Sweeping at end of season (Spring) vs beginning of next (fall)

[Amin1992]

Hey all, simple question I shockingly couldnt find discussed here. Is it better to sweep at the end of the season (in the springtime) or before the beginning of next season (in the fall)?

I thought maybe doing it in Fall was better so that I could ensure no critters or bugs created any blockages during the summer. But then I wondered if it was bad to let al that creosote sit all summer long...

I would prefer to just sweep it here in the spring simply because everything is still so familiar to me and I'm nervous I'll forget habits and tricks over the summer next year haha!

What do you guys think? My plan was to sweep here in April, and then just give it a quick look for blockages in the fall before we start burning again.

 

[MMH]

I think either way is likely fine; as long as you don’t have glaze build up the powdery creo will come out whichever time you decide. I usually sweep a few times per burn season, and my last sweep will be at the end of the season (May).

 

[Highbeam]

I sweep at the end of the season as part of the big clean out so the stove is nice and clean to look at all summer and ready to go. It’s a “be prepared” thing. Now, our non burn season is only 3 months so it’s not a big difference but more of a habit. I also wax my skis before putting them away.

At least in my area, bugs don’t accumulate in the chimney and birds fall all the way into the firebox on just one of my stoves.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I sweep in the spring after burn season so that if by chance there are any issues that need further attention, they have time to get addresses. I take a look down chimney in the fall before burn season to make sure no nests have developed.

 

[Tron]

I also wax my skis before putting them away.

OT: That actually makes sense to prevent the ski's from drying out. Be sure to wax them, but not scrape them down to achieve this.

 

[Highbeam]

OT: That actually makes sense to prevent the ski's from drying out. Be sure to wax them, but not scrape them down to achieve this.

Don’t want to dry out the bases but the wax also protects the bare edges from rusting. I’m a no scrape waxer. I enjoy doing it and love the smell.

All this end of burn season talk is crazy. I’ve still got 2-3 months left.

 

[Tron]

For the steel edges I use a thin film of vaseline. Never had rusted edges.
(80 degrees outside today, so I dunno about 2-3 months...)

 

[gthomas785]

I prefer to sweep in the spring at the same time that I clean all the ashes out of the stove.

I don't know how much evidence there is to support this, but my own personal hunch is that acidic creosote exposed to summer humidity probably has some negative effect on a stainless liner over time. So I make sure to sweep it out real good, give the stove a thorough cleaning, then shut all the dampers and fill the ash pan with cat litter (non-clumping) to absorb moisture over the summer.

 

[WoodBurnerInWI]

I clean every spring, as others have said I like the stove area to be cleaned up over the summer. Everything dusted, vacuumed, all logs out of the house, etc. I will also do a chimney check just before burning season kicks off with the soot eater just to make sure nothing is in there blocking it.

 

[Shrewboy]

I have heard that it is better to clean after you are done burning for that season.
The reason why is because the high humidity of summer will make the creosote and build up in the chimney harden and makes it harder to remove.

Also over time the acidity of the ash and water mixture from sideways rain and humidity may start to damage your pipes quicker than they would have otherwise.

Plus if air blows down the chimney from a strong gust of wind, you will smell stale smoke in your house

 

[Gearhead660]

Spring/end of burn season cleaner here...

 

[Tar12]

I clean mid season and spring...unless my mid season cleaning tells me I ran some through with a higher moisture content than I should have...IMO you need to clean at least twice a year for peace of mind...I experienced 2 chimney fires as a child and will not experience another one.

 

[wagdog]

I fully intend to clean the chimney in the spring... but usually end up doing it in the fall.

 

[kborndale]

By the time I'm done burning my attention is on the yard and garden, I sweep in the fall when the yard and garden have lost my attention.

 

[PaulOinMA]

I will clean the ash out. Will do full clean and sweep about a month before my first fire in the fall.

 

[JotulOwner]

I don't know how much evidence there is to support this, but my own personal hunch is that acidic creosote exposed to summer humidity probably has some negative effect on a stainless liner over time. So I make sure to sweep it out real good, give the stove a thorough cleaning, then shut all the dampers and fill the ash pan with cat litter (non-clumping) to absorb moisture over the summer.
[/QUOTE]

I am not sure how much corrosive impact creosote has when left on a good quality stainless steel pipe or liner over time . Although every year I plan to do another cleaning in the Spring after burning the last fire, most often it is just prior to the following burning season that I actually do clean. I never noticed any corrosive effect on the interior of my class A double wall pipe. I do like the cat litter idea.

 

[firefighterjake]

Six of one, half dozen to another.

Sometimes I do it in the Spring as part of my Spring clean up . . . usually after when I think my last fire of the season has been lit (although I sometimes get fooled and end up lighting another one, two or ten or more fires later on). I do it in the Spring simply to check off one more thing on my Fall To Do list . . . just a bit early.

Sometimes I do it in the Fall . . . I figure it's as good a time to check it then to make sure no one made a home out of the chimney (although in 12 years no one has done so yet.)

 

[Shrewboy]

Six of one, half dozen to another.

Sometimes I do it in the Spring as part of my Spring clean up . . . usually after when I think my last fire of the season has been lit (although I sometimes get fooled and end up lighting another one, two or ten or more fires later on). I do it in the Spring simply to check off one more thing on my Fall To Do list . . . just a bit early.

Sometimes I do it in the Fall . . . I figure it's as good a time to check it then to make sure no one made a home out of the chimney (although in 12 years no one has done so yet.)

Hahaha! Those warm days in spring followed by a few 40F days and 35 nights

 

[Woody5506]

I've wondered this too. The last couple years I've left it all until the Fall with the intention of cleaning out anything else that could've gotten in there throughout the summer like birds or bugs or whatever. Never had any issues like that though. After reading some responses in this thread I'll probably just go back to doing it in the spring.

Is it important to close the primary air in the off season as well? That's something I've not determined either. I've kept it open, half shut, and closed. What's the consensus on that?

 

[BigJ273]

Spring

 

[jetsam]

I do both. It's free, only takes a couple minutes, and assures me there's not a bird nest or whatever in the pipe.

 

[gthomas785]

Is it important to close the primary air in the off season as well? That's something I've not determined either. I've kept it open, half shut, and closed. What's the consensus on that?

My view is that the less air moves through, the less humidity and oxygen is available to rust the stove. But then, if you did get some condensation conditions in there you have less ventilation to dry it out. So I dunno. I haven't seen any ill effects from completely closing it up so I'll keep doing that.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I like to do it in the spring with my clean out. I like to fully clean up the stove at the end of the year. Running the eatter down only adds a little extra time. it also gives me the opportunity to get anything fixed prior to the next burning season

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I had a bunch of stunned yellow jackets and nesting materiel fall down around my soot eater 1 year.


Regardless if you sweep in spring, run a brush up in fall.

 

[jerzeedivr]

Hey all, simple question I shockingly couldnt find discussed here. Is it better to sweep at the end of the season (in the springtime) or before the beginning of next season (in the fall)?

I thought maybe doing it in Fall was better so that I could ensure no critters or bugs created any blockages during the summer. But then I wondered if it was bad to let al that creosote sit all summer long...

I would prefer to just sweep it here in the spring simply because everything is still so familiar to me and I'm nervous I'll forget habits and tricks over the summer next year haha!

What do you guys think? My plan was to sweep here in April, and then just give it a quick look for blockages in the fall before we start burning again.

I was talking to a guy who use to install and he said to Brush before the winter start because the Creasote would dry and flake instead of being greasy. I'm new and just installing now.