Chimney cleaning w/ insert

[BoHoT]

I have a fireplace insert ( Lennox- epa certified, Country CA210, newer model) with a chimney that needs to be cleaned.
I want to do the cleaning myself but am concerned about clogging up the baffle system of the insert.
Do I need to remove the insert to clean things properly?
Is the removal a difficult job/ can one person do it?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[BrotherBart]

Remove the baffle boards and then brush the chimney accumulation into the firebox then replace the boards. Instructions for the baffle boards are on page six of your manual.

This assumes that you have a full steel liner in the chimney. If not, out comes the insert for cleaning.

 

[BoHoT]

Remove the baffle boards and then brush the chimney accumulation into the firebox then replace the boards. Instructions for the baffle boards are on page six of your manual.

This assumes that you have a full steel liner in the chimney. If not, out comes the insert for cleaning.

Ok, great, simple as that- if I have a liner.
Looking from the top down it appears that I do. Will removing the baffles allow me to see from the insert up to confirm the presence of said liner?
Just removing the baffles is all I need to worry about when cleaning? No creosote will clog anything else?
thanks again

 

[BrotherBart]

After you remove the baffle blankets and boards you should be able to use a flashlight and mirror to look up the flue from inside the firebox. The liner will be a six inch round pipe going up from the stove to the top of the chimney. If there is a six inch tube sticking out of the top plate at the top of the chimney you have a full liner.

Some soot may fall on top of the brick retainers in the firebox but ya just brush it into the pile that will be in the middle of the firebox before scooping the mess out.

Many people don't ask first and run the chimney brush down and break those expensive baffle boards. Good move checking here first. Handle those things carefully. They break easily.

 

[BoHoT]

After you remove the baffle blankets and boards you should be able to use a flashlight and mirror to look up the flue from inside the firebox. The liner will be a six inch round pipe going up from the stove to the top of the chimney. If there is a six inch tube sticking out of the top plate at the top of the chimney you have a full liner.

Some soot may fall on top of the brick retainers in the firebox but ya just brush it into the pile that will be in the middle of the firebox before scooping the mess out.

Many people don't ask first and run the chimney brush down and break those expensive baffle boards. Good move checking here first. Handle those things carefully. They break easily.

Thanks for the heads up.
I haven't gotten into the pulling things apart stage yet ( need to find some cleaning tools first) and the manual I have is not very illuminating so I may do a web search for a schematic or something, but I am guessing it is probably pretty straight forward and since I am pretty mechanically inclined I imagine it will be pretty logical and nothing like rocket science.

 

[prezes13]

Its not that hard even I can do it and I have pretty much two left hands. It's actually a good thing to do. You can check your stove main parts like baffle board, secondary tubes, bricks etc which is recomanded to do once a year at least this is what my stove calls for.

 

[smokedragon]

I think it is a no brainer to clean your own chimney, it really let's you the homeowner inspect the stove and parts yourself. It is one thing to trust a professional, it is another to see it yourself.

Once you do it once, you will be amazed how easy it is, and you will never pay someone to do it again.

 

[Beer Belly]

Sweeping from the top down ?.....or from the Stove up ?.....the reason I'm asking is because from the stove up, you gotta prep the area to keep the mess to a minimum

 

[Grisu]

I think it is a no brainer to clean your own chimney, it really let's you the homeowner inspect the stove and parts yourself. It is one thing to trust a professional, it is another to see it yourself.

Once you do it once, you will be amazed how easy it is, and you will never pay someone to do it again.

I would never recommend that. Yes, I am the homeowner and have a vested interest in the proper operation of my chimney. But I am also aware that I am not an expert in that and may not notice a lot of problems that someone who does sweeping for a living does. Of course, that also implies you don't go for the "I buy a few brushes and a vac and call myself a chimney-sweep"-type of "professional". I brush my flue myself but every three years I am getting a sweep just to make sure everything is ok.

 

[smokedragon]

I brush my flue myself but every three years I am getting a sweep just to make sure everything is ok.

I can live with that.......

I have just seen way too many "professionals" who don't do as good a quality work as I do. They hit it with "a lick and a promise" as we say around here.

But you are saying one should get a professional inspection on a regular schedule, not a professional cleaning.

 

[Beer Belly]

I would never recommend that. Yes, I am the homeowner and have a vested interest in the proper operation of my chimney. But I am also aware that I am not an expert in that and may not notice a lot of problems that someone who does sweeping for a living does. Of course, that also implies you don't go for the "I buy a few brushes and and vac and call myself a chimney-sweep"-type of "professional". I brush my flue myself but every three years I am getting a sweep just to make sure everything is ok.

I agree that it's a good idea to have a pro check it every so often, but I can tell you, for the first 5 years we burned, every year had a pro do a sweep, and they were done in less than 15 minutes....just run a brush up and down a couple of times, and they were done.....figured, "heck, I can do that"....now, all I need is to find a REAL sweep to give it the once over

 

[BoHoT]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, much appreciated.
Everything is in place, just waiting for the rain to subside before preceding.
I am in the camp of DIY when you confidently have the capacity and apptitude to get something done right.
I think being informed and educated about the workings of your house/car/whatever is a far sight better than having something stop working and not have a clue of what is going on or how to fix it outside of throwing alot of money at it.
Of course knowing your own apptitude and idiot level ( would I know if I was an idiot?) goes along way towards knowing your threshold before calling an expert.
Having said that, I agree, a professional is sometimes required and prudent.
If I were a millionaire, I might pay someone to do all the work for me, and instead load up the fishing poles or whatever, but truth be told I like the education and I don't usually mind the work.
Cheers

 

[BrotherBart]

Just don't fall off of the dang roof.