Chimney Sweep just left.

[daveswoodhauler]

Well, had the sweep out to the house this morning, and I was surprised that they did all the cleaning from the bottom. It was rainy and windy this morning, so I asked the sweep how he was going to clean the cap.
Basically, used chimney rods and a polly brush connected to a drill, started at the top, and worked his way down. He had a 5 gallon bucket at the bottom to collect the crap, and I would say when all was said and done there ws a little less than a gallon in the pail. Most was coming from the very top of the liner.
He said that based on the amount in the pail, I could get by with a sweep every other year....but I am going to get the brushes/rods and do it myself from now on.
I really hired the sweep so that he could get up the top and inspect the chimney.....maybe he would have if it wasn't for the weather here.
Looking around, seems like I can get a decent set of rods and bruch for appx $60-$70 or so, and that way I can do it twice per year for the peace of mind.
Just wanted to thank the folks for all the info I have learned here...as if it wasn't for this site, I am sure the pail would have been full.

 

[JotulOwner]

I did the same thing. I had the sweep here mostly to check things out. While he was up at the top of the chimney (SS pipe), I asked him if there was any glazing. He looked at me with a puzzled expression and didn't answer. I asked again and he said "what's glazing?". Been cleaning it myself ever since and I like to run a brush up through the tee-out a number of times during the burning season. I don't get a ton of creosote, but it makes me feel better knowing that there will never be much fuel in there if (somehow) I ever do have a chimney fire.

I also owe the people on this site a big thank you for all the knowledge you passed on to me. I feel like, in a short time, I learned more about burning wood the right way than many people learn in a lifetime. I know more than my neighbor and he has been burning wood for over 30 years. He still gets his unseasoned splits delivered in September, leaves them exposed to the weather, and smokes out the neighborhood every year. Yeah, I could try to explain what he is doing wrong, but that would'nt turn out well.

 

[jdinspector]

I'm very comfortable on a long ladder and have many ladders of varying lengths. I contacted a local chimney sweep many years ago and asked if I could "ride along". I learned a little bit that day, but mostly learned that I could do the whole chimney maintenance thing myself. It's not rocket science. The biggest part of it is having the right equipment and being comfortable getting up to the top of the chimney.

 

[learnin to burn]

I Have a sweep coming next week mainly to do an inspection for peace of mind and to have something in writing for my insurance company saying it's safe.

 

[jtp10181]

I don't see how it would be possible to clean the cap screen properly without going up on the roof and doing it from there. That is the first thing that clogs up and reduces the stove / insert performance.

 

[BrotherBart]

I don't see how it would be possible to clean the cap screen properly without going up on the roof and doing it from there. That is the first thing that clogs up and reduces the stove / insert performance.

Me either. I get a little soot out of my chimneys but the caps always have a lot of large flake in them. It can't help but happen given the temperature differential up there outside of the chimney. And until I changed out my caps a few weeks ago mine have never had screens in them. I hope this isn't what I am in for:

 

[jtp10181]

BB I don't think you could get your cap to look like that if you tried, unless maybe you cut down some fresh trees and split them up and burnt them in your stove 2 weeks later.

 

[summit]

I don't see how it would be possible to clean the cap screen properly without going up on the roof and doing it from there. That is the first thing that clogs up and reduces the stove / insert performance.

Me either. I get a little soot out of my chimneys but the caps always have a lot of large flake in them. It can't help but happen given the temperature differential up there outside of the chimney. And until I changed out my caps a few weeks ago mine have never had screens in them. I hope this isn't what I am in for:

that chimney is what we in the industry call " a sweeps delight!".. its sounds like a slot machine hittin tripple 7s falling down into the cleanout with all the falling soot...

 

[wendell]

Holy crap!

I finally got mine cleaned today and when I got up onto the chimney had a moment of panic when I pulled the cap and saw a little of the black stuff but after I cleaned out all 30 feet, just had around a quart of what looked like very fine coffee grounds.

I am done using paper to get the fire started. When I pulled off the cap at the bottom of my flue before I swept it, it was full of burned paper fragments. I really need to get my Supercedars ordered.

 

[CK-1]

Well, had the sweep out to the house this morning, and I was surprised that they did all the cleaning from the bottom. It was rainy and windy this morning, so I asked the sweep how he was going to clean the cap.
Basically, used chimney rods and a polly brush connected to a drill, started at the top, and worked his way down. He had a 5 gallon bucket at the bottom to collect the crap, and I would say when all was said and done there ws a little less than a gallon in the pail. Most was coming from the very top of the liner.
He said that based on the amount in the pail, I could get by with a sweep every other year....but I am going to get the brushes/rods and do it myself from now on.
I really hired the sweep so that he could get up the top and inspect the chimney.....maybe he would have if it wasn't for the weather here.
Looking around, seems like I can get a decent set of rods and bruch for appx $60-$70 or so, and that way I can do it twice per year for the peace of mind.
Just wanted to thank the folks for all the info I have learned here...as if it wasn't for this site, I am sure the pail would have been full.

