Chimney cleaning mid term grade

[MoDoug]

I did a mid season cleaning of my chimney, this was my first cleaning since late November and got about 25 ounces of soot, it was ground coffee consistency and color. That's a 30oz. container in the pictures. I use the Sooteater cleaning system from the stove up, about 20 feet of pipe and I use Meeco's Creosote Destroyer on a regular basis (I like to think it helps). I used my phone to get a couple pics before I started cleaning and glad I did because Pic #1 reminded me to remove my Fluegard temperature probe before cleaning. LOL

What can I learn from this? Is this about on par, or can I do better?

 

[NorthernFireplaceFool]

I have a 30 foot interior pipe inside a masonry chimney and this is around what I get when I clean(I also clean once mid season and once at the end of the season).

 

[MMH]

I usually start burning in late September-October, will burn 24/7 by late November-December and stop around May. As such, I’ll clean beginning of December, usually sometime around now, and at the end of the season. I’ll usually get about 1-2 cups each sweep.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I don't see a problem with that. It's more than some get, but it's not enough to choke the stove and its not the type to catch fire.

How much wood have you gone through?

 

[MoDoug]

I don't see a problem with that. It's more than some get, but it's not enough to choke the stove and its not the type to catch fire.

How much wood have you gone through?

I think I've gone through almost a cord of wood.

I guess when you say choke the stove, you're talking about cutting back on the air vent. This is my first stove, so I'm playing with it and experimenting. I tend to cut back the vent to 1/3 open once it gets going, that's where I normally keep it. My adjustable vent is the air wash that enters from the top of the door, the bottom has a non-adjustable vent at the bottom.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

yeah thats about what i get every 3 months or so. I cleaned around xmas time, if we get a nice day i may clean again otherwise i'll probably wait til the end of season in May to sweep again

 

[EatenByLimestone]

There's a few pics of plugged caps floating around. You arent going to get that.

Burn another cord, try to keep the flue a bit warmer, and clean it again. See how much you get.

 

[MoDoug]

yeah thats about what i get every 3 months or so. I cleaned around xmas time, if we get a nice day i may clean again otherwise i'll probably wait til the end of season in May to sweep again

With the sooteater cleaner, it's done from inside the house, up through the stove. I made the mistake of doing it on a really nice day, the next several days were overcast and miserable, I felt like I squandered a nice day working inside. I don't have much of a choice on how to clean my chimney, my rain cap is 12 feet above my roof.

 

[xman23]

That looks ok. I get about twice that from a yearly cleaning each fall. I burn weekends and a few week. 2-3 cords.