Insert clean and sweep: DYI or not?

[qwain76]

I have had a Fireplace Xtraordinar Elite 33 insert for 2 years and we love it. That insert is a beast and keeps our home warm throughout all the winter.

One question this year came to my mind is about chimney (liner) sweep.
Last year I called a service and they cleaned the liner. I saw what they did and seemed pretty basic to me. With a brush and some flexible rods they went up from the bottom. They also went up on the chimeny to check the cap, but the sweeping happened from the bottom. This costed me $150....
I was checking online the prices for brushes and rods and with approximately $120 I can get the equipment I need.

I am pretty much hands on, but I do not like working at heights. So this is what I was thinking: is it worth to buy the equipment and sweep myself the liner from the bottom regularly (every 6 months?) and have the chimney sweep service check it every 2-3 years?

Or there is more to it than a simple brush and some rods and you recommend I should always use a professional chimney sweep?

Thanks

 

[bholler]

If you are comfortable doing it no reason not to but you also need to know how to inspect the whole system also. That part is almost as important as the cleaning itself.

 

[qwain76]

Thanks for the comments Cawley.
This leads to my next set of questions:

1) I have an 8" ss liner. I know I have to use poliurethane brushes (no steel). What diameter brush do you suggest?
2) Does the creosote usually tend to build up at the lower parts or higher parts of the liner?
3) Do you have some reference on how to inspect the liner? I have seen videos of people using mirrors and flashlights to check the status.

Thanks a lot

 

[Dix]

I had the chimney cleaned on the insert once. Did the same thing you did, watched and learned. Now we do both stoves ourselves.

It's not that difficult. We do ours from the top down. No rods (store didn't have any when I bought the poly brush) so we rigged it to a chain. Drop down end of chain, one person pulls from the bottom, to get the brush down, second person on roof ( not me, lol !!). Easy peasy.

No reason you can't do it yourself.

 

[bholler]

Thanks for the comments Cawley.
This leads to my next set of questions:
1) I have an 8" ss liner. I know I have to use poliurethane brushes (no steel). What diameter brush do you suggest?
2) Does the creosote usually tend to build up at the lower parts or higher parts of the liner?
3) Do you have some reference on how to inspect the liner? I have seen videos of people using mirrors and flashlights to check the status.

Well cawley lemay is my stove lol
the diameter of brush will depend on the type but what ever you get will give you a suggested pipe size If it has stiffer bristles it will be 8" if they are softer it may be 9" or 10".

Creosote typically builds up more at the top but that will depend on how well you burn and the condition of your wood.

On a basic yearly check when we clean we do it with mirrors and lights and then if we see anything questionable we get out the camera and scan it.. The main spot to look is at any joint

 

[bholler]

It's not that difficult. We do ours from the top down. No rods (store didn't have any when I bought the poly brush) so we rigged it to a chain. Drop down end of chain, one person pulls from the bottom, to get the brush down, second person on roof ( not me, lol !!). Easy peasy.

Do not use a chain in a stainless liner especially if it is a light wall liner it is a very bad idea

 

[blacktail]

http://www.amazon.com/Gardus-RCH205-Rotary-Chimney-Cleaning/dp/B0010H5JXA

 

[Dix]

Do not use a chain in a stainless liner especially if it is a light wall liner it is a very bad idea

Dropped straight down from the top, pull up / down so the brush cleans it, and pulled out from the top. Nary a liner issue in 5 years.

Maybe not the best solution, but it's work for me.

YMMV.

 

[bholler]

Dropped straight down from the top, pull up / down so the brush cleans it, and pulled out from the top. Nary a liner issue in 5 years.

Yes but this is something that should last 30 years and a chain has no place in it it can dent or score the liner. If you want to do it that way go ahead but don't give anyone else the impression that it is a good way to do it at all.

 

[Dix]

Yes but this is something that should last 30 years and a chain has no place in it it can dent or score the liner. If you want to do it that way go ahead but don't give anyone else the impression that it is a good way to do it at all.

Forgot to add poly chain, my bad. .

 

[bholler]

Forgot to add poly chain, my bad. .

Oh ok well that is totally different then

 

[Dix]

Oh ok well that is totally different then

Sorry, distracted with other stuff going on.

The chain makes a nice swing when you give it a twist done the liner .... kinda like a flick of the wrist, and a twist...... think spiral down wards turn. It's awesome.

 

[BrotherBart]

Good grief. Use a poly rope like I do. The one to pull it back up stays stowed next to the chimney year around. Gotta be some rope around a horse operation.

 

[Charles1981]

I sweep 3 months into the burning season and then 3 months later at the end. First time I had a guy sweet my liner it took him like 40 minutes and it was 150$.

No way I am paying someone 300$ a year for something that costs me about 90 minutes of my time each time.

The brush and rods cost about 60-70$ for me.

If I had a steep roof or a difficult to access chimney however I guess I might consider paying someone to do it, but I would probably still find a way to DIY.

 

[bholler]

I am a pro sweep so i am not exactly a neutral party here. But i see no reason a competent person should not clean themselves as long as they pay attention to everything and inspect the system. We have been called out to places where guys clean themselves and they pay no attention to what is going on the one liner wasn't even connected to the insert any more and when we said that he said you know i wondered why there wasn't any dirt in the stove after i swept it out any more. So if you are going to do it just pay attention