Considering switching to sweeping every other year?

[EbS-P]

Did my annual sweep today. Nothing exciting. Just some fluffy soot from a bit of pine. Not even a quart. Completed in record time. Baffle came right out the door in 10 seconds. Back in just as fast. Rear part of the baffle gasket isn’t cemented anymore and will need addressed next time it’s out.

At the end of my fourth winter I’m thinking about just sweeping every other year. I don’t burn more than two cords. Anyone else on a similar schedule? Only down side is you forget to to do it. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Evan

 

[Bad LP]

Did my annual sweep today. Nothing exciting. Just some fluffy soot from a bit of pine. Not even a quart. Completed in record time. Baffle came right out the door in 10 seconds. Back in just as fast. Rear part of the baffle gasket isn’t cemented anymore and will need addressed next time it’s out.

At the end of my fourth winter I’m thinking about just sweeping every other year. I don’t burn more than two cords. Anyone else on a similar schedule? Only down side is you forget to to do it. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Evan

Not when you write the cleaning on the masonry in the basement or add something permanent near your cleanout.

My stove’s used and cleaning history is on the cement blocks. It ain’t getting lost.

 

[MAD MARK]

I could move to cleaning every 2 years no problem. Never got more than a pint in 1 year.

I just get bored during the spring/fall days and end up doing it.

 

[stoveliker]

Can't write on the block; it's insulated so I don't loose 30 pct of what my stove puts out.

If the sweeping is so fast, why not do it every year? Peace of mind. Document it with a few pics (so you can prove to insurance that you did it, if shtf).

 

[Dataman]

When I burned Wood with Wood Stove I did it several times a year. Gave me something to do more than anything. But would knock lots of black crap off cap on top. With going to Pellet Stove I have done it once this season. Will do this Spring for Next Year. Only got some grey powder. I still have 8" chimney and their was nothing on cap. Only couple more weeks left in Winter Burning Season. Burning only at Night now. 6pm-8am. 1/2-3/4 bag of Pellets. Lots cleaner than Wood. My Back thanks me

 

[bholler]

With my old regency I could easily go 2 years and did sometimes. The bk I cannot. I had to do a mid season this year but that was before I replaced the cat

 

[begreen]

Every other year is the cycle we are on. It's not worth it for less than a cup of soot a year.

 

[Tar12]

I clean twice a year and I sure dont have to as I will only get a cup out of the pipes but after escaping from a chimney fire that destroyed our home as a young lad cleaning always lays heavily on my mind and compels me to do it....lol

 

[shoot-straight]

My hearthstone was every other year with a cup of stuff from the cap area. Good dry wood and Non cats just keep things hotter than a cat. I sooteat 2-3 times a year now. Not a huge deal. Takes 5 min.

 

[Sawset]

Once every two years here. But it took quite a few years to get to that confidence level. I know the wood, and the stove, so two years it is.

 

[EbS-P]

Once every two years here. But it took quite a few years to get to that confidence level. I know the wood, and the stove, so two years it is.

I’m going to switch and sweep on even years. Adding a second stove means I may burn more wood but less through my primary stove. All I need now is a wood shed… I’m done with tarps.

 

[peakbagger]

Why would I want to do that when my cycle is once every 15 years whether it needs it or not.

I inspect every year but my interior chimney and my burning style means no major creosote issues. I do not have an insulated liner just a block and brick exterior and a tile lining without a stack cap. If anything my flue is oversized. I am not advocating everyone can do it, most cannot, but every installation is different. I have been burning with this chimney setup since 1988 (two stoves and one boiler).

 

[wjohn]

I guess I just like to clean right before the burning season starts for peace of mind, to know that nothing has gotten in there since my last burns at the end of winter. Do you guys not have much trouble with wasps and mud daubers down there? Not sure how prevalent they were up by Hays... I'm more down towards Oklahoma and we have tons of them.

I always clean right before the burning season starts in the fall/early winter. There are always nests down in the chimney. Granted, the dried mud with the paralyzed spiders and other insects they pack in there for food for their larvae probably isn't going to combust, but I want them out of there.

 

[SpaceBus]

Both of my stoves tend to collect any soot or ash in their insides and my chimneys stay pretty clean. I'm on the every two year plan for my indoor chimney and annually on my exterior chimney.

 

[Ashful]

With my old regency I could easily go 2 years and did sometimes. The bk I cannot. I had to do a mid season this year but that was before I replaced the cat

I don't know if everyone has this experience, but I get some crud in the bottom 3 feet and top 3 feet only, of my nearly 30-foot chimney. I'm guessing the stuff at the bottom is mostly deposited from during start-ups and warming up each cold load on bypass, and the stuff at the top is just the byproduct of running such low (250F above stove) flue temps. Nothing bad enough for serious concern, but definitely noticeable, definitely not nothing.

I’m going to switch and sweep on even years. Adding a second stove means I may burn more wood but less through my primary stove. All I need now is a wood shed… I’m done with tarps.

My main concern with this would be a pipe or cap plugged with wasp nests (it's amazing what those bastards can build!), birds nests, or really anything else that can happen to an open chimney sitting unused thru the several months we are not burning. Having already had dozens of hornets, a few birds, and one squirrel come down my chimneys (before latest caps), I think these problems are more "real" than any of the creosote you have in mind, when referring to chimney cleaning.

