Chimney Cleaning

[iluvpikn]

Hi all.

I will be a first time wood burner this year.

All my wood was cut and split last winter, and has been stacked all summer. Mix of maple, ash, ironwood, beech, and a little oak. (Not much Oak)

My stove will be a Pacific Energy Super 27.

Just wondering what I should expect for chimney cleaning. Will I be able to go a whole year? Will I have to clean it mid season?

I have burned wood before, not a total noob, but this will be my first time heating my home with it seriously.

Thanks.

 

[Dix]

It really depends on the wood moisture, burning habits, stove use ( ie . how you run it). My first year I clogged my chimney in less than 5 months "I have seasoned fire wood" said I. Not.

Good burning habits, not choking the stove down to early (my PE has pretty much the same firebox, controls, etc) will eliminate alot of these issues. But experience and the learning curve will be the time teller.

I'd figure on checking the chimney at least every 2 months. Or as the weather permits, in your location

Welcome to the forums !

 

[Soundchasm]

A Sooteater has been a most reassuring purchase. You can't go wrong running one of those every couple months. There's nothing left to doubt when you see the results right in front of you. You'll know immediately how you're doing. Brown - no problem. Black - that stuff burns.

 

[MJFlores]

Depends on the stove and your wood. I run a Woodstock fireview, for the past 13 years. My wood is never older than 6 to 8 months old. I wish I could get ahead but just cant. The wood is cut early spring and left out stacked in full sun all summer and put in a woodshed in the fall to keep dry. The rest of it's 'seasoning" is done by the cold, dry winter air here in NH. I just cleaned my chimney for the first time this weekend and it really didn't need it. I only got about a coffee can of crud out with my brush. Every fall since the stove was new I'd check from the roof with a powerful light and can always see clay liner all the way down to where the stove comes into the chimney. Mid winter, if there's a period with no snow and ice on the roof I'd go up and look down again. I finally decided to clean it anyways and put together a brush and rope setup. Moral of the story is, with a good Cat stove, and reasonably dry wood....and a flu with great draft and you should stay clean a while. Now that I have the brush I'll clean mine every late summer or fall but my setup burns very clean. About burn habits...I never let a fire smolder in my stove, I either build a well aerated fire and get it hot enough to engage the Cat or I don't burn. That goes a long way to keeping a clean flu.