Can you over clean a chimney?

[n6crv]

Hello, was just thinking if it possible to over clean a chimney? Last year with the new stove I was cleaning the chimney every week to week and a half. I would get maybe a 1/4 cup of black flakes. Is it hard on the chimney to do that much cleaning? I did have a fair build up of creosote on the chimney cap that I was not able to get to but it has kind of self cleaned it self. It looks all nice a clean now from the rain. About the only section that I get anything hard to clean is in the first 4ft of flue pipe right off the stove. I try to keep the flue pipe in the 300 to 400 deg range. Thanks
Don

 

[sapratt]

Its probably not bad that you clean your chimney every week. But sounds like your giving yourself more work

 

[Metal]

You may be doing more damage to your roof, depending on what kind you have, you may want to take some precautions to not wear it out if you are climbing up there every week, especially asphalt shingles (they can be brittle in the winter and can lose their "sand."

 

[n6crv]

You may be doing more damage to your roof, depending on what kind you have, you may want to take some precautions to not wear it out if you are climbing up there every week, especially asphalt shingles (they can be brittle in the winter and can lose their "sand."

Thanks for the info. I do clean from the bottom up. To much snow to get me up there in the winter. It is easy to take the pipes apart was just worried that the brush could be wearing out the stainless liner.
Don

 

[Todd]

Is it a metal brush your using on the liner? Yes it could wear it down from what i've heard. Sounds like your burning pretty clean if your only getting a 1/4 cup of flaky stuff, I'd recommend sweeping maybe twice per season.

 

[burntime]

I cleaned mine about 1 time monthly the first 3 months... Since then I go up there mid season and sometime in the summer. If you burn right you could probably go all year. It all depends on your wood and burning habits. It sounds like you could at least wait till 3 months and do it. Even with me doing it mid season and end it is probably overkill.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah weekly is way too often. Since just a little powder accumlates in my liners I have started using one of the softer bristle brushes made for zero clearance chimneys to clean mine. I figure less abrasion is a good thing. The bristles are more flexible but there are more of them.

If twice a year max won't keep your pipe clean then the wood and burning habits need some work.

 

[burntime]

BB is that a poly brush or something different?

 

[n6crv]

Well I will try going for a month this year. Then I will be able to tell how its doing. That will make life alot easier LOL.
Don

 

[BrotherBart]

BB is that a poly brush or something different?

They are poly brushes with thinner bristles but more of them.

(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5RU-PB-6P50)

"6" Round P50 Chimney Cleaning Brush - These brushes are made from .050" Prostran bristles which are more flexible than our heavier Poly Pro brushes. This brush is ideal for applications where greater maneuverability is needed or for use in prefab fireplaces allowing the brush to more easily pass through the damper. Also a great choice where creosote build-up is such that a regular brush is too stiff to pass down the chimney. Bristles will not harm metal chimney pipe. The spindle has a 3/4" loop on one end and 3/8" NPT Thread on the other."

Kinda pricey but I will only wear out one before I wear out. And I sure as heck don't want to ever install another liner.