DIY Chimney cleaning / how often to call a pro

[NoGoodAtScreenNames]

Hi everyone,

Getting towards the end of burning season and starting to think about getting the cleaning / inspection done. Some background first.

I have an insert into an exterior chimney with a 6" uninsulated liner. The chimney was cleaned prior to installing the insert at the beginning of last season by a csia sweep and got a very report. Was cleaned by a csia at the end of last season and the liner got a good report.

The chimney is about 30' high from the stove but a little higher from ground level. Basically, it's tall enough that there is no way I am ever climbing a ladder to disconnect my cap that covers both the wood and oil flues to check the liner.

I can poke my head into the stove and look up a few feet but there's a slight offset so I can't really see to far up.

I burn about 2 cords a year. I was thinking of getting a soot eater to clean the liner from the bottom. That saves me about $200 compared to getting a sweep out every year.

My thought was to self clean after a year / 2 cords and hire the pro every 2nd or 3rd year to do a cleaning and proper inspection. Does that sound reasonable / safe? I'm worried that I wouldn't know of an issue just cleaning blindly from the bottom but a tax of $100 per cord is pretty high.

What do you think? How often do you use a csia sweep?

 

[Highbeam]

I only sweep my own chimneys. It's really easy with a brush and rods from the roof. But this year I started using a sooteater from below. It is awesome. Squeaky clean chimney and no roof walking.

Do a search for sooteater and prepare to be amazed.

 

[bholler]

My thought was to self clean after a year / 2 cords and hire the pro every 2nd or 3rd year to do a cleaning and proper inspection. Does that sound reasonable / safe? I'm worried that I wouldn't know of an issue just cleaning blindly from the bottom but a tax of $100 per cord is pretty high.

That is a good plan many of our customers do that.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

I sweep my own. Top down. Before I started burning had my masonry chimney inspected and got a report in writing.
I extended a Class A chimney before this season with 4 feet and added a brace. For this one I got a sooteater for bottom up sweeps. Used that last weekend for the 1st time. One of my best purchases ever. Best DIY schedule (IMO): sweep in early spring or after the last burn and do a visual check with flashlight when season starts.

 

[Xtrl9]

Does the "lifetime warranty" on liners not require a CSIA sweep every year?

 

[bholler]

Does the "lifetime warranty" on liners not require a CSIA sweep every year?

That depends on the liner manufacturer. none specify csia that i know of but many do want a pro every year. But honestly any companies will honor it anyway as long as you are withing the lifetime of the liner which varies allot.

 

[Xtrl9]

That depends on the liner manufacturer. none specify csia that i know of but many do want a pro every year. But honestly any companies will honor it anyway as long as you are withing the lifetime of the liner which varies allot.

I was doing some reading and found...

Rockford
The Rock-Flex™ warranty is subject to the following: (1) installation of the liner and components in accordance with manufacturers written installation instructions; (2) use of the liner and components only for the lining and relining of chimneys used to vent residential appliances for which the liner was intended; and (3) annual inspection, maintenance, and cleaning of liner, beginning one year after the date of installation and continuing at intervals of no more than twelve months from the date of installation by a nationally certified chimney sweep, Rock-Flex installer, or other qualified chimney professional, who must fill out the appropriate section of the Rock-Flex Maintenance Record.

Homesaver
Warranty Conditions
The HomeSaver warranty is subject to the following conditions: 1) installation of the HomeSaver Pipe and components must be in accordance with the manufacturer’s written instructions; 2) the HomeSaver Pipe must be used only for the lining or relining of chimneys used to vent wood and wood pellet burning residential appliances; 3) the HomeSaver Pipe must be cleaned and inspected on an annual basis by an experienced chimney professional, (i.e., at intervals of no more than 12 months each, commencing from the date of purchase), who must initial and date the appropriate section on the reverse side of this card upon completion of such yearly maintenance; 4) corrosive chemical chimney cleaners must not be used; 5) coal, driftwood, wood or wood pellets containing salt, preservative treated lumber, plastic, and household trash must not be burned in the appliance; 6) in the case of a chimney fire, the chimney must be inspected and approved by an experienced chimney professional, according to HomeSaver’s Inspection Specification Sheet (available upon request from any HomeSaver installer) before reuse.

 

[axeman628]

Do a search for sooteater and prepare to be amazed.

This.

Totally agree, just cleaned my chimney this past weekend with a soot eater. Looks brand new, even got the cap squeaky clean.

 

[bholler]

I was doing some reading and found...

Yeah some of them do require a professional inspection yearly some don't some have true lifetime guarantees some don't it varies allot.

 

[xman23]

IMO, How often you need to clean the chimney depends on a lot of variables, Your setup, how and what you burn, etc. Brushing for me is once a year. For others it's more or less often. If couldn't get it as clean as a professional I wouldn't do it. For me half clean, I wouldn't sleep well.

 

[FTG-05]

After this season, I'm getting a Sooteater and clean mine from the bottom. Any good videos out there?

2 nonnegotiables:

- Can't make a mess (or at least has to be gone before the wifey unit gets home)

- Ain't getting up on the roof, just isn't gonna happen.

 

[FTG-05]

That is a good plan many of our customers do that.

Question for the professionals:

Do you ever see damaged chimneys from people who clean their won chimney/ Damage could be both due to owner cleaning methods -OR- chimney fires i.e. they didn't clean them enough.

Thanks,

 

[bholler]

Question for the professionals:

Do you ever see damaged chimneys from people who clean their won chimney/ Damage could be both due to owner cleaning methods -OR- chimney fires i.e. they didn't clean them enough.

Thanks,

Absolutely. I have seen quite a few that where damaged by improper cleaning. And many damaged by fire. The fire ones we generally cant give an evaluation as to why it happened just that it did and what damage it caused.

