Cleaned Jotul Rockland and Nashua

Did my mid-season sweep. My results have improved, but I've burned less than last year. I'm using the Sooteater and the thing seems to get the job done. I'm also finding more nooks and crannies in both boxes.

I have a professional sweep come out in the fall and do a thorough top-down as a routine matter.

13/14
Jotul 12 cups
Nashua 1 Gl
5.2 cords

14/15
Jotul 4 cups
Nashua 8 cups
3.5 cords

The dry wood thing is no myth. Been trying to burn the Jotul hotter and finally started stuffing it for longer burns. When temps are low teens I can run the Nashua to 550 without being run out of the basement. Very little of the creosote was the black, shiny, cornflake type. Most was powdery instant coffee looking stuff.

This winter is nothing like the last one, but I may have turned a corner in getting ahead on wood so next winter could be even better.

PS - I also learned that if I keep an elbow on the stove I don't get those whopping static electricity shocks!

Boy, the static shocks that come running a shop vac/sooteater in the 8" Nashua liner (comes out horizontal 2' before it curves up the chimney) were some real thumps. POW! Felt a lot like house current.

The static shocks I get through the course of the day I can live with, but the one that always surprises me is the one I can get from the first water out of the kitchen faucet!! Seriously, WTH??

The first few years when he was the only cleaner, I know his 5 GL shop vac was full when he left. But how much was ash I'd left in the stoves was anybody's guess. He always has things well buttoned up and measuring isn't in his toolkit since he needs to get to the next job or home. It's kind of in his best interest to tell me he swept up a lot of stuff.

I did see some bare metal in the 8" liner for the Nashua where it turns to go up, but I can't see up the Rockland liner either. I trimmed my Sooteater to about 8.5" and it works in both the 6" and 8" liners. I use the drill on speed 2 and go up and down 2-3 times for each section. I think that thing is flying around in there like a Tasmanian Devil and there is no way enough fuel is going to be stored in the liner to ignite, or if it ignites, to sustain a burn. We probably have millions of itsy-bitsy chimney fires all the time. Sure beats the heck out of one big one!