I clean my chimney from the bottom up. When I installed my SS Liner a couple of years ago, I had to endure my high pitch roof. Never again my friend.. I inspect the cap after each cleaning and I have a cousin that cleans it if its needed..

 

[allhandsworking]

I just cleaned my chimney today not even 1/4 cup. Its an interior chimney with a VC Montpelier insert. I burn almost 24 hours a day! I think Ill skip the sweep next year.

 

[btuser]

I was a little late (mid August) getting the stove shut down for the year. I took the cap off to discover a ton of creasote a the very top. Ugh, I thought to myself but by the end of the job it was about 2 cups total creasote a little more than last year but I burned a lot more wood. I was also nervous because I figured it would be all gummy because I waited so long, but it wasn't. A couple of flakes from the very top and the rest was dry powder.

If you can get up there you can do the job.

 

[cmonSTART]

I don't see how it would be possible to clean the cap screen properly without going up on the roof and doing it from there. That is the first thing that clogs up and reduces the stove / insert performance.

That was my thought. I have some cool brushes, but they don't get the cap that well.

 

[gibson]

I usually get my cap mid-burning season, at a time with no snow on the roof and give it the wire brush treatment. My roof is pretty easy and my chimney is lined so I sweep it myself in September, when it's not 100 degrees on the roof. Usually 3/4 fill one of the kids sand castle buckets.

 

[soupy1957]

Daveswoodhauler stated that the Chimney Sweep was able to drudge up a "little less than a gallon?" Geez! That seems like a LOT!?

I also note that it's sorta scary that a "Senator" uses an Avatar of John Belushi! (lol)


-Soupy1957

 

[f3cbboy]

i think that you can get the cap clean even with a bottom up cleaning of the flue. I used six screw and screw the cap into the last section of pipe and hit it with the brush, not really hard just hard enough to knock all the crap off. I have a steep roof and can't reach the top to get the cap off.

 

[firefighterjake]

Maybe I'm not doing something right, but my cap doesn't have much build up on it at all . . . now granted I'm cleaning it monthly . . . and I'm burning at the proper temps . . . and using seasoned wood . . . and I tend to tap the cap a bit when I do the cleaning from the ground to dislodge any loose build up . . . but quite honestly it looks pretty darned good . . . and more important . . . clean.

 

[Jukeboxfun]

Maybe I'm not doing something right, but my cap doesn't have much build up on it at all . . . now granted I'm cleaning it monthly . . . and I'm burning at the proper temps . . . and using seasoned wood . . . and I tend to tap the cap a bit when I do the cleaning from the ground to dislodge any loose build up . . . but quite honestly it looks pretty darned good . . . and more important . . . clean.

You clean monthly? seems excessive to me.

 

[firefighterjake]

Maybe I'm not doing something right, but my cap doesn't have much build up on it at all . . . now granted I'm cleaning it monthly . . . and I'm burning at the proper temps . . . and using seasoned wood . . . and I tend to tap the cap a bit when I do the cleaning from the ground to dislodge any loose build up . . . but quite honestly it looks pretty darned good . . . and more important . . . clean.

You clean monthly? seems excessive to me.

I'm anal retentive . . . and since I check it monthly . . . running a brush up from the ground is a 5-10 minute process . . . but yeah, probably excessive . . . but I'm pretty sure my chances of ever having a problem with my chimney will be slim to none.

 

[Cate68]

I'd like to see the brushes you folks use to clean from the bottom up if anyone has pictures. My chimneysweep is expensive - he's good, but very expensive, and if I can do some cleaning on my own, that'd be great. Assuming I can figure out how to remove the pipes and bricks!

 

[Later]

Sooteater

 

[fallsfire36]

Cate: they are the same brushes you can get at home depot or lowes with the expandable flexible rods...the difference is the type of stove that you have - some of the new EPA stoves can be a little more complicating to clean from the bottom because you need to move the baffles...but its not a big deal

 

[raderator]

Noob question. Wouldn't be easier to remove the stove pipe?

 

[ddug]

From a business perspective, why on earth would a chimney sweep recommend sweeping every other year?? I found that kind of funny.

 

[Mcbride]

I like to do my own.
I clean once in early summer, after i am done using the stoves for the year, and once about mid winter.
I get very liitle out of either chimney, but still do it twice a year, paranoid I guess.
Its not hard to do at all, and I trust my work over some strangers.
I got my brushes and rods at Home Hardware.

As a side note, if you ever get a chimney fire, yes call 911 and get fire trucks rolling if in fire protection area.
But a good way to help put itout yourself, is to ensure all dampers and such on the stove are closed.
Then use a dry powder extinguisher, and do all this quickly.
Pull off the cleanout plate at the bottom of the chimney.
Discharge the extinguisher on full blast into the hole and up if possible, and quickly slap the steel plate back into place.
Often this will slow or stop it.
Beware powder can and will come back out.