Does This Chimney Need Sweeping?

[fdegree]

I am a new wood burner, that has been burning 24/7 for about a month. So, I'm looking for advice on the condition of my chimney...does it need sweeping?

Today, I climbed up on the roof to inspect the chimney, but in order to for me to see inside the chimney, I need a ladder up on the roof, propped against the stainless pipe, so I can get high enough to see down the chimney...but I can reach the cap without a ladder. Instead of risking standing on a ladder on a pitched roof, I took the cap off, held a camera over my head and snapped some pictures from the top down.

What does everyone think?

 

[wkpoor]

Not sure if the pictures tell it like it is, but that doesn't look to be hardly any accumulation to me. If whats there is dry and falls off easily then my opinion is its good to go. But since you are there why not spend another 15mins and swab it out.

 

[corey21]

I don't think it does but i could be wrong.

 

[fdegree]

But since you are there why not spend another 15mins and swab it out.

I agree, if I had the brush and poles I probably would. Will need to go out and get those sometime.

This brings up another question...will it hurt anything if it is cleaned out, top to bottom, while the stove is burning?

 

[homebrewz]

It looks good, but half the work is getting up there and taking the cap off anyway. Throw a brush down there and clean out what's there. You'll feel better. Once you go through the season you'll get a better idea of how often you need to clean the pipe.

 

[jrprusak]

I am a new wood burner, that has been burning 24/7 for about a month. So, I'm looking for advice on the condition of my chimney...does it need sweeping?

Today, I climbed up on the roof to inspect the chimney, but in order to for me to see inside the chimney, I need a ladder up on the roof, propped against the stainless pipe, so I can get high enough to see down the chimney...but I can reach the cap without a ladder. Instead of risking standing on a ladder on a pitched roof, I took the cap off, held a camera over my head and snapped some pictures from the top down.

What does everyone think?

looks like the flue is almost new...looks cleaner them mine after I sweep it.. this is in good shape

 

[fdegree]

WOW Thanks for all of this fast feedback.

It does make me feel better about the condition of the chimney. I've been burning with wood that is not fully seasoned...mostly 20% - 30% moisture content. So, I wanted to keep an eye on it, but wasn't sure what I was looking for.

Thanks again...

 

[pen]

I'd say if you made it this far, just run the brush through it. That's like going to the grocery store and getting bread but no beer. While you are doing one, you might just as well do the other.

pen

 

[savageactor7]

I would say no because it's always the top that collects the most creosote. You wood burning practices are good to go imo...but keep in mind I'm a nobody.

Here on a warm day when the fire is out we'll mirror the chimney from the bottom if it's perfectly rectangular then it's good to go...anytime it's less than 'perfectly rectangular' it gets brushed

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Okay, I'll go against the grain here. To have the chimney look that way after only a month to me is not good. For certain it is not critical but if it were mine, I'd clean it. Get the brush and poles, they are not expensive, and it will only take maybe 10-15 minutes to do the job and then you for sure will have a better feeling about it.

As for the stove burning while cleaning. It makes things a bit messy but you can do it. Top down is terrible if the stove is burning. Bottom up is better then. What we usually do is wait until we are down to coals and then quick run the brush up and down a couple times, put the stuff away and add wood to the stove. It really does not take long for most setups. However, if you wait until you get lots of stuff in there it can indeed take more time! I vividly recall one time cleaning a chimney that was clogged so bad the house got all full of smoke. We got a call around 5:00 am or perhaps earlier and we flew to that house; made sure it was just a plugged chimney and then went to cleaning. A nasty job it was and took us several hours. You don't want to get to that point for sure.

 

[Pagey]

I honestly don't see anything worth cleaning. But perhaps I am naive.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Pagey, what we've found is once you get some coating like is in the pictures, that tends to build out fast once it reaches this point. A lot for sure depends upon the wood and burning practices but to me clean is better. Half clean won't do it. After all, we are not talking about much time here.

 

[nate379]

Well I just cleaned mine this week after burning for ~3 months. After I was done it looked about what you have in those pics. I clean mine from the bottom cause my chimney is too tall as well. Probably this summer I will pull it apart and clean it from the top, but I'm not F-ing with that when it's cold, dark and icy on the roof!

Backwoods Savage what are you talking about it's not good for a month?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Nate, mine looks better than that and it hasn't been cleaned since Spring of 2009.

 

[nate379]

Don't know what you tell you. I guess you have magic wood that cleans as you burn or nomes come out at night and polish the inside of your chimney hahahahahaha!

 

[wkpoor]

Okay, I'll go against the grain here. To have the chimney look that way after only a month to me is not good. For certain it is not critical but if it were mine, I'd clean it. Get the brush and poles, they are not expensive, and it will only take maybe 10-15 minutes to do the job and then you for sure will have a better feeling about it.

My chimney will look worse than that in less than a week burning kin dried lumber scraps and keeping the stove top 500-600 degrees. I sweep about every 2wks. Man I just can't believe the new stoves are that good but as soon as I have time I'm bring in the Magnolia to see. If I had a chimney that looked that good after a month I would be delighted.

 

[fdegree]

As for the stove burning while cleaning. It makes things a bit messy but you can do it. Top down is terrible if the stove is burning. Bottom up is better then. What we usually do is wait until we are down to coals and then quick run the brush up and down a couple times, put the stuff away and add wood to the stove. It really does not take long for most setups. However, if you wait until you get lots of stuff in there it can indeed take more time!

Dennis, thanks for the input...your experience is invaluable.

Your response does generate some questions:
Once the stove has reached the coal stage, why is a top down clean worse than a bottom up clean?
Will smoke pour out of the stove with the door open during a bottom up cleaning?

 

[summit]

while you are up there with the camera, might as well run a brush thru her... the dusty stuff can be mildly corrosive if its allowed to sit in the system for a long time.

 

[btuser]

Honestly, if you'd asked it if it was clean enough because you just cleaned it I would've belived you, but I've got a flex liner so can't really jugde. I'm not an expert but fine white ash is a very good sign. How does the cap look?

 

[fdegree]

How does the cap look?

There is some black coating on the under surfaces of the cap, but there is no "screen" to get clogged. So, I wasn't too worried about that. Should I be concerned, and clean the cap?

 

[argus66]

when in doubt scubb it out.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

Well, I won't lie. Looks fine to me.

But..

I wouldn't go up there without taking my brush and rods. The hard part is getting up there, once there, sweep it. If I am going to "just check it", I do it from below on a day when the fire is out.

 

[Todd]

Rule of thumb is to sweep when you have 1/4" build up anywhere in the system. You have a very clean burning stove and to me those pictures look like a clean pipe but then again it wouldn't hurt anything to run a brush down.

 

[firefighterjake]

Looks fine to me.