How many people sweep their own chimney?
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Shane
Minister of Fire
I have a masonry 8x8 chimney with a cleaning brush that stays in the bottom of the chimney and runs up the flue with a hand crank and stainless cable. I run the brush up through every couple of weeks of the burn season. I used to clean my chimney with a brush and fiberglass rods, but it would usually plug up in february a few feet from the top and I couldn't get up there with all the ice and snow.
laynes69
Minister of Fire
I have a 35 foot masonary chimney with clay liner I sweep. I go up 2 ladders to get to the roof, and hook up the rods 2 at a time and sweep the chimney. Last year I swept ours 3 times, which was 2 times too much. When your up there you might as well. I have maybe 75.00 in the rods and brush, and I have paid for them time after time.
Just cleaned ours today. Took about 20 minutes total, including cleaning out the firebox. First time cleaning. Took out top row of bricks and baffles. Swept down through chimney and double wall stove pipe. Put a plastic trash bag on bottom of firebox to catch most of debris. Had to reach up above secondary burn unit to brush off that and then used a shop vac. We have only burned for 4 months in new stove. So it wasn't that bad. Plan on twice yearly cleaning.
colsmith
Feeling the Heat
We will certainly be cleaning our chimney in the future! Had ours (allegedly) cleaned yesterday. I had to leave just as the guy arrived, but hubby reported on it to me this morning. We were both surprised and dismayed that the guy did NOT disconnect any stove pipe. We have 2 elbows, each 45 degrees, between the stove and the straight chimney run. But more importantly, we have a Hearthstone Heritage with the air flow snaking around and over the top over some special sort of insulation above the secondary burn part of the stove. You can't hardly access that part of the stove, I believe there is another thread where someone was asking how to clean that part. Anyway, this idiot pushed his brush down from the roof, pushing the gunk into this part of the stove. Tried to get the gunk out from the front of the woodstove but that didn't work very well.
Hubby and I both thought that was pretty odd, so we took the stovepipe apart this morning to check it out. Found that there was a LOT of soot and creosote piled up in the pipe going into the stove, it was almost completely blocked where the pipe met the stove. So the guy did worse than nothing, he created a hazardous mess. We made an angry phone call to the sweep guy and he came back this afternoon. Acted all blase' and said normally he didn't need to take apart the stovepipe, so he didn't do that. Of course he looked in the stove first, so it should have been obvious. He acted like he was doing hubby a favor helping him reattach the stove pipe. The lower stove pipes below the elbow hadn't been very clean, either first time around.
The ironic thing is we both read several books about woodstoves in the past year, and one specifically about sweeping your own chimney. We figured we could do it ourselves, but wanted a professional to do it first so that we could observe it one time first "done right." Hmmmph. I am sure there are lots of good chimney sweeps out there, but we sure didn't pick one! I had called a lot of closer places I found in the phone book, but almost every chimney sweep in the Racine phone book had gone out of business in the past year. Weird. We found someone via the internet. We plan to buy a brush and some flexible rods for next time. We don't mind climbing on the roof, our slope isn't too bad.
Marcia
Hubby and I both thought that was pretty odd, so we took the stovepipe apart this morning to check it out. Found that there was a LOT of soot and creosote piled up in the pipe going into the stove, it was almost completely blocked where the pipe met the stove. So the guy did worse than nothing, he created a hazardous mess. We made an angry phone call to the sweep guy and he came back this afternoon. Acted all blase' and said normally he didn't need to take apart the stovepipe, so he didn't do that. Of course he looked in the stove first, so it should have been obvious. He acted like he was doing hubby a favor helping him reattach the stove pipe. The lower stove pipes below the elbow hadn't been very clean, either first time around.
The ironic thing is we both read several books about woodstoves in the past year, and one specifically about sweeping your own chimney. We figured we could do it ourselves, but wanted a professional to do it first so that we could observe it one time first "done right." Hmmmph. I am sure there are lots of good chimney sweeps out there, but we sure didn't pick one! I had called a lot of closer places I found in the phone book, but almost every chimney sweep in the Racine phone book had gone out of business in the past year. Weird. We found someone via the internet. We plan to buy a brush and some flexible rods for next time. We don't mind climbing on the roof, our slope isn't too bad.
