How often do you clean your chimney?

At the beginning of the season, at least once during the season (weather permitting access to the roof), and at the end of the season...

I like to clean mine once during Jan. and then after the season is over.

Used to do it 4 times per year. Since getting the Fireview we have not cleaned it once and have been burning 24/7 since October.

The last time I cleaned my chimney was after a season of burning about 8 cords three years ago. 1.5 cups of white dust was the sum total removed from the 21 foot chimney. With the stove burning that clean, I don't clean my chimney.

Once, in the Summer, on a nice day.

I used to, however, inspect it more often in the Winter.
But then, I sorta had to.


My chimney had to come down last Spring before it fell on someone / something.
Leaning tower of Pisa. When the last anchor popped, it wasn't safe any more.
Brick / lined chimney. Outside.

We won't discuss what it looked like for awhile, nor define "for a while".


It was a surprisingly good functional chimney, it had just become the i in team.

I was going to put in a pellet stove, but found it a tough transition.
100% oil is tougher.


"Hey, I bet on a windy day you could crack nuts with that chimney".
I heard them all.

For a while thear I was once a week! :down: I am at 2 weeks now and don't see any need! LOL Hopeing to go the rest of the season! But I was burning cool and bad wood as well.

so many variables. I burned by stove for 1.5 years without cleaning it. I jsut cleaned it a few weeks ago cause I was also getting some puff backs and figured that it was definatly past due..The cap was the worse and my guess contributed the most to the decreased draft, but I cleaned the entire thing..was not that hard to do actually

I am a afraid of heights.
I call the chimney sweep once a year before the season starts.

begining, new years good to go!

Once per year, usually in the early Fall before the start of heating season. Been doing this for 18 years. I have very little build-up in my chimney, burn dry wood, mostly aspen, a little oak, birch and ash.

Just bought my own brush and rods, so going to be twice a year now. Only got a 5" dia. liner with a 20ft draw,so doesn`t take much cresote to affect things. If, and that is a big IF I keep on aging, maybe I will just do the summer clean and have the chimney sweep do the winter one.

Of course there is always "liquid courage" for the winter one. but probably not a wise choice when 20ft off the ground

Yeah, I'd save the liquid for AFTER the job is done! Tastes better that way too!

I cut a 3 ft x 4 ft hole in the roof last summer because my chimney up 48 feet high & no other sane way to get up there. Then I had to make a hatch cover to plug up the hole,
%-P because by oct them nites were starting to get chilly & that hole made quite a draft.

So now, to clean my chimney, all I have to do is walk up the attic stairs & pop the hatch
& im good to drop the wieghted christmas tree top down the chimney & pull it back up .
I have ropes on both sides of the christmas tree top just in case it gets stuck in the chimney.

once in the late fall & again in the spring. I aint going up there with ice or snow on the roof,
its 40 ft straight down. I probably shiver so hard from the cold winds that the shivering alone make me fall. A frame roof anyways, steep & dangerous. Need to straddle the peak.

You cut a hole in your roof so that you could use a christmas tree top to clean clean your chimney? Surely you jest.

Usually do it in January and again at the end of the season. At that time I add a wire mesh to the cap to keep the birds out. So 2x works for me.

Once a year, usually in early May.

Once a year here in early fall..

Ray

Not as often as I'd like to. Say- I did a cleaning yesterday evening, and the cap was caked pretty good. On cleaning it, I found a diamond mesh surrounding the cap breather sides. It was secured with bailing wire which I thought the previous owner put on so I removed for cleaning the cap, I wonder though if it might be prudent to leave it on as to catch embers as I did not reattach it thinking it would cause obstruction. I did see a small one stray out last night. I was rinning 500* in the box 300* in the flue..............

All depends on the quality of the wood. We usually have it cleaned by the local sweep in late February. I like having him give it a thorough inspection for damage, kinks, potential problems, whatever. This was a bad wood year. Next year our stock will be back to normal.