chimney cleaning

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ash bucket

New Member
Jul 6, 2009
57
central KY
I have an old Fisher insert in my living room that was installed before I bought my house. The stove is on an exterior wall and the NON-insulated pipe is through the original chimney square clay tile lining. I have never inspected to see how the flue is connected to the chimney but I am certain the flue is not directly below the chimney enabling the smoke to go straight up out of the stove without any turns. I have cleaned the chimney a few times over the past couple years myself from the top. My question is, since cleaning from the bottom would, I think, be very difficult and if I am only cleaning from the top, what about the section of pipe in the turn from where my brush bottoms out and stops to the stove? Is it a problem that this section isn't being brushed? Does creosote only build up further up in the chimney? Should I be taking something apart to clean? I hope not because that would not be fun. Learn me something!
 
It sounds as if your insert vents out the back and takes a 90 degree turn up the chimney. If this is the case, you will most likely have to pull the stove out to access the section of pipe from the stove collar to the chimney. The soot you are sweeping down does not have anywhere to go and will eventually build up and clog the area around the stove collar. You'll know this is happening when you realize that your draft is diminishing.
How's your draft btw??
 
ash bucket said:
I have an old Fisher insert in my living room that was installed before I bought my house. The stove is on an exterior wall and the NON-insulated pipe is through the original chimney square clay tile lining. I have never inspected to see how the flue is connected to the chimney but I am certain the flue is not directly below the chimney enabling the smoke to go straight up out of the stove without any turns. I have cleaned the chimney a few times over the past couple years myself from the top. My question is, since cleaning from the bottom would, I think, be very difficult and if I am only cleaning from the top, what about the section of pipe in the turn from where my brush bottoms out and stops to the stove? Is it a problem that this section isn't being brushed? Does creosote only build up further up in the chimney? Should I be taking something apart to clean? I hope not because that would not be fun. Learn me something!

I cleaned the 21 feet of double wall outside plus the pipe coming out of the stove to the elbow in to the wall thimble, attached is a link of that cleaning.


https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/62736/


zap
 
The flue is on the top of the stove...not the back. And when I sweep the chimney from the top, the soot falls into the stove although I don't know if it is all falling out or some of it is collecting in the pipe somewhere right above the stove. If it is collecting in the pipe, is this what is going to cause me to have a chimney fire one day if it gets too bad? Draft is good...always has been.
 
So it vents out the top, takes a 90 bend back (for a certain distance), then a 90 bend up into the chimney?
You should probably try to access the section that is not being swept so you can clean the pipe. Depending on what type of buildup you're getting, the pile sitting in the elbow could possibly catch fire.
Without seeing your setup it's hard to give advice. It may be as simple as removing the surround so you can access the top of the insert and remove the pipe. Can you post some pics?
 
Yes it can collect and cause a chimney fire. You need to at the least pull the surround panel off the front of that fireplace and find out what you are working with here connector wise.
 
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