When do you brush?

[tsquini]

I usually do my annual stove cleaning this time of year. When do you clean your stove out and how frequently?

 

[BrotherBart]

Every September.

 

[bholler]

Well I clean just about every day. But mine I look it over in September And it usually goes 2 years between cleanings with no problem. Well I do suck out the clean out and clean off the baffle every year regardless. But that was with my old cawley I would bet the regency will be even better

 

[firefighterjake]

While heating . . . about every month . . . although I think I might have slacked off towards the end of the heating season this past winter and gone two months without sweeping.

Honestly, it's over-kill, but I always "preach" about inspecting one's chimney monthly to avoid potential chimney fires (especially up here and in my line of work where folks so often use sub-standard wood) . . . and in my case, it's literally only another 5 minutes to sweep the chimney (10 minutes if I am being really thorough) so I do it monthly . . . besides I would never hear the end of it from the guys at work if I had a chimney fire.

Most folks I suspect who are burning well seasoned wood and have had a year or so under their proverbial belt so they know how to run their stove and what to expect could get away with an annual sweep in the Fall (to make sure nothing has nested in the chimney over the spring and summer) and perhaps a mid-winter sweep if needed.

 

[edyit]

usually the beginning of october, that's when we start to button things up for winter, drain pool, sweep chimney, shut off and drain outside spigots, etc.

 

[webby3650]

Once annually. Typically only has about 1/4 cup of soot, could go two years or more. But I'd rather not be in the news...

 

[bholler]

Once annually. Typically only has about 1/4 cup of soot, could go two years or more. But I'd rather not be in the news...

I brush anything 1/8" or over and mine has always been well below that after one year. I am under 1/4" after 2 years

 

[webby3650]

I brush anything 1/8" or over and mine has always been well below that after one year. I am under 1/4" after 2 years

Since I'm constantly changing stoves I tend to sweep more often than needed anyway. I don't want the mess when changing stoves and I want to monitor how each stove is doing.

 

[Jay106n]

I was just about to ask this same question. My 1st year burning was bad. I burned nasty rotten wet wood left uncovered on the property I had just purchased. My chimney gunked up bad and my chimney sweep was not happy, and I paid for it. Last winter was a better year and I had nice dry wood and I have dry wood again this winter. With a mirror my chimney looks clear this year. Should I do a fall sweep anyway? I have a clay chimney with an Allnighter Moe.

 

[Junebug90]

When done annually how much creosote do you collect in your clean out.

Last year I calked up the clean out door to improve the gas temp and I opened it the other day and had about half a 5 gal bucket.

 

[bholler]

I have a clay chimney with an Allnighter Moe.

With that stove in clay yes I would say so. But allot of that depends on how much wood you burn.

 

[bholler]

When done annually how much creosote do you collect in your clean out.

Again that depends on the stove the chimney the volume of wood burnt the condition of that wood and the burning technique. With our customers I take between less than a cup out to 45 gallons of stuff out of chimneys.

 

[sportbikerider78]

While heating . . . about every month . . . although I think I might have slacked off towards the end of the heating season this past winter and gone two months without sweeping.

Honestly, it's over-kill, but I always "preach" about inspecting one's chimney monthly to avoid potential chimney fires (especially up here and in my line of work where folks so often use sub-standard wood) . . . and in my case, it's literally only another 5 minutes to sweep the chimney (10 minutes if I am being really thorough) so I do it monthly . . . besides I would never hear the end of it from the guys at work if I had a chimney fire.

Most folks I suspect who are burning well seasoned wood and have had a year or so under their proverbial belt so they know how to run their stove and what to expect could get away with an annual sweep in the Fall (to make sure nothing has nested in the chimney over the spring and summer) and perhaps a mid-winter sweep if needed.

I burned 1 year seasoned at best all last winter. No, it was a very easy winter, but at the same time, we had lots of smoldering fires because of warmer temps. Some build up. Some glaze. But all in all, not bad.
I think for my conditions once per year with 2 + year dried wood will be good.

 

[mwhitnee]

Once a year. I got a new stove and should have done it halfway through the season last year but I was a slacker. It will be interesting to see how much creosote is in there when I sweep it next week.

 

[RFarm]

Everytime I clean out the ash from stove I run the brush up the pipe to get it squeaky clean. It only takes 5 minutes to do it and since the stove is off and I got the shop vac handy, I figure I might as well do it. Usually only a handful of fine grinds come out - but I feel better knowing everything is in tip top shape. I typically cleanout every 2-4 weeks, depending on the time of season and level of burning.

 

[Mr.K]

I actually got on the roof with the brush at the end of the burning season this year. Figured I would be good to go for this fall......

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

I like to clean mine for the season in April. I don't like creosote sitting in the pipe all summer as i would think it'd hasten rust and deterioration. This year i forgot to do it and just recently climbed up there to do it. Course i forgot to put a bucket under the pipe so i brushed everything down into the stove onto the smoke shelf, oops. I had probably a coffee can which surprised me, but i can't remember when i last cleaned it during the season. During the season i brush it every 30-45 days.

 

[osagebow]

End of the season and Christmas/New Years or so.

 

[blacktail]

End of the season and Christmas/New Years or so.

Me too. Although I didn't do it at the end of last season, so I just did it now. Will do it again around the first of the year.

 

[Junebug90]

I just cleaned out my clean out door. Had about a buckets worth at the bottom. I haven't brushed it yet but looking up it didn't look bad at all. Some mild soot it looked like. We burned about 4 cord last year. And once a month a clr log. Looks like it kept it from building in the chimney

 

[BradleyW]

Once a year in the summer.

 

[begreen]

Every September.

Likewise. Getting to be time.

 

[xman23]

Getting ready, soon. I wait to the roof is cool. Wear sneakers on the roof.

 

[Junebug90]

I just brushed my chimney and all went well. When on the roof I looked at the old chimney. There is a gap in the mortar about 1/4 of an inch. If I gave it a good push I could knock them off. Is there a way to fix it? We don't use it but I am not going to tear it down anytime soon.

 

[tarzan]

I brush annually but always recommend new users to at the least check there stack once every couple weaks until they get an idea how often they need to clean.