Chimney Cleaning

[tynman]

So I had my chimney cleaned yesterday. I've been burning for two years without a sweep. I know! I know, alot of what I've read on these forums, it's pretty risky to do as I see alot of you sweep every 6 months to a year. But from what I was told, this doesn't look bad, but needed to be cleaned (attached pic). From what the sweeper told me, I'm surprised considering it had been two years. Still, my thinking is once a year.

So my question is, does this look bad?

 

[georgeg]

Doesn't look to bad to me. Just ash no creosote. Seems like you are running the unit well with good wood. Be sure to at least take a look at it every 6 months, btw I really like those 2100 hearth heaters.

 

[double-d]

Looks good for 2 years of service. Is the liner insulated, and how much wood are you burning? Don't think I'd change a thing, but I'd definately have it checked more often, just in case.

 

[tynman]

Thanks for the responses, good to know it's not too bad considering the timeframe. Good idea to atleast check it every 6 months. It is an insulated liner and we burn around 4 cords a year. Oak/poplar for the last two years and we burn start around Halloween to the end of March (burning 24/7 from Nov-Feb).

 

[raybonz]

Looks fine to me.. Didn't really need a cleaning in my opinion..

Ray

 

[pen]

I just cleaned mine yesterday. It too looked like that. What's strange is that I brushed out more "stuff" than I ever used to before lining and insulating the chimney. Yesterday I probably took out a pint and a 1/2 of stuff. Before I might get 3/4 of a pint but what I used to take out was black and flakey. This was brown and dusty. I don't think what I took out yesterday was capable of burning by its appearance. The old stuff sure could though.

pen

 

[PapaDave]

Doesn't look too bad.
I've been up top to check about 5 times this year, and every time, all I've done is clean the dang cap. The flue is nice and clean.
Must be one of those hoarders.
The flue is nice and clean. I'll run the brush down this spring.

 

[remkel]

After what I saw in my chimney today, I would die to have a chimney look like that.

Two years???? Not bad at all.

 

[Milton Findley]

We swept ours today and we got a couple of bucket worth of creosote out of it. We were having draft problems towards the end of the season so we knew it would be interesting. We insulated the upper reaches of the triple wall chimney to hold the heat in the chimney, and we hope that the whole system stays warmer this coming season. (The liner is insulated and runs up the innermost pipe in the triple wall).

 

[begreen]

After what I saw in my chimney today, I would die to have a chimney look like that.

Two years???? Not bad at all.

With dry wood in that Firelight you will be seeing clean flues soon.

 

[BrotherBart]

We swept ours today and we got a couple of bucket worth of creosote out of it. We were having draft problems towards the end of the season so we knew it would be interesting. We insulated the upper reaches of the triple wall chimney to hold the heat in the chimney, and we hope that the whole system stays warmer this coming season. (The liner is insulated and runs up the innermost pipe in the triple wall).

That sounds more like a wood/burning issue than insulation. Get that stuff dry and burn it hot.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Have to agree with BrotherBart on this one for sure.

 

[Milton Findley]

I would love to do that Bart, but we are stuck with what gets delivered, and while the first cord is out there in the sun now, and barkless for the most part, the second and third cords won't be that way I fear. The chimney was apparently pretty cool, too, given where the creosote formed, so even burning it hot wasn't proof. It will be warmer now though, and we will see what the IR gun says about that when October and November come around. Thanks.

 

[begreen]

Buy a year in advance. That will make a big difference in the flue and you will get more heat!