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Post by 10point on Dec 10, 2012 12:42:37 GMT -5
Bought my house in 2004 and had the chimney cleaned when we bought it. Have only used the fireplace around the holidays since then. Haven't had it cleaned since. Is there a way I can know if it needs cleaned? Want to be safe but also don't want to waste money.
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Post by firstwd on Dec 10, 2012 13:06:39 GMT -5
Yes, hire a licensed inspector/cleaner. Some insurance policies will not cover a loss if a biofuel chimney is not porfessionally inspected each year. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
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Post by Boilermaker on Dec 10, 2012 13:09:57 GMT -5
I know we used to do ours every 5 or 6 years growing up. It's better safe than sorry I guess. I remember bein a little kid at my grandparent's and seeing "fireworks" coming out of the flue one Christmas. My parents have a long handled brush made for sweeping chimneys; but I'm not sure if you can buy one anymore these days. May want to check Menards or Lowes?
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Post by danf on Dec 10, 2012 20:44:26 GMT -5
You can still get the brushes. Ace should have them, maybe even Tractor Supply. I swept mine every year in Roachdale, but I ran 10+ cord through my stove there per season. Never got horrible, but it was also a vertical flue with no bends so the gases never had much time to cool before they got to the roof.
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Post by steiny on Dec 10, 2012 21:32:21 GMT -5
A chimney is easy to clean, and unless you are smoldering your fire or burning high creasote wood, you won't have to do it very often. Get a flashlight and look down it from the top or have someone shine one up from below and you will see if the walls are coated with much of anything. Flue brushes can be purchased at most farm stores or on line at someplace like northern tool. A couple passes with the brush and you are generally good to go. Pretty darned easy to do. You can do it by yourself if you have the extension handles or drop a rope down the flue, tie on the brush and pull it up through a few passes.
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Post by kevin1 on Dec 15, 2012 13:11:25 GMT -5
There is a product called Creosote Sweeping Log that you can burn occasionally to reduce creosote build up, between that and an annual cleaning you should be fine.
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