How To Clean Your Chimney

Cleaning our chimney was once something that I thought was too complicated or required a special set of tools. Now, each year I can take care of this in under an hour. Demonstrated here is how to clean a chimney with a wood stove insert. The process would be similar for a stand alone wood stove or traditional fireplace.

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[gobear]

I was in the wood stove business selling solid fuel burning appliances …we offered a sweep service and one of the most important things that came to the surface during the course on safety and technics on cleaning was to alway were a mask when cleaning the chimney or outdoor furnace… all of that dust is really toxic .

[EngineersHomestead]

When you replace the chimney cap, I'd recommend extending it out over the bricks to create a drip edge. Our chimney and cap was pretty bad and we ended having it rebuilt from roof up due to lots of popped brick faces due to water infiltration.

[charlesvaughn]

thanks for the video and information about cleaning the chimney. have a great day.

[alec]

My brother in laws father was a chimney sweep for 35 years until he retired. One great tip he taught me is to bring a clamp up with you so you can clamp it on the shaft of the brush so it doesn't fall town the chimney. That way you don't have to pull the whole unit out to add another section.

[CrochetNewsNetwork]

Excellent video. I did not know it was that easy as I’m getting a wood stove by end of December. Also I LOVE the Scripture verse at then end of video. Blessings.

[trulylynn]

Thank you for this. I know it can be challenging. I have an old fire place and I bought the supplies for 1 tenth the amount it cost to have someone do it at 500.00 not including any repairs.

[benholler]

Great video and absolutely nothing wrong with your advice. I just want to say that as a pro I use a similar setup but prefer to clean from inside through the stove. A drop cloth Infront and a vacuum hose in the stove controls the dust.

But again nicely done

[theresad]

If walking on the roof wasn't an issue for me I'd love to do this myself. I was just mentioning the other day that I need to get my chimney cleaned. Nice tutorial. Thanks for sharing your practical knowledge with us.

[dovely]

I grew up in a slapped together 2 room Appalachia home with cinder blocks for a chimney. My mother never had the chimney cleaned in 20 years before she changed to oil. I'd never heard of chimney cleaning until later on and became quite spooked that we had to have been susceptible to fire. About 10 years ago, I installed a wood stove into my home. I was about halfway through the winter when I suspected a chimney fire. My boy looked outside and said flames were shooting from the chimney. I closed down the stove tight, and it smothered out. I think that happened because the wood wasn't properly seasoned at all. I cleaned the chimney and stove right away. I am thinking of installing a stove back into that old Appalachia home, but I don't know if that chimney is even up to code. Nevertheless, it must be pretty safe, so I may clean it out and do it.

[mvblitzyo]

most excellent thanks for a great how too video . I can and will do this next time ..

[judymckerrow]

We had our chimney cleaned several years ago, the guy that cleaned it said it was really pretty clean. For some reason every year starlings try to make their nest in our chimney and end up clawing, scratching their way down the chimney into the wood stove we then have to let them out and hopefully they fly out the patio door. Just my thoughts but I think they end up cleaning the chimney. 🍁🍂🍁💚🙃

[KeMa]

Hi.

In Finland it is mandatory by the law to use professionals to clean chimneys once a year and they have to notify local fire department when it has been done. Do they check these all the time? Propably not. But in case of burning your house down they certainly will.

In holiday houses I think it is every two years to be cleaned.

You can certainly do it by your self for addition if you burn lots of wood and many people do so.

Also I have only oil heating and stainless steel pipe inside actual brick chimney. And that must also to be cleaned by the law. Even though there is nothing to be cleaned 🤣 when burner is working properly.

Only natural gas burners/ chimneys are free of mandatory cleaning in Finland.

[superbee]

That what i did got a tube of driveway, patio, cement repair, to seal the cracks up > Then i used a fire proof cement over the top of the cap, about 1/2" thick > Cause the cap must be getting hot to crack the cement. If that don't stop it form cracking next year i will bust the cap down and replace with fire proof cement. or cap it with metal plates

[johnsellers]

I just left a comment to another guy saying he can’t get on his roof so he made a tool to run up through to the top to clean all the creosote off the bird proof caps. I’ve cleaned my chimney pipe for almost 30 years, but the last couple years I’m becoming less stable and my knees are shot and not only hurt but my movements have to be carefully done and I don’t want to fall off my roof. So I explained to this other gentleman that if he can’t afford to have a pro come to clean it, that he could maybe get a young kid or adult to help him if he gets everything out and has the tools and things all ready for his friend or neighbor and even holds the ladder for him that for 40 bucks or even less someone will probably do it. 40 bucks cash for an hours work, I would have helped a neighbor if they needed me to do it for less or free or whatever. I can’t see cleaning from bottom up. To much dust and black creosote gets on you and in the house that way. I’m sure you helped give someone the confidence to do it themselves. It’s not hard. But if you’re not in good enough condition then get someone to help you if you can’t afford a professional.

[jgjg]

Do you leave the flue closed while sweeping from the top on the roof? You have a wood stove door you could close too, but my fireplace is huge and open on 3 sides, so there's no door to close to keep the ash dust down. Do you keep the flue closed, then open and let it all fall out after sweeping? Common sense tells me to leave it closed, but I want to make sure. lol

[ablelock]

I think it’s much more efficient to use a brush with attachments to extend the pole to clean the chimney. I think you get a better job.

[superbee]

I have used my fireplace over 15 years, Cause i remember the smoke smell in the house. This year i open it up look down into the chimney. My surprise it was clean as a whistle 👍 Those Creosote Logs really works good. I think a cast iron insert would make it more heat efficient ~ There way over priced. So i used it 3 time this year so far> Main reason is? I got so many oak trees down, and i' am going to make fire wood out of them, and use the fire place. There no smoke smell in the house

[johnfal]

What if you didn't have power tools? Is there an Amish way?

[judymckerrow]

Todd and family, maybe you could go out looking at the fall colors and end up on my side of the state. Then maybe Todd could have a look at our chimney for us ? My husbands too old to go on the roof anymore and I don’t know if I really want to spend the $100.00 plus dollars to have someone “clean” it. It probably should be inspected though it’s getting a little older. So if you feel like taking drive……. JK 🍁🍂🍁💚🙃

[cliffpalermo]

Do you light a crazy hot fire a couple times a season? Just wondