keep these filed with your home insurance documents; most policies require them and without one, a claim for fire damage can be refused.
A CCTV survey shows the full internal length of your flue in real time. I typically find hairline cracks in old parging, deteriorating liners, bird's nests, soot glazing (a fire hazard), damaged brickwork where chimneys have moved, and gaps in joints. I send you the video afterwards so you've got a record. Essential before buying a house with an open fire, or when a sweep reveals something unusual.
Most domestic installs take one to two days. I'll carry out a free pre-install survey to check hearth size, clearances, ventilation and the existing flue. Typical work includes removing the old fireback, installing a new flexible or rigid liner, fitting the stove, connecting the flue pipe, sealing the register plate, and commissioning with a smoke test. You'll receive HETAS certification plus Building Regs notification. Full tidy-up included — no brick dust left behind.
Sweeps and servicing are usually available within 7–10 days — outside September to December, which is peak season (book early for autumn). Stove installations typically run 3–4 weeks from survey to install date. Emergency issues like blocked flues or bird nests I try to fit in same-week wherever possible. Drop me a call or message on 07898 314788 and I'll give you honest dates.

Service Areas

Covering Tameside and
Greater Manchester.

Based in Ashton-Under-Lyne, OCS is a local sweep first and foremost. Most jobs sit within a fifteen-mile radius of base — close enough that I know the housing stock, the chimney types and the quirks of Lancashire weather on a slate roof.

Outside this list? Call anyway — happy to travel for stove installations.

Call 07898 314788
Ashton-Under-Lyne
Audenshaw
Droylsden
Stalybridge
Dukinfield
Denton
Hyde
Mossley
Oldham
Failsworth
Manchester
Tameside
Glossop
Saddleworth

Book Michael

Let's warm up your home.

Fill in the form and Michael will get back to you personally within a few hours. Or call direct — that's usually fastest.

Call Michael

07898 314788

Email

craven.michael@googlemail.com

Based In

54 Cumberland Grove, Ashton-Under-Lyne, OL7 9BS

Hours

Mon–Sat, 8:00am – 6:00pm

Instagram

@ocschimneysweep

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