Chimney sweeping 2022

[sirlight]

It was surprisingly hot here yesterday with a high of 97 degrees F. Still, the cold rainy weather of fall will arrive soon. I heat primarily with wood, so the chimney needs to be swept at least yearly to avoid the possibility of a creosote fire. Today I got out the ladder and chimney brushes and climbed up on the roof to get the job done.

My chimney is a 6 inch pipe leading from the wood stove insert in my fireplace to the top of the brick chimney I would guess it is about 14 to 16 feet long.



The chimney and flashing is beginning to show its age and I should likely replace it next summer. I have no idea how old this chimney is since it was installed before I moved here 10 years ago.



I use a 6 inch poly brush with a series of 4 foot fiberglass rods. It is important to twist the rod as you push it back and forth down the chimney pipe. I make sure to twist in the same direction as the threads on the rods so they don't unscrew while I am cleaning.



There was much more creosote than I have seen in previous years. I don't know if that has anything to do with burning some cedar last winter. In the past I had only burned douglas fir. I think this year it will be a good idea to brush the chimney again early in the spring after burning a couple cords of wood.



One of the firebricks was cracked so I replaced it.



There is always some residue buildup on the glass. This is easily removed with a few damp sheets of newspaper. Newspaper is somewhat abrasive by itself, but there is also likely some ash on the inside of the glass that helps to scrub off the junk.



Once the glass was clean I finished it off with a spritz of windex and some paper towels. Now I am ready for the first fire of the season. This should be in about a week. The weather will be cooling substantially and the rain will begin again.



While I was up on the roof, I got a great shot of my firewood supply for the 2026 and 2027 hearting season.

 

[kennyp2339]

My parents have the same insert, brand new back in 2005, I told them to never get rid of that stove, its almost perfect and very simple function, built like a tank

 

[PaulBunyun]

Wow those are some big rounds you have there! Looks like you have a great system for splitting.

 

[sirlight]

Wow those are some big rounds you have there! Looks like you have a great system for splitting.

The rounds are giant sequoia that a tree service dropped off. The biggest ones are over 4 feet across. My chainsaw only has a 20" bar. It will be a chore breaking these logs down, but as they say beggars can't be choosers.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Over 4 feet across? Wow!

 

[begreen]

Nice solar array!

 

[sirlight]

Nice solar array!

Thanks, the array is a 7.2KW system and produces about 8200KWh per year with my cloudy Oregon weather. The system was installed in early 2017 and has almost paid for itself from energy produced and tax credits.