 

[FTG-05]

Absolutely. I have seen quite a few that where damaged by improper cleaning. And many damaged by fire. The fire ones we generally cant give an evaluation as to why it happened just that it did and what damage it caused.

As usual, thanks for the reply.

The obvious question (assuming the OP doesn't mind the slight hijack): Some examples of improper cleaning that can damage SS chimney systems?

Thanks for sharing your experience and insight!

Thanks,

 

[xman23]

Here's the issue with the only pro cleaning I had done. My chimney is 12' high off the top of a shed roof. I had smoke out of the stove at start up, half way through the first year. So not knowing what the issue was, I called a pro. He did a bottom up cleaning. He had pro stuff, flex rods and various brushes, vacuum, etc . He did a bottom up cleaning I don't know if he knew the problem, or he wasn't getting on the roof. So after he left, and I still had the smoke issue, I had to figure it out. The problem was (simple now) the screen was plugged. The problem with cleaning the screen with bottom up, the screen is larger diameter than the pipe. Now I top clean, with a method I came up with. Maybe I'm cheep, but I'd rather do most thing myself.

Question, You guys that use that sooteater. Do you think it cleans any of the cap screen?

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Question, You guys that use that sooteater. Do you think it cleans any of the cap screen?[/QUOTE]

Question, You guys that use that sooteater. Do you think it cleans any of the cap screen?

I have 2 chimneys. The Class A has a Vacu-Stack cap without a screen. That is the one I clean bottom up.
My lined masonry chimney, I clean top down.

 

[bholler]

Some examples of improper cleaning that can damage SS chimney systems?

Well there are lots to choose from. Some of the less blatant ones are cleaning light wall liners with steel flat wire brushes they are stiff enough to actually cut the light wall liners. Then we get to the more extreme where people clean with chains crowbars digging irons ect. And then there are the guys who clean their chimneys with fire.

 

[Highbeam]

Here's the issue with the only pro cleaning I had done. My chimney is 12' high off the top of a shed roof. I had smoke out of the stove at start up, half way through the first year. So not knowing what the issue was, I called a pro. He did a bottom up cleaning. He had pro stuff, flex rods and various brushes, vacuum, etc . He did a bottom up cleaning I don't know if he knew the problem, or he wasn't getting on the roof. So after he left, and I still had the smoke issue, I had to figure it out. The problem was (simple now) the screen was plugged. The problem with cleaning the screen with bottom up, the screen is larger diameter than the pipe. Now I top clean, with a method I came up with. Maybe I'm cheep, but I'd rather do most thing myself.

Question, You guys that use that sooteater. Do you think it cleans any of the cap screen?

Best solution to your screen problem is to remove the screen. They are filters and doomed to clog for most folks, no good reason to have one unless your local law requires it or you have a huge wildlife issue. Not even your pro chimney sweep expected a screen.

Without the screen, the bottom up method is great.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

No steel wire brush, polypropylene.

 

[axeman628]

Question, You guys that use that sooteater. Do you think it cleans any of the cap screen?

Since it was the first time I cleaned my chimney I pulled the cap to get a good look at the chimney. So I don't know.

But, the sooteater whips have to be trimmed for best performance based on your flue size. The instructions say to leave the whips long, clean the cap then trim and do the rest of the chimney. Makes sense, and based on the buildup I see that working for me.

I'm going to try that next time, probably pull the cap to assess it's effectiveness and if it's good then that's what I'll do going forward. I would pull the screen but I've had problems with wildlife in my oil burner's chimney so I don't think I want to take the risk.

 

[Boiler74]

After this season, I'm getting a Sooteater and clean mine from the bottom. Any good videos out there?

2 nonnegotiables:

- Can't make a mess (or at least has to be gone before the wifey unit gets home)

- Ain't getting up on the roof, just isn't gonna happen.

I posted this a year or two ago, and still use this system and it works well. A wet rag wiping the rods as they come out keeps everything clean.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/tip-to-aid-bottom-up-sooteater-cleaning.121926/

 

[FTG-05]

Well there are lots to choose from. Some of the less blatant ones are cleaning light wall liners with steel flat wire brushes they are stiff enough to actually cut the light wall liners. Then we get to the more extreme where people clean with chains crowbars digging irons ect. And then there are the guys who clean their chimneys with fire.

Well crap! Now what am I gonna do with all those crowbars I got at the farm auction last week

 

[FTG-05]

I posted this a year or two ago, and still use this system and it works well. A wet rag wiping the rods as they come out keeps everything clean.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/tip-to-aid-bottom-up-sooteater-cleaning.121926/

Just got done reading that, good stuff

 

[iamlucky13]

Does the "lifetime warranty" on liners not require a CSIA sweep every year?

I'm pretty sure that would violate the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. In general, for consumer products, including household items, it is illegal to deny warranty coverage on the basis of not using an approved servicer. It is allowed to deny coverage based on failing to do service, or doing service improperly - a potential loophole (which carpet companies used to be notorious for exploiting by requiring cleaning every single day), but a necessary provision to prevent warranty claim abuse.

Of course, a lot of companies will initially deny the claim on the basis that you improperly serviced the product, and leave it to you to take them to court.

Regardless, I'm not too worried about the chimney liner warranty. If it came down to paying $200 a year for a certified sweep cleaning, or $500 to replace a liner after a decade because you mostly clean it yourself but hire a sweep to clean and inspect every few cleanings and the warranty really is void, the latter is less expensive.

 

[iamlucky13]

Piggy back question about bottom up cleaning with inserts (Sooteater or otherwise) - do you have to remove the insert to clean bottom up, or are you usually able to feed the brush and rods up through the bypass?