Wood stove pipe cleaning expectations.

[molly1414]

I have a Jotul 500. The company that cleaned our pipe the last few years no longer does it. I called another wood stove company. So the guy shows up and at first starts to take the top plate off the stove but then does not. Then he moves the baffle out of the way. Then he says he is not comfortable going up on the roof and is going to use a soot eater and do it from the bottom. Starts putting the soot eater brush up through the stove into the pipe. Doesn't take the insulation blanket out and is just going to let everyhing fall down on top of it. I told him to stop and not proceed. In the past the guys have checked the pipe from the top and swept the stove from the top down after taking the stove apart. What he was doing did not seem right and if I am going to pay over 100 I want it done right and have the flue pipe inspected not just have a soot eater used.
Was my expectation to much? Should he have taken the insulation blanket out before proceeding to use the soot eater? What should I expect from a chimney sweep ?
Thanks

 

[begreen]

Jotul stoves are designed with a removable top to facilitate easy cleaning. Regardless of method used, the insulation blanket should be carefully removed first before starting. If the "sweep" was using a sooteater, you might as well do it yourself.

 

[bholler]

Was it a spot eater or a similar professional system? I clean the vast majority of chimneys from the bottom now. But yes he should have removed the top removed the blanket and pushed the baffle forward out of the way so it doesn't get damaged.