Annual sweeping

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.

Ctwoodtick

Minister of Fire
Jun 5, 2015
2,110
Southeast CT
This is the result of last seasons burning. I’m very pleased. Dry brown powder with a couple little flakes from up high. Will move to the 2 year sweeping schedule I think.
I have the jotul 550 insert with about 14 feet of insulated heavywall liner for reference.

427A2635-AA94-4B65-9076-5F631E7BFC13.jpeg
 
This is the result of last seasons burning. I’m very pleased. Dry brown powder with a couple little flakes from up high. Will move to the 2 year sweeping schedule I think.
I have the jotul 550 insert with about 14 feet of insulated heavywall liner for reference.View attachment 299368
Looks good! I decided to sweep on the even years.
 
Looking good. I hope to get this done next week. It will be the first time in 2 yrs. Dry wood rules.
 
  • Like
Reactions: buc74
Did mine today, I hesitated to even do that because of the mess even a little soot makes, ugh. Glad to hear you guys don't actually do it every either and I may follow your lead. I did the soot eater from below and only had to go 2 sticks long to get everything, and maybe got 1/4 cup, if that. Yup, dry wood rules!
 
Did mine today, I hesitated to even do that because of the mess even a little soot makes, ugh. Glad to hear you guys don't actually do it every either and I may follow your lead. I did the soot eater from below and only had to go 2 sticks long to get everything, and maybe got 1/4 cup, if that. Yup, dry wood rules!

What do you mean on only two sticks? Do you have a six foot chimney?
 
I use a mirror so I can see up chimney and shine a flashlight up to see a before image of how much soot I have. I barely see any flakes or anything noticeable or maybe anything .25inch or so, or mostly just what looks like crumbs. I can see all the way to the cap, yet beyond about 4ft. up it's just clean pipe. So when I say "2 sticks", I mean I used 2 sections of the soot eater rods, figuring that I only had to go far enough to get past that point and high enough up the chimney to get any crumbs knocked off. I figured I didn't need anything past that, does that make sense?