Swept My Chimney

[dorkweed]

Haven't been able to do it this burning season due to the cold and the snow.  Anyhow, got up there today and got it done.  Cap looked the worst, but that's to be expected as it's the coldest part.  Wound up with just under 5 cups (measured) of brown, fluffy creosote/soot.  

 

Last year, being my first year burning, I swept once a month just to gauge how I was doing. Never got more than 2 cups then. I was able to get up on the roof regularly also!!

 

I have about 5 feet of double walled stove pipe going into 11 feet of stainless chimney pipe.  I don't think the amount I got is bad at all.  Probably would've been less had I gotten more wood into my shed before the snow came, and then never left!!!!

[Mopar1973Man]

Wow! I wish... I swept ours out in October because it was nearly plugged tight. I pulled out enough to fill a 5 gallon bucket half way. Then again it started to plug up around January when it was darn cold. Again another half of a 5 gallon bucket.

 

I typically light the fire run the pyrometer up to 1,200 to 1,400*F and let it sit and cook for a bit. Then turn it down to day running and it stews at 600-800*F most of the day. My bad spot is the top 2 foot of chimney where its the coldest and doesn't hold enough heat to keep it clean.

[flagmanruss]

We usually clean the stack once a year unless it needs more...  3 story masonry chimney on the outside of the house...  brick section through the wall with a round thimble.  We have 6 sections of steel pipe inside the house.  We take the steel pipe down...  monthly.  Horizontal sections are riveted together.  Thimble in one end, a support wire half way, elbow over the stove.  We bang on the pipe, tip it into a coal bucket, half fills it each time.  The thimble is the coldest part & we push the big flakes out into the chimney with a stick.   

[dorkweed]

Wow! I wish... I swept ours out in October because it was nearly plugged tight. I pulled out enough to fill a 5 gallon bucket half way. Then again it started to plug up around January when it was darn cold. Again another half of a 5 gallon bucket.

 

I typically light the fire run the pyrometer up to 1,200 to 1,400*F and let it sit and cook for a bit. Then turn it down to day running and it stews at 600-800*F most of the day. My bad spot is the top 2 foot of chimney where its the coldest and doesn't hold enough heat to keep it clean.

 

 

Mike, sounds like you're wood isn't dry enough if'n you're getting that much creosote up there.

[Clunk]

Back when I heated with wood, I'd get a good fire going, close the damper and nearly close the draft on the wood stove. After a coupla months, the inside of the chimney would be glossy black with creosote, oozing to the base of the fireplace and clogging the condensate drain hole, which stinks very much bad and irritates Mrs. Clunk.

After unclogging the hole, scraping up the creosote and laying down aluminum foil to catch creosote, I'd be good for another coupla months.

Mrs. Clunk was bad about letting the fire burn down, loading in a lotta firewood, opening the ash pan door to get the fire restarted quick, then leave it open. Poor old stove would turn into a blast furnace and light off the creosote.....looked like an upside down skyrocket and nearly burned the house down twice.

I'm old now and we heat with a heat pump, the fireplace is for small decoration fires but I put the old wood stove in my little shop and burn used motor oil, WITH NO DAMPER...free flowing exhaust now.