Question about cleaning

[woodsprite]

Newbie here...wondering how often to get my chimney cleaned professionally? The dealer who sold me my stove said once a year, but being so new to burning I have had more than a couple of smoldering fires. I am getting to know my stove much better now, and think I am using it much more efficiently. Do you think I should get it cleaned or inspected now due to my less than efficient fires when I was first figuring out my stove? (I got my stove Nov 5) Also, the user's manual that came with my stove (pacific energy spectrum classic) says to check once a week for creosote buildup...how the heck would I do that?

 

[Pagey]

Describe your chimney/flue setup, please.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Are you saying you've been using your stove for less than a month? I'd not worry about the chimney no matter how bad my burning technique is/was. But that's me, and you have to decide what's best for you.

 

[woodsprite]

I have 6" double wall pipe..you will see the configuration in the pic...going into a chimney liner. I have a two story home...stove is one main floor...luckily a masonry chimney went right thru the centre of the house making for nice placement of the stove.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Are you going to be sweeping the chimney yourself or hiring somebody to come in. They aren't hard to sweep. If you are going to do it yourself you might as well get it done before it gets cold out. If you are going to hire somebody I'd want to make sure it needed it. I'd pull some of that pipe off and check for creosote buildup.

Matt

 

[woodsprite]

I am planning on hiring someone to do my cleaning. I wouldn't have a clue how to do it myself, and probably worry myself sick about whether I had things put back together right if I pulled apart the pipe. Definately think I'll leave that to the pros!

 

[ROBERT F]

Well if you are going to burning, and doing so to save money, a weekly inspection would get mighty pricey to pay for. Maybe call your pro out and ask him to show you what to look for? Also watch for signs of the stove burning differently. backpuffing, low draft, smoke entereng home when opening the stove door, when things used to be fine could mean dirty flue.

 

[pen]

Read this article found on the website. I think you'll find it helpful.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/creosote_from_wood_burning_causes_and_solutions

If you have access to the top of your chimney (safe and easily of course) you could always take a picture down the chimney and post it here for people to check out.

Also, some people claim that the chimney sweeping logs and similar products do really dry out dangerous glazed creosote. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt for you to try one of them as well.

pen

 

[pen]

Here is another article to consider reading

(broken link removed to http://www.rd.com/19536/article19536.html)

Here is a GREAT website with tutorials about chimney cleaning and inspections that I highly suggest

http://www.csia.org/

Knowledge is Power! Even if you choose to do none of these things yourself, at least you will be able to hold an intelligent conversation with the chimney sweep regarding the work he is doing.

pen

 

[woodsprite]

Pen, thank you so much for those links! Really good information. I agree that knowledge is power...still don't see myself on my roof anytime soon (had a really bad fall off a ladder a couple years back so now I am a big chicken), but at least I know the process and feel like I understand creosote better now. LOVE your signature, btw!

 

[pen]

Pen, thank you so much for those links! Really good information. I agree that knowledge is power...still don't see myself on my roof anytime soon (had a really bad fall off a ladder a couple years back so now I am a big chicken), but at least I know the process and feel like I understand creosote better now. LOVE your signature, btw!

My pleasure. In return I could use you to refute my wife who thinks I am quite useless ;-)

As for the sig.... Mr. Leopold was a very bright man.

pen

 

[Backwoods Savage]

woodsprite, the number one problem with new wood burners is they either don't yet know what seasoned wood is and they buy it from someone who tells them it is seasoned and ready to burn. I say never believe a wood seller when they say it is seasoned.

So with not properly seasoned wood and burning low fires (especially this time of year), you get creosote.

I would suggest read all you can about it and then hire a sweep. While he is there, then ask him to show you how to inspect so that you know when to call him again.

Good luck.

 

[Mr. Kelly]

Hey Woodsprite...

Nice burner there!

I was looking at PEs yesterday, for the first time. Great bunch of stoves. I'm thinking of the 'heafty' Summit. Still thinking. What size stick can you get in that thing? The brochure/manual doesn't say. Might have to do a agitation post about that!

I have to address the chimney cleaning routine soon, too. I think I'll be getting out there in the winter with my extendo pole and scratchin' the pipe. Your chimney is a through-the-wall and up one, right?

 

[woodsprite]

Why, thank you, Mr Kelly! You found a dealer that carries the PE stoves, or you were looking online? In the manual it says to load it with "dry, seasoned firewood up to 18" long". It is on the page that is titled Understanding and Operating Your Pacific Energy Stove. My install goes into a chimney liner that is in a pre-existing masonry chimney that runs thru the centre of my house. Still researching, huh? You are going to be an expert by the time you get your stove! As for my chimney cleaning routine, I think I am going to follow Backwood Savage's advice to educate myself as much as I can, and then get someone in to check things out...that way they can actually show me how to check myself and what to watch for. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Mr. Kelly]

That sounds like it should be a fairly efficient chimney setup. Can you feel any heat off the chimney in upstairs areas? If I'm not mistaken, on my dad's insert, he has double-wall pipe running exposed through an upstairs bedroom (not sure you can do that here - decreed by code). That pipe throws off some nice heat, making a nice and toasty room upstairs. Anything like that happening in your upstairs?

Our chimney will have to go (that's definitive future tense there) out the wall and up the outside. This won't be as efficient as yours, but many on here have that and get along fine.

The reasons I've been dragging my heels with buying the stove for the past month are: A) I've been building the hearth, which came to a screeching halt 10 days ago when I realized I had a ridiculous ceiling height restriction that I had knuckle headedly missed. This restriction made me reconsider the stove/manufacturer route I was planning, so I began looking at other companies, like PE. B) I've been awaiting hooking up with the local building inspector to go over my install plan. He's not always easy to track down, and I work all day long, which makes scheduling difficult. C. I've been lousy sick for the past 10 days and haven't had the energy or the motivation to get my sorry butt outside to stack the remaining 1.5 cords of wood that are still sitting in the turnaround. :ahhh: There's just so much to do!

So, I thought I'd look at the PEs, which interestingly, don't say in their literature that they have a ceiling-height restriction (except for alcove installs). However, PE only has 2x dealers in the area, both 45 minutes in opposite directions. Just my luck. Sad to say... the dealer that I visited didn't seem overly interested in my business (I'm sure many on here could understand why), so now I feel inclined to travel the 45 minutes in the opposite direction tomorrow to see if I get a "warmer" vibe from the other dealer. I'll gladly give a willing and eager dealer my business. I have a hole burning in my wallet! Just gotta git all the ducks in a row, so-to-speak!

Hope you have a nice non-turkey day up there in good ol' Canuckland. You guys don't even have a holiday today, do you? That's what you get for being so cold so quick!