chimney sweep

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salmonhunter

Burning Hunk
Apr 16, 2012
104
newbrunswick canada
Just wondering how many of you guys do your own chimney sweeping. Il be getting my first stove this summer before the comming fall. I have read an article about cleaning your own chimney and it doesn't seem all that hard but others have been telling me im better off getting a pro to do it. Seems like a waste of money to pay someone else to do something that can be done yourself.
 
I'd say it depends on the configuration of both your flue and your appliance, your physical ability (taking into account your age, strength & health), your (in some cases) fear of heights, etc. Some systems lend themselves to sweeping from the bottom up, while some don't. Every situation and every individual is unique. Rick
 
When in doubt, pay a reputable sweep to do the first job and watch how he does it. Take that as a learning experience and it's money well spent. Also doesn't hurt to have someone else take a gander at the install to double check that everything that is put into place is up to par.

Also, make sure you have your wood on hand split, stacked, and seasoning now! Very few people who sell "seasoned wood" are actually selling wood that is ready to burn. Keep at least a year ahead and do the drying yourself and you'll save yourself the majority of the headaches (and dangers) associated with the first year burning experience.

pen
 
When in doubt, pay a reputable sweep to do the first job and watch how he does it.

I swept my own last year after purchasing a brush and rods. I got the brush down my chimney about 12 feet and could not budge it. I was wishing I had hired a chimney sweep but I eventually was able to clear my chimney the next day , long story but it involved a hand grinder and a few rods and duct tape.

I would say run a smaller brush down the chimney first or a chain.
 
I'd say it depends on the configuration of both your flue and your appliance, your physical ability (taking into account your age, strength & health), your (in some cases) fear of heights, etc. Some systems lend themselves to sweeping from the bottom up, while some don't. Every situation and every individual is unique. Rick

+1 . . . In my own case it's a 5-10 minute job. I remove three screws and a cap from a T outside . . . run my brush up through from the ground up and in a few minutes the chimney is clean.
 
How about making a poll to see how many sweep their chimneys vs hiring it done? As for us, we've always done our own.
 
I do mine. Some can be hard to do. Since it's a regular maintenance item get the rods and brush and save the cost every time you do it. I wonder how many people that pay to have it done don't do it as much as it should be done.
 
Hired a sweep the first time and shadowed him. Did it myself last time (1/2 season, after 1 cord).

Easy access flat roof and a straight run chimney down through the connector into two 30deg elbows in the stove pipe. Doesn't get much easier than that.
 
I do it myself during the season, but usually call in a sweep once a year to do a double check as I clean from the bottom up. I refuse to go on my 10 pitch roof where the peak is over 30 feet off the ground.
 
I hired a sweep the first time, watched & learned. Cost me $100, which I thought was worth the education. I learned how the stove came apart & went back together, and how the ash came down the flue.

I hired the sweep the second time, to make sure that I had everything down, and he charged me $250 for the same job. Guess it was busy season.

The next day I bought the brush (Home Boy Depot was out of rods, and I still don't have them, after 4 years). We put the brush on a chain (triple clipped), and fling the chain down first, it loosens a lot of "fluff", then pull the brush down with the chain, then up with the chain a few times. we have a bit of a "tug" issue when it gets to the slight bend of pipe on the PE at the top of the insert, but other than that, it's fine. The 13 is a straight run, so it's easy peesey.

It works for us.
 
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