First time chimney cleaning

[Kenster]

VC Vigilant 1977. 15 feet open/exposed flue straight up through cathedral ceiling, through metal roof with probably another eight feet on roof.

We've been here for four winters and it has not been cleaned. Have burned only well seasoned hickory and oak. Maybe 3/4 chord last year, less in previous years. (basically mild winters in south central Texas.) Sometimes when the stove is really cruising I can hear a crinkling sound in the flue. If I bang on the flue with my hand I can hear creosote falling down inside the stove and may occasionally sweep out a quarter to half a cup of small creosote crystals. I had planned to buy equipment, climb up on the roof and clean it up myself. Unfortunately, I recently broke my ankle and need to stay off of the roof and the ladder for a long while. So I'm wondering about cleaning from the inside.

With the Vigilant, there is an oval fitting on the back of the stove which connects to an oval adapter which connects to an eight inch diameter flue. It looks like I can just unscrew the oval shaped adapter and slide the stove out of the way and get after it. Should I get a regular round brush and say.... 25 feet of rod and just push it up and down from the bottom? Or perhaps one of those gizmos that connect to an electric drill? I guess you put out drop cloths and have a big bucket under the open flue? How do you cut down on the fly ash? I'd rather not have ash dust all over the house.

Any good tutorials or videos for a first time do it yourselfer?

Thanks!

 

[Auctioneer]

Not the best way but doing nothing is not safe at this point.

Based on what you are going to do you can use a wet & dry vacuum to help with the dust and if I'm reading this right you will have major dust. Maybe close it off from your house with plastic.

One Major thing to keep in mind is you need to check the cap depending on which one you have if it has a grate cover you need to inspect it for blockage.

I not sure what a sweap is charging these days but maybe that's your best way till your back on your feet.

Hope this helps, hope you get better soon

Going Once...

 

[Kenster]

Not the best way but doing nothing is not safe at this point.

Based on what you are going to do you can use a wet & dry vacuum to help with the dust and if I'm reading this right you will have major dust. Maybe close it off from your house with plastic.

One Major thing to keep in mind is you need to check the cap depending on which one you have if it has a grate cover you need to inspect it for blockage.

I not sure what a sweap is charging these days but maybe that's your best way till your back on your feet.

Hope this helps, hope you get better soon

Going Once...

My main problem is that there are just no Sweeps anywhere around here. Paying one an hour each way of travel time is a deal killer.

 

[thewoodlands]

This should change any creosote to a fluffy ash after some fires, we use this all the time just to be safe. Get your fire going hot then spray this on the fire, we have cleaned ours twice since the install (April 2009) all we get is some fluffy ash.


http://saversystems.com/chimney-products/acs-anti-creo-soot


zap

This is after 5 cord of wood was burned.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/62736/

This is the outside chimney cleaning from this year, we also cleaned it at the end of last December. I clean from the bottom up, we have about 21-22 feet of chimney on the outside.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/61442/