Chimney cleaning frequency

[bassJAM]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I couldn't find anything after a search. Anyway, I finally cleaned my chimney yesterday after a full winter of burning. So my question, is once a year enough, or should I be stopping mid-season like some people do?

I typically burn under 3 cords of fully seasoned hard wood a year, and after cleaning it yesterday I pulled out somewhere between a quart and half-gallon of soot.

 

[toddnic]

You should be fine cleaning yearly with less than a 1/2 gallon of creosote. You might want to check it sometime early in 2015 just to make sure it is burning the same as last year. I got about the same 1/2 gallon of creosote this past year....no problems!

 

[saichele]

It's really more a matter of how constricted the chimney becomes. I had a VC with an 8 inch round liner, and even after a full year of burning (about 5 full cord) I'd typically only have 1/4 inch or so or creosote even up at the cap. So I made it an inspection thing - If I had more than about half an inch build up (in an 8" pipe) I swept it. Ended up being about every other year, but generated a couple gallons of creosote from a 30' chimney. Actually restricting the draft made the stove burn better/longer. Tended to get too hot too fast with the clean pipe.

I had a Napoleon on a short (maybe 14') stack (6' round) that would routinely clog during the winter so I'd have to clean from the bottom mid season.

It might be more of a concern with a tile liner than with SS.

Steve

 

[bholler]

It should be cleaned at 1/8" buildup is what csia says it used to be 1/4" but they changed it a few years ago. Once a year is usually about right but some need more some need less.

 

[begreen]

Frequency depends on the wood being burned and the stove itself. If the wood is not fully seasoned it is good to check more frequently. Damp wood can build up creosote quickly. I'd check once every cord burned if you are new to wood burning or the wood is not fully seasoned. Some older stoves are dirty burners, especially if the setup robs the stack of hear with a long run of single-wall stove pipe or dumps into a cold, exterior chimney. If the wood is nice and dry and you have been burning cleanly in a modern stove with an insulated flue then once a season should suffice.

 

[bassJAM]

I probably had 1/8" or less of build up through most of it. My stove is a boiler from the 80's, so there's nothing efficient about it, but I've also never had to put anything but dry wood in it. The dirtiest part was the 6' section of horizontal flue that goes from the stove to the chimney, the first 6" after it first goes horizontal might have had 1/4" of build-up around the top.

 

[Dustin]

Once every two months if it needs it or not. Although I don't pay, I do it myself

I waited a year, my first year burning and less then stellar wood. I had a chimney fire....never again

 

[Nick Mystic]

Often it is the rain cap that will get clogged up with creosote before the flue pipe itself gets overly built up with soot. You can sometimes check this from the ground with a pair of binoculars. If you start having smoke drift out the door when you go to reload that is often a clue that your cap is getting clogged. How did your cap look when you did your recent sweep?

 

[firefighterjake]

I clean monthly ... but it's probably overkill on my part... doing what I do for a living ... if I ever had a chimney fire all the guys at the fore station would never let me forget it. Personally I recommend at least inspecting monthly and cleaning when there is a quarter inch of creosote.

 

[mstoelton]

I just swept mine last weekend. I installed my first insert last December and burned some less than dry oak last winter. Later in February I installed the second insert. While I was on the roof I noticed some tar-like build-up on the screen above insert #1. I started using Rutland dry creosote remover on insert #1. Used almost a full 2 pound container through the burning season. Last weekend I cleaned/swept both chimneys. Here is what I found.

Chimney #1 - when I took apart the fire-plate inside the insert there was a small pile of what looked like charcoal on top of the plate. It was in a circle below the flue and about 1/2 inch deep - total quantity about 1 cup. When I later swept the chimney approximately 1/2 cup of grey ash came out as well. The sticky tarry material on the screen had been converted to a crumbly black charcoal like material and easily brushed off the screen by hand.

Chimney #2 - nothing on the fire-plate at disassembly. On sweeping the flue, about 3/4 cup of very fine black soot fell onto my blocker board (to protect the ceramic fire-board).

The Rutland stuff seems to help. I will continue to use it.

 

[bholler]

The Rutland stuff seems to help. I will continue to use it.

As long as it is not the chloride based stuff it will not hurt anything but with good wood and proper burning practices there will be no need for it.

 

[bassJAM]

How did your cap look when you did your recent sweep?

My cap looked great. I almost put it back on without cleaning it because it looked so good, but I took a wire brush to it anyway. None of the expanded metal holes had any amount of clogging, and there was just the slightest amount of buildup on the inside wires on just one side.