Flue Cleaning Thoughts

[JSeery]

It's that time of the year, so I'm having my flue cleaned next weekend. For an insert cleaning, I pay $150 to a guy I trust to do it right. But, is it crazy for me to think I might be able to clean the flue every other year instead? One of the reasons I burn is for the $ savings, and $150/yr eats into my margins. Of course, that's much cheaper than a creosote fire, but I'm burning nicely seasoned wood in a highly efficient stove. Last year the guy said it looked pretty clean when he was cleaning it anyway. Is this overkill or am I crazy for even considering going two seasons between a cleaning?

I suppose the obvious third option is to clean it myself, and I'm sure many of you do just that. How difficult is it to clean the flue for an insert versus a wood stove? My flue just goes strait up the chimney, and it's pretty easy to get onto my roof. Any thoughts?

 

[SeanBB]

If you burn only well seasoned wood then there should be no creosote, just dry soot. In which case there is no reason you should not be able to clean the flue yourself, I do and I've not had a chimney fire. Flue brush sets are not expensive. The only problem I find is that fine dust gets everywhere and a complete clean up is necessary afterwards.
A friend of mine covers his stove with a plastic dust sheet and gets on the roof and sweeps from the top down then leaves it to settle for an hour before removing the soot from the stove. This seems to work but I prefer not to get on the roof.

 

[Dobish]

if you have easy access, clean it yourself. I did mine the other day and it took me 15 minutes (including stopping the toddlers from getting on the roof).

*This is assuming you have enough sense to be safe on a roof. If you are not comfortable on ladders or roofs, please don't do this. I have seen a lot of people fall off of roofs. Not fun for anyone involved. Also, use proper anchors and safety equipment on yourself and your tools.

 

[maverick06]

Dont go to 2 years, thats just adding risk. pay someone or diy. I buy my wood, but sweep the chimney. Brush and rods were like $35 or something. It takes me 15 min too, super easy. easier than sweeping the floor. assuming you have an easy roof. The stove could be tricky (some you have to take out). mine has a baffle to take out. I usually dont, its hard to get in/out but easy to brush/blow out the top of the baffle.

point being, know your system. You are more invested in sweeping than the guy you pay is.

 

[kennyp2339]

Its very easy to clean, all you have to do I remove your baffle, run the brush down the chimney, vacuum out the stove that collect in the stove, put the cap back on and the baffle back in. It should only take less than an hour from time started to when the 1st beer gets cracked open.

 

[JSeery]

Thanks for the responses. I'll probably pay close attention to how this guy cleans everything next weekend, and plan to do it myself from now on.

 

[bholler]

Thanks for the responses. I'll probably pay close attention to how this guy cleans everything next weekend, and plan to do it myself from now on.

We clean almost all inserts from inside. Usually with a rotary cleaner. Soot eater is a good homeowner grade rotary cleaner. That a good drill and a good vacume is all you should need. And yes some people can easily go 2 years between cleanings. Infact i do and still only get about 1/2 gal of fine dust. But we just moved so i will be cleaning after this year to see how my stove works on the new shorter chimney.

 

[cd36]

Don't you get alot of dust in the house cleaning from inside?

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[bholler]

Don't you get alot of dust in the house cleaning from inside?

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No that is what the vacume is for. We would be out of buisness in no time if we got dust in houses. You just stick the hose in the stove as you clean and only go as fast as your vacume can handle. You will want a drop cloth to put down also

 

[Soundchasm]

+1 on the Sooteater. Bottom up from the inside. It took me a few times to find all the nooks and crannies in both stoves (shop vac with a bag liner). I'm now in the habit of cleaning twice a year - once in October, and once in Jan/Feb. And I STILL hire a guy to clean top-down once a year since I'm not going up on that roof, and I really like him and don't mind paying him.

30 minutes a stove, probably. I tape a tee shirt across the opening for the stove door for the insert, and over the opening of the liner for the free stander and have no dust problem.

Clean all the ash out of your stove first and save the creosote for a photo shoot. Creosote has many forms and tells you EXACTLY how you're burning. 100% educational. A lot of folks here could glance and see if you're burning too cold or wet in an instant.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I usually go a couple of years between cleaning because I only get about a softball size of fine black soot, no sticky creosote and have been burning since 1989. But I burn well seasoned wood and burn it hot. I usually take a section of pipe off from the elbow by the stove and look inside it and look up the chimney and if it looks like it needs cleaning me and the better half do it, if not I just put it back and keep going, it only accumulates a slight bit inside so letting it go does no harm and poses no fire risk, but I suggest that you see how your system works, watch and talk to the guy who cleans it and don't be afraid to ask him questions.

 

[Dobish]

this was my cleaning from 2 weeks ago...

 

[blacktail]

I do my liner 2x a year, from the bottom, with a sooteater.
Move baffle
Insert first rod
Put plastic over the door opening
Clean liner
Put baffle back in place
Takes 15 minutes

And the creosote that falls into the firebox gets burned in the next fire.

 

[Sodbuster]

Too those that clean twice a year, I say bravo! However, I burn about 4 cords a year and clean every fall. All I get is about 1/2 a coffee can of dust, no creosote.

 

[maverick06]

Being proactive and sweeping a little extra isnt going to hurt you though (as long as you dont fall off the roof).

Also I always try to sweep early in the spring. A) creosote smells so it reduces any smells and B) creosote is corrosive, better get it out sooner than later.

 

[HItz]

I had mine cleaned about 2 weeks ago for the first time in 3 years, when I told the guy initially he looked at me like I was crazy. Once he got into it though he said my every 3 year schedule was fine. I couldn't really measure how much he got out of the flue, but it was not a large amount, maybe 2-3 cups. My rule of thumb is to burn hot all the time. I have an IR thermometer I use on the stove to make sure it is up to temp before I turn the air down and I never let it smolder unless I am really forced into it by schedule (have to leave for work) or something.

 

[TedyOH]

this was my cleaning from 2 weeks ago...
View attachment 200694

So is this good or bad? I was under the impression that black is bad and brown is good? I'm guessing you burn a lot of pine as well?
I ask because I will be cleaning mine here in a few weeks, hoping for a lot more brown than black.

 

[kennyp2339]

So is this good or bad? I was under the impression that black is bad and brown is good? I'm guessing you burn a lot of pine as well?
I ask because I will be cleaning mine here in a few weeks, hoping for a lot more brown than black.

That's not bad, brown / black powder is the best, flat black colored flakes are 2nd, shiny diamonds 3rd, thick tar like substance is the worst

 

[Dobish]

So is this good or bad? I was under the impression that black is bad and brown is good? I'm guessing you burn a lot of pine as well?
I ask because I will be cleaning mine here in a few weeks, hoping for a lot more brown than black.

This was not optimal. I was burning a mix of pine, elm and boxelder at the end of last season, and we were turning the air down a little too soon. We also had a nanny who I think threw a lot of cardboard and other stuff into the fire place, so the majority of the big crusties were up at the top.