reminder: CLEAN YOUR CHIMNEY

[wildbio]

Here's a picture of our dirty chimney pipe. It was installed last summer and hadn't been cleaned at all until now (one full season of burning pine/fir - 10+ cords). It was a mix of ash and creosote that came out easily with one pass of the brush

 

[wildbio]

can anyone see the picture? this is the 1st time i've tried to use flicker

 

[danlauer6]

no pic

 

[wildbio]

i'll try it the old-fashioned way

 

[Adkpk]

How many cords? How much time? Looks like hell down there. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[JPP]

Pine will do that.
You probably don't have much choice in wood where you live, but this is why I will never burn pine in my woodstove.
I had similar results in my fireplace years ago when I burned pine exclusively one year.
At least it was easy to clean for you.
I had a creosite glaze on my chimney that took LOTS of scrubbing and work to clean, and not all of it came out.

 

[Dibbs]

Wildbio's picture:-

 

[joecool85]

Here's a picture of our dirty chimney pipe. It was installed last summer and hadn't been cleaned at all until now (one full season of burning pine/fir - 10+ cords). It was a mix of ash and creosote that came out easily with one pass of the brush

Looks ugly. Was the wood well seasoned? Also, I took the liberty of fixing your image link.

 

[wildbio]

Dibbs and/or Joecool85 -Thanx for fixing the link to the pic.

I'm guessing that it was maybe 10 cords of seasoned (standing dead for a few years) lodgepole and Douglas Fir. It was a long/cold winter here in Montana and used the stove as our primary heating source. Due to a new baby last fall i didn't have time to get all the wood in that I needed so got it as I could...and some was pretty resinous. The flue is insulated triple-wall but it exits the roof on the down slope side of the pitch so there is alot of exposed pipe outside (and in a high wind area) which allows the smoke to cool on it's way out (and we never have a great draft). As mentioned it did come out easily and was fluffy ash mixed with flakes of creosote. Becuase of the steep roof pitch (12pitch) and the height of the chimney above the roof, I moved the stove out and had it cleaned from the bottom (inside). The pic is taken looking up the 6" flue.
This convinces me to buy the brush and rods and do it once a month during the heating season.

 

[Hugenpoet]

Thanks for the good heads up to the group. I'd already scheduled my Sweep to come on May 24. Be all ready for next winter.

 

[Dibbs]

I'd already scheduled my Sweep to come on May 24.

My Birthday is on May 24, I hope I'll get something nicer than a visit from a Chimney Sweep.

 

[ray benson]

We usually do at least 2 cleanings. One around Christmas and the other at the end of the season (May).

 

[mga]

ok....i must be doing something wrong here. i bought my house back in 1979 and have never cleaned the chimney. when i look inside the flue from the roof, it might have a thin coat of black on it, but in some parts i can see the clay tiles. the flashlight doesn't show much going on all the way down either.

either my fires must be extremely hot or someone did a fine job of building the chimney. however, since i'm sitting here bragging about it, i better clean it this summer because we all know what happens when you brag about something.....

off to ebay to price some brushes.......

 

[Mike Van]

mga, I've heard those Duro-flame logs leave no soot at all! Just a joke, you are truly lucky with that chimney, I could start my own creosote store here.

 

[Sprig]

Alot to be said about the once every two days really hot kindling burn, especially with air-tights since people tend to have long smoldering fires in them regardless of the wood's seasoning/type (obviously not green though eh), smoldering fire with well seasoned rain-soaked wood will lay about as much soot/creosote on the pipes as green crap. Never take yer chimneys forgranted.
Burn and work safe All!!!!



Serge

 

[Hugenpoet]

My Birthday is on May 24, I hope I'll get something nicer than a visit from a Chimney Sweep.

I hope you get a new truck, a couple of great new saws, the trailer rig of your choice, a visit from Scarlett Johansson, and whatever else your heart desires.

However, my birthday isn't until August, so I'll gladly settle for a visit from the Sweep on one of my 364 "Un-Birthdays".

 

[PA Plumber]

ok....i must be doing something wrong here. i bought my house back in 1979 and have never cleaned the chimney. when i look inside the flue from the roof, it might have a thin coat of black on it, but in some parts i can see the clay tiles. the flashlight doesn't show much going on all the way down either.

either my fires must be extremely hot or someone did a fine job of building the chimney. however, since i'm sitting here bragging about it, i better clean it this summer because we all know what happens when you brag about something.....

off to ebay to price some brushes.......

That wouldn't happen to be a chimney that runs up the interior of the house, would it?

 

[wkpoor]

I wait till Sept to sweep mine. That way it has all summer to dry and most will flake off on its own. One yr I had several birds go down the pipe. They actually did the job for me. Clean as a whistle from them flapping there wings to get out. Other thing is create a small short chimney fire first fireup of the season and burn out what didn't fall down.Works for minimal creosote buildup.

 

[cjk]

Just cleaned mine saturday. Got about 2 gallons of stuff out of it. Not bad for burning since last september. Seems about the same as last year.

Its an insulated stainless chimney inside the old brick one in the middle of the house. About 20' tall and hooked up to a small Morso stove. We usually keep it burning full blast till bed time and then damp it down so we have coals in the morning.

 

[wildbio]

Well, I just discovered that the chimney cleaner I hired left me with a clogged pipe....found it out the hard way. Couldn't get the fire to start tonight...no draft at all. So I moved the stove out from under the pipe and ran an electricians wire snake up it. There was a plug of soot/creosote that was blocking the flue. The guy must have thought he reached the top and then pulled the brush out....but obviously he stopped short and left a plug in the pipe. The snake got through it (and brought the soot etc. down) so it's drafting well now. I will be putting a stop payment on the check I gave him tomorrow (he was leaving for Hawaii this afternoon otherwise I'd call and get my money back). AND I ordered rods and a brush to DO IT MYSELF next time.