NFI Certification means that an individual has passed a rigorous examination based on a training manual that has been reviewed by industry experts. The training manual for each hearth specialty is a comprehensive reference source for the fundamentals of that subject area, and includes essential topics such as combustion theory, fuel comparisons, safety code regulations, appliance design and sizing. Certification may be earned by hearth industry professionals in three
hearth specialties:
- NFI Gas Specialist
- NFI Woodburning Specialist
- NFI Pellet Specialist
Certification is renewed every three years. Maintaining certification requires substantial ongoing education.
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certifies chimney sweeps in the United States. CSIA runs the National Chimney Sweep Training School, an intensive six day course, which is where Wooden Sun send its sweeps to be certified. We do not send individuals until they have worked at Wooden Sun for at least a year, proving they have what it takes to be a professional sweep–fit, fearless of heights, conscious of safety, a high level of attention to detail, strong work ethic, and possessing good customer service skills. Once an employee demonstrates those qualities, plus a commitment to excellence in all that they do, we enroll them in the six-day course. Even after they complete the course, we still don’t allow them to sweep on their own until they have demonstrated their proficiency to our master sweep. Sweeps are periodically re-tested to make sure they have the most current knowledge available, and they are required to do ongoing education training to maintain their certification.
