Chimney Safety

David Stifle

David Stifle

Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
10,188
Darn! I misspelled safety in the title. Well...every year one or two houses in my area burn down because of chimney fires, sometimes with tragic results.
I have a wood stove attached to a brick chimney, and I've been using a chemical you throw on the fire. It's supposed to dissolve the cresote and tars, making it safer. But, I'm wondering if I should get a chimneysweep. How do you guys address this issue?
 
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Guess my last post didnt make it.

YES get it swept. From my understanding is that those chemical logs or whatever they are cause the creosote to become more powdery but not necessarily get rid of it all. It does make it way easier to clean. If you can depending on your roof and your idea of a challenge get one of the brushes at lowes or whatever, get a buddy to help and run it thru a couple of times then you will be good to go.

I have one of those high efficiency wood stoves and I will sweep mine after every winter. There isnt usually much of anything in it but I would rather do that then risk a chimney fire.
 
that's what my neighbor does - chain pull brush from Lowes at the beginning and end of heating season.
 
Thanks again Stacey.

I have to go up on the roof anyway to clean out the gutters. Guess I'll get the brush and take care of it while I'm up there. Thanks, guys.
 
The sweeps may have a TV camera which can be lowered and the chimney completely inspected.They have other tools also. I let the sweep clean it the end of esach season.Don't take chances.Don't take chances !! I passed a chimney fire yesterday in progress. The FD fortunately got it out quickly.
 
Develop a routine and clean your chimney on a regular bases. I typically burn 7 bush cords of dry seasoned birch in a forced air woodfurnace with a chimney that goes up 3 storys. Due to the length of the chimney I have to do monthly cleanings to be safe. If you have a long chimney going up more than one level, and use the wood burner regularly as a main heat source frequent cleanings may be required. Between sweepings I sprinkle on the chimney cleaning compounds found in hardware strores. These products are not a substitute for sweeping, but rather help out to loosen the crud and help keep the combustion chamber cleaner.

Each time I light the fire I start a hot and intense fire to help clear the chimney and get the pipes and furnace quickly up to operating temperature to reduce the condensation of creosote. When I designed and installed this wood furnace 30 years ago I made sure that I could clean the chimney from the basement behind the furnace. I simply pull off the clean out cap at the base of the chimney T fitting and push the fiberglass flexible rods with the brush up the stack. It takes me 15 minutes to do the job and never have to go up on the roof. I collect the sweepings and burn those in the fire, being pure carbon it burns hot and long.
 
Thanks for the tips, Bufford. As a matter of fact, I've called a chimney service to come out here to clean both my chimneys. I'm pretty sure they haven't been cleaned in the past twenty years or so. I'm not even using the stoves again until the chimneys are properly serviced.
 
Where I live it is mandetory to get your chimney cleaned.
Don't know if it is actual law or the insurance company, but I like the idea to be safe.
 
Great advice - a neighbor two houses down had a chimney fire this weekend. It pays to keep up the regular maintenance!

TedP
 
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