Chimney cleaning encouragement

[Wood Scrounge]

I just cleaned my chimney the third time this year so it’s already to go this winter. I have a flex SS linear in by masonry chimney and I just wanted to say that it is VERY easy to clean. I disconnect the stove tape a plastic grocery bag inside an old canvas bag to the bottom. Bang the pipe a few times and run the brush up and down 4-5 times and it’s clean as a whistle. A little clean up with a filtered shop vac inside the stove and your good to go. Not much likes to stick to that SS, It’s not hard to do once you have your own system that works for you.

 

[Marc]

Good on you. As a vol. firefighter and fire protection engineer, I always encourage people to clean their chimney. We do ours 3 x per season. Since we burn such well seasoned wood, there's never any creosote build up, but just having piece of mind is worth it.

Chimney fire season (right around Thanksgiving) is always the busiest and most interesting time of year for us.

 

[Bruce Hopf]

I just cleaned my chimney the third time this year so it’s already to go this winter. I have a flex SS linear in by masonry chimney and I just wanted to say that it is VERY easy to clean. I disconnect the stove tape a plastic grocery bag inside an old canvas bag to the bottom. Bang the pipe a few times and run the brush up and down 4-5 times and it’s clean as a whistle. A little clean up with a filtered shop vac inside the stove and your good to go. Not much likes to stick to that SS, It’s not hard to do once you have your own system that works for you.

I do the same thing as you, clean my chimney at least 3 times a year. I use a wood oil combination furnace in my basement to heat my house with. I strictly burn wood, no Oil because I was ordered to replace a perfectly good, nothing wrong with Furnace Oil Tank, by my Insurance Company.
I removed it, and said screw the new tank. A couple more gallons of gas/mix goes a lot further than a couple of gallons of furnace oil, especially at these prices today.
Bruce.

 

[Zodiac45]

I do the same thing as you, clean my chimney at least 3 times a year. I use a wood oil combination furnace in my basement to heat my house with. I strictly burn wood, no Oil because I was ordered to replace a perfectly good, nothing wrong with Furnace Oil Tank, by my Insurance Company.
I removed it, and said screw the new tank. A couple more gallons of gas/mix goes a lot further than a couple of gallons of furnace oil, especially at these prices today.
Bruce.

What happened? Too thin I'll bet. Last time my furnace was cleaned the guy put an anode on the oil tank too counteract the minute electrical charge that thins the tank walls (steel) over time. They also told me my 20yr old boiler was on it's way out and I should buy a new smaller more effiecent one. Nope I'll limp along on this one I told him and just replaced the blast sheild. For as much as I use it (2am too 6am) on really cold nights, I think I'll be ok for a spell. When I do replace it, it will be with a multi-fuel or wood gasification type.

 

[Bruce Hopf]

What happened? Too thin I'll bet. Last time my furnace was cleaned the guy put an anode on the oil tank too counteract the minute electrical charge that thins the tank walls (steel) over time. They also told me my 20yr old boiler was on it's way out and I should buy a new smaller more efficient one. Nope I'll limp along on this one I told him and just replaced the blast shield. For as much as I use it (2am too 6am) on really cold nights, I think I'll be ok for a spell. When I do replace it, it will be with a multi-fuel or wood gasification type.

No there was absolutely nothing wrong with the oil tank. Insurance companies here in Ontario, Canada refuse to insure a tank older than 20 years old, because of fear of leaking, and getting into the water supply. This tank that I removed is 36 years old, and looks just as good as it did the day it was installed. I put it inside my empty pig barn, and put a hand pump on it with a 15' hose. I now use it to store my diesel fuel, for my tractors in it. I have no fear of ground water contamination, if it happens to leak, because of the underfloor pit.
Bruce.

 

[dazdmc]

I just cleaned mine for the first time last week. It has been cleaned before, just not by me. I decided to get the brushes and poles myself because I burn quite a lot of wood, especially pine because I ge it for free (I used to burn more coal). I was speaking to a fireman a couple of months back who told me if I was burning a lot of wood, and especially pine, that I should sweep it at least twice a year as a minimu. I tried to clean it from outside the first time, didn't realise it was so windy until I almost got blown off the ladder as I was tying it on, won't be doing that again. I didn't realise it could be done from inside without leaving a mess. I taped some old sheet round the fireplace, put a slit in the middle for the brush and a hole down the bottom just big enough for my industrial hoover to fit in. Only took 45 minutes and removed a surprising amount of soot build up. I'm glad I have the kit for doing it now as I don't have to wait on other people coming in and then worry about a chimney fire, now I can do it as often as I like and have the piece of mind that it's done.

daz

 

[Bruce Hopf]

I just cleaned mine for the first time last week. It has been cleaned before, just not by me. I decided to get the brushes and poles myself because I burn quite a lot of wood, especially pine because I ge it for free (I used to burn more coal). I was speaking to a fireman a couple of months back who told me if I was burning a lot of wood, and especially pine, that I should sweep it at least twice a year as a minimum. I tried to clean it from outside the first time, didn't realise it was so windy until I almost got blown off the ladder as I was tying it on, won't be doing that again. I didn't realise it could be done from inside without leaving a mess. I taped some old sheet round the fireplace, put a slit in the middle for the brush and a hole down the bottom just big enough for my industrial hoover to fit in. Only took 45 minutes and removed a surprising amount of soot build up. I'm glad I have the kit for doing it now as I don't have to wait on other people coming in and then worry about a chimney fire, now I can do it as often as I like and have the piece of mind that it's done.

daz

I will be doing mine soon, before I start heating again. I at least do it twice throughout the winter. Last winter, because I started heating early, I did it 3 times through the winter. In your case, it's easy, because you have access from the bottom. I have to go up on the roof, and I have too becarfull of ice, an the roof. Bruce.