Marcia
Gooserider
Mod Emeritus
We have a guy that seems to do a pretty good job the two times he's come out for us. If you are near Lowell, MA, I reccomend Axon Chimney Services, 978-970-3800, <axonchimney.com>. The owner, George Weingart, is an older fellow from whaterver they are calling what used to be Chekoslovakia this week. :D He has been a sweep both here and in the old country for many years. He doesn't use the August West franchise name in his advertising, but some of his gear is from them (at least his vacuum). He was considerably less than the other sweeps we called - IIRC about $100 for the first flue and $50 for the second.
We've been cleaning once a year, (beginning or end of season depending on how you count) and he gets a fair bit of stuff out. with our pre-EPA stove, is that enough? I've noticed we don't seem to have as much draft towards the end of the season as we do at the beginning.
He cleaned from the bottom up, not sure if thats the way he normally does it, or if it is because we have a very difficult to reach chimney (high chimney sticking out of a 45* pitch roof) I'm not unusually afraid of heights, but definitely would also want to go from the bottom on this one as I don't see any easy way to get to the top of this chimney short of using multiple ladders and climbing gear.
Our primary stove has a short pipe out the back that connects to a "T" fitting. the bottom of the "T" is capped, and when the cap is removed it's a straight shot up the flue which George was treating as a 6" round stainless pipe. (AFAIK this is the original pipe, which was put in when the house was built in the early-mid 70's - does that sound like what would have been used?)
The almost never used backup stove in the basement has a hole in the chimney wall about 5' up, that appears to go to a "T" embeded in the chimney, which goes up to an SS liner that goes up along side the liner from our main stove and down to a cleanout at the floor level.
Is this a setup that sounds like it would work with DIY cleaning from the bottom? If so, what sort of gear would I need? George used a flexible rod on a roll, kind of like an overgrown plumbers snake, is that the optimum tool?
Gooserider
I notice most people seem to be doing top down,
We've been cleaning once a year, (beginning or end of season depending on how you count) and he gets a fair bit of stuff out. with our pre-EPA stove, is that enough? I've noticed we don't seem to have as much draft towards the end of the season as we do at the beginning.
He cleaned from the bottom up, not sure if thats the way he normally does it, or if it is because we have a very difficult to reach chimney (high chimney sticking out of a 45* pitch roof) I'm not unusually afraid of heights, but definitely would also want to go from the bottom on this one as I don't see any easy way to get to the top of this chimney short of using multiple ladders and climbing gear.
Our primary stove has a short pipe out the back that connects to a "T" fitting. the bottom of the "T" is capped, and when the cap is removed it's a straight shot up the flue which George was treating as a 6" round stainless pipe. (AFAIK this is the original pipe, which was put in when the house was built in the early-mid 70's - does that sound like what would have been used?)
The almost never used backup stove in the basement has a hole in the chimney wall about 5' up, that appears to go to a "T" embeded in the chimney, which goes up to an SS liner that goes up along side the liner from our main stove and down to a cleanout at the floor level.
Is this a setup that sounds like it would work with DIY cleaning from the bottom? If so, what sort of gear would I need? George used a flexible rod on a roll, kind of like an overgrown plumbers snake, is that the optimum tool?
Gooserider
I notice most people seem to be doing top down,
rudysmallfry
Minister of Fire
I did mine myself for the first time ever this year in an effort to save money. There wasn't much to do from an inspection standpoint since my stove and chimney are only a year old. I went up on the roof with my 6" wire brush and rods, ran it down the chimney a few times, went down and cleaned out the cleanout trap, (appropriately named I suppose). Then I went inside and took apart all the pipe, clean that all out, ran the vaccum through it for the small particulate stuff, and gave the stove a once over for cracks and stuff. I thought it was fun although rather dirty.
I'm sure a free standing woodstove with a prefab chimney is much easier to clean than an insert or older brick chimney. For me it was a no brainer. Once my setup is older, I'll probably bring in an expert from time to time to look for wear and tear things that I may not recognize.
I'm sure a free standing woodstove with a prefab chimney is much easier to clean than an insert or older brick chimney. For me it was a no brainer. Once my setup is older, I'll probably bring in an expert from time to time to look for wear and tear things that I may not recognize.
A filthy job for sure. My metal chimney is easiest to clean from the bottom up and my masonry chimney from the top down. Every installation is going to be a little different...
I clean my own and always have. Of course this year was a total dream. For over twenty years it has been climb up and brush the chimney top down, climb down and drag the 600+ pound insert out of the fire place and scrub the smoke chamber and fire box, vacuum the fire box, top of the insert and the smoke shelf, heave the insert back into the fireplace. Half day job. Have back pain for a week.
This year. Pop the baffle out of the stove. Zip up on the roof and drop the rope down the liner and insert the brush in the top of the liner, put the cap back on, zip down and pull the brush through the liner into the stove with all of the crap. Twenty minutes start to finish. And my back doesn't hurt. I didn't do a vigorous brushing because until me and the new stove get to know each other better I am going to give it a swipe once a month. Weather permitting.
The one in the basement took a little longer and was a bit messier. Got to come up with a cap for that oddball pipe config down there with a cap on it with a hole in the middle for the rope. It got a bit messy down there this first time.
But both were finished before breakfast. I am liking this setup.
This year. Pop the baffle out of the stove. Zip up on the roof and drop the rope down the liner and insert the brush in the top of the liner, put the cap back on, zip down and pull the brush through the liner into the stove with all of the crap. Twenty minutes start to finish. And my back doesn't hurt. I didn't do a vigorous brushing because until me and the new stove get to know each other better I am going to give it a swipe once a month. Weather permitting.
The one in the basement took a little longer and was a bit messier. Got to come up with a cap for that oddball pipe config down there with a cap on it with a hole in the middle for the rope. It got a bit messy down there this first time.
But both were finished before breakfast. I am liking this setup.
laynes69
Minister of Fire
Anyone know of a way to sweep a flue without removing it from the chimney? The main chimney isn't a problem, its the flue that I hate doing, because I have to remove the screws, pull in apart and use a wire brush on it. I was thinking of flexable rods and a 6" brush but wasn't sure if they would bend around the 45s.
Shane
Minister of Fire
laynes69
Minister of Fire
Big Eric said:
You are welcome in my house for fun, dinner and beverages. Just don't get on my roof!
quads
Minister of Fire
I prefer to clean mine from the top down. If there's going to be any creosote buildup, the worst spot is usually the top 6-12". But, if the roof looks too slippery, I clean it from the bottom up. (I clean once a month whether it needs it or not.)Gooserider said:
hardwood715
Feeling the Heat
quads
Minister of Fire
Thanks! Umm, I'm not sure if I have any full sizes of those particular photos uploaded anywhere. I'll have to look around and maybe post some in the picture forum.hardwood715 said:
Xena
Minister of Fire
I cleaned ours. Was easy
as pie. We have a full liner
(4") on our pellet stove.
Got a 4" brush kit, removed
the T cleanout and went to
town. Got about 1 cup of
crap outa there.
as pie. We have a full liner
(4") on our pellet stove.
Got a 4" brush kit, removed
the T cleanout and went to
town. Got about 1 cup of
crap outa there.
I sweep my own. Basic procedure is:
Climb up on roof with sweep brush, 4' extension pole, wire brush, rope, weight, 5/16" wrench flashlight.
Use the wrench to remove the chimney cap and wire brush the bird screen clean of any creosote.
Put the sweep brush and 4' extension down the flue from the top and run it back and forth a couple of times (this is where 99% of the creosote is in my flue. Once clean, inspect with flashlight.
If it is OK, disconnect the 4' rod attach the rope and weight. Slide the weight down the flue until it hits bottom, insert the brush, replace the cap and get everything off the roof.
Grab the weight from inside the stove and pull the rope and brush down through the flue into the stove. Inspect the flue from the bottom (mirror sometimes helps)
If it is OK, pack everything up for the next sweeping.
Corey
Climb up on roof with sweep brush, 4' extension pole, wire brush, rope, weight, 5/16" wrench flashlight.
Use the wrench to remove the chimney cap and wire brush the bird screen clean of any creosote.
Put the sweep brush and 4' extension down the flue from the top and run it back and forth a couple of times (this is where 99% of the creosote is in my flue. Once clean, inspect with flashlight.
If it is OK, disconnect the 4' rod attach the rope and weight. Slide the weight down the flue until it hits bottom, insert the brush, replace the cap and get everything off the roof.
Grab the weight from inside the stove and pull the rope and brush down through the flue into the stove. Inspect the flue from the bottom (mirror sometimes helps)
If it is OK, pack everything up for the next sweeping.
Corey
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