6 week sweep of chimney

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BobUrban

Minister of Fire
Jul 24, 2010
1,933
Central Michigan
Here is what I got out of my 18' of chimney after 6 weeks of rather steady burning. I would like less but I am not displeased considering the stove. My wood is 90+% great with a couple splits that sizzle a bit. Most has been seasoned two years or more. Stove is a VC Defiant.

First year with the stove and I cleaned after 2, 4 and now 6 weeks. Looks worse in the photos than it really is but there is some crud build up. Most of the pipe is just grey/brown dusty stuff but at the cap I always get the black shiny bad stuff. I clean from the bottom up and bang on the cap a bit to shake some of the bad stuff loose before I pull the brush back down. Here are some photos of my cleanout.

Stove
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Before
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After
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Results
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Not too bad Bob. Not too bad. The six week cycle seems about right with that accumulation.
 
Thanks BB - I kept extending the interval to see how it was burning but due to the long shoulder we have had I really just began cranking her up. I was burning a lot at under 400 but now I get it past 4-500 cruising temps so I imagine I will do better on the next sweep at the end of February. I also throw a scoop of Rutlands in every week or so on a hot coal bed during a reload and let it burn free for a 1/2hr or so with a watchful eye. There are mixed reviews on the stuff but as cheap as it is I like the little peace of mind it affords. I do have more brown powder and less black and shiny since using it but that also could be attributed to hotter burning and better perfromance in the cold weather. Either way, I always feel safer after a sweep. I can actually go a week or two without wondering what is going on up in there.

On the clean up note - is it common(especially with my style of stove) to have some black and shiny in the very top and cap area? I am guessing yes but would like to hear what others are experiencing? I use my binos and look up at the cap once a week or so and there is some blackness and a couple small stalagetites up there but never any serious build up regarding the openings or air flow. When I get to the top with the bruch and bonk the cap a few times I can hear it falling into the box I have taped at the bottom that my brush rod is going through.

Bob Urban
 
Happens with any stove Bob. Cold air blowing over the cap makes the stuff stick.
 
Love the duct tape cuff Bob. "If the women don't find ya handsome, at least they'll find ya handy!"
 
I clean my chimney every weekend, takes me all of 5 minutes, no big deal
 
Hmmpppfff... I only sweep mine out at the end of each season... I don't often have much more than that though. Its about 32ft of 8"
 
Not too bad Bob. I clean a similar length system once a month and get around the same amount. Probably not as good of fuel as you have though.
Mind telling us what sort of brushes you use? Looks very clean.
 
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