Cleaning chimney for the first time

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RnG17

New Member
Sep 9, 2010
52
PA
Well I let the stove burn out this evening for my first chimney cleaning. Everything is brand new, stove and chimney.

Peaked inside the clean-out door today and saw some little black pieces on the bottom, got me nervous so up on the roof I go tomorrow to brush it a few times. Being the first year burning, like most first timers I am checking the stove like every 5 min. it feels like. Its been about 3 weeks of 24/7 burning, I've been burning nice dry wood and have been burning hotter than I think I need too. My glass door has very little haze to it, came all from cold start up and smoke filling the fire box once or twice.

Went out and bought a brush and some rope today. I think I'm going to pull it down and then back up and then back down, should be enough I believe.

My only question is I work with a guy who before he cleans his chimney he burns two soda cans in a hot stove and then the next day brushes it and he says it cleans his chimney much better? Anyone use this method of aluminum cans before cleaning?

Does it matter if you just let things burn out and then brush it? I am thinking its ok since chimney sweeps just come out and brush it, its not like they do anything with the stove.

How do you guys do it?
 
You check your stove every 5 min. Chill out, throw your seasoned????? wood in their and enjoy. And what makes you think you need to clean after only 3 weeks .


Take some pictures or something , throw another Log.
 
Chill a little and enjoy the view and keep warm and safe.
 
The soda can thing may or may not work. Basically, what the person doing that is trying to achieve is this: some chemical compounds can turn stage 3 or "glaze" creosote into a stiffer, brushable form of creosote. If you are burning dry, seasoned wood properly in an EPA stove, you really shouldn't have to worry about glaze creosote.
 
Its not every 5 min. It just feels like it.

As far as the cleaning goes, I removed the 90o elbow from the stove pipe and the inside is a little sooty, very little if I run my finger across it. It caught my attention when I removed the screws that hold the pipe together and the threads had black soot in them.
 
you're going to find your creosote at the top of the pipe on the roof not the bottom, unless you're burning wet wood in a smoke dragon. As for the soot, the pipes not going to stay spotless. If you run a brush through it after a season of burning and you get more than a coffee can of creosote, then you need to look in to burning better. Other than don't worry about it.
 
thanks guys, as a beginner you know we worry about every little thing possible.

I am enjoying 80o house with is sleeting outside!
 
RnG17 said:
Well I let the stove burn out this evening for my first chimney cleaning. Everything is brand new, stove and chimney.

Peaked inside the clean-out door today and saw some little black pieces on the bottom, got me nervous so up on the roof I go tomorrow to brush it a few times. Being the first year burning, like most first timers I am checking the stove like every 5 min. it feels like. Its been about 3 weeks of 24/7 burning, I've been burning nice dry wood and have been burning hotter than I think I need too. My glass door has very little haze to it, came all from cold start up and smoke filling the fire box once or twice.

Went out and bought a brush and some rope today. I think I'm going to pull it down and then back up and then back down, should be enough I believe.

My only question is I work with a guy who before he cleans his chimney he burns two soda cans in a hot stove and then the next day brushes it and he says it cleans his chimney much better? Anyone use this method of aluminum cans before cleaning?

Does it matter if you just let things burn out and then brush it? I am thinking its ok since chimney sweeps just come out and brush it, its not like they do anything with the stove.

How do you guys do it?

The soda can theory comes up every now and then but is basically baloney. Just clean the chimney with a brush and all will be well. If you have the tar or glazed creosote, then you can get stuff that will help clean it out and soda cans just won't do it.

For cleaning our chimney we do it from bottom up but have also done top down. We have a tee and our chimney runs up along the outside wall of the house. We simply take the cap off the tee and run the brush up all the way and then back down all the way. Then back up only this time we use a scrubbing action all the way up and again all the way down. Place cap back on and put the tools away. An easy 10-15 minute job.

I fully understand why you feel the need to watch the stove so close as most folks go through that at first. Soon you will be able to relax though. The number one thing you have to watch is on reloads or a cold start, you need the draft set fully open. Some folks do that and then get busy with something else and forget. They come to find a roaring stove and some have to call the fire department. If you must leave the stove when the draft is fully open, then a timer would be a good thing as a reminder to close that draft.

btw, draft full open when reloading until the fire gets established and the wood will be charred good at this point and then start closing the draft in stages.
 
RnG17 said:
Well I let the stove burn out this evening for my first chimney cleaning. Everything is brand new, stove and chimney.

Peaked inside the clean-out door today and saw some little black pieces on the bottom, got me nervous so up on the roof I go tomorrow to brush it a few times. Being the first year burning, like most first timers I am checking the stove like every 5 min. it feels like. Its been about 3 weeks of 24/7 burning, I've been burning nice dry wood and have been burning hotter than I think I need too. My glass door has very little haze to it, came all from cold start up and smoke filling the fire box once or twice.

Went out and bought a brush and some rope today. I think I'm going to pull it down and then back up and then back down, should be enough I believe.

My only question is I work with a guy who before he cleans his chimney he burns two soda cans in a hot stove and then the next day brushes it and he says it cleans his chimney much better? Anyone use this method of aluminum cans before cleaning?

Does it matter if you just let things burn out and then brush it? I am thinking its ok since chimney sweeps just come out and brush it, its not like they do anything with the stove.

How do you guys do it?

Aluminum cans, potato peelings, magical chimney powder, chopped up unicorns . . . folks occasionally come on and claim that they burn some bizarre substance which makes cleaning the chimney easier.

I stand by the fact that if you burn well-seasoned wood, burn at the proper temps (i.e. not too hot and not too cold) and run your stove properly with good air management you should have no need to go waste two cans . . . I mean around here that would be like burning up a dime in my woodstove as we have a returnable can/bottle bill.
 
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