 

[woodey]

I do not have an insulated liner just a block and brick exterior and a tile lining without a stack cap. If anything my flue is oversized.

Same setup as mine other than interior chimney here Thru 6 seasons here with my new furnace and not close to need a sweeping. I still do weekly inspections.

 

[EbS-P]

I guess I just like to clean right before the burning season starts for peace of mind, to know that nothing has gotten in there since my last burns at the end of winter. Do you guys not have much trouble with wasps and mud daubers down there? Not sure how prevalent they were up by Hays... I'm more down towards Oklahoma and we have tons of them.

I always clean right before the burning season starts in the fall/early winter. There are always nests down in the chimney. Granted, the dried mud with the paralyzed spiders and other insects insect activity in the flies in the 11 years here in NC we

I don't know if everyone has this experience, but I get some crud in the bottom 3 feet and top 3 feet only, of my nearly 30-foot chimney. I'm guessing the stuff at the bottom is mostly deposited from during start-ups and warming up each cold load on bypass, and the stuff at the top is just the byproduct of running such low (250F above stove) flue temps. Nothing bad enough for serious concern, but definitely noticeable, definitely not nothing.

My main concern with this would be a pipe or cap plugged with wasp nests (it's amazing what those bastards can build!), birds nests, or really anything else that can happen to an open chimney sitting unused thru the several months we are not burning. Having already had dozens of hornets, a few birds, and one squirrel come down my chimneys (before latest caps), I think these problems are more "real" than any of the creosote you have in mind, when referring to chimney cleaning.

I have a full rectangular 4’x20” cap. 10” Expanded stainless around the whole thing. 11 years only saw two mud dauber nests. No vermin. No birds. The hurricane schedule we have found ourselves on probably will help keep the mesh clear I’m up on the roof to clean gutters regularly. Like every month. I can’t find gutter guards that handle pine needles and the quantities of live oak leaves and the 2-3” per hour rain rates we get.

 

[kennyp2339]

I try to only clean once a year, but I consistently find myself doing a needless mid-season cleaning / inspection for peace of mind, its a bit overboard but if I ignore it, I get anxious over it, only takes me 15min start to finish to clean the chimney so I rather err on the side of caution whether it needs it or not.

 

[firefighterjake]

I'm like Kenny. Peace of mind means a lot. I know for a fact I could get away with not sweeping for a year, two, maybe several years as very little comes out of my sweeping other than some fly ash and a very small amount of dry creosote. That said, for me it's a very easy process that literally can be done in 10 minutes. That said . . . I use to inspect and sweep every month. This year I've become lazy and only swept at the start of the burning season and once or twice during the burning season. Hmm . . . maybe I should consider sweeping it again this weekend.

 

[ABMax24]

The last 2 years I've been doing 4 sweeps a year, this year will only be 3. This is only on the exterior chimney, I only do the interior portion 2 times a year.

It only takes me 20 minutes to do the exterior chimney, and is peace of mind to get rid of all the fluffy creosote my chimney accumulates.

 

[Poindexter]

I could, from a workmanlike perspective, sweep once every two-three years, but my home owners policy requires me to sweep annually. So I sweep at least annually.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

One time while cleaning, I had a whole bunch of dazed wasps fall down. That would have made a fun chimney fire. If left to grow larger, my chimney could have been full of paper. I make sure to clean every fall.

 

[Ashful]

One time while cleaning, I had a whole bunch of dazed wasps fall down. That would have made a fun chimney fire. If left to grow larger, my chimney could have been full of paper. I make sure to clean every fall.

Ditto. This is why I moved my annual sweepings from June to September (or even October). I've had so many issues with wasps in cornices, around chimney caps, under eaves, and inside my friggin' outdoor recessed lights (outdoor recessed lightbulb changes in summer are like playing Russian roulette), that I know it's only a matter of time until a colony chooses to plug my chimney one summer. In fact, I keep the vacuum and a lawn trash bag handy when doing the sweeping, as I figure some combination of these two tools will be my best weapon, when the inevitable happens.

I don't think our area is uniquely high in wasp populations, but I do believe every damn one of them within 10 miles likes to build their next on or in my house. Must be the way masonry radiates heat all night, after a sunny day, or something to that effect.

 

[NewGuy132]

Had my first cleaning in January this year. It was bad news (half of a 5 gallon bucket full and a small lower chimney fire). We were burning wet wood that we had bought (1st season) and had trouble getting the stove hot enough with the wet wood. After that we swapped to wood that I had CSS last spring/early summer that had a lower MC than the wood we bought. I have another cleanout scheduled in April although if the temps keep up I may only have 1-2 more fires until then. I am going to keep on a yearly cleanout with the company so someone can check the roof and I'll probably do it once or twice a season until I know I am doing everything correctly.

 

[peakbagger]

You have it right, give it a couple of years to make sure you got your wood sorted out and then inspect before and after a cleaning then if you are not seeing the creosote consider skipping but no matter what inspect every year before and after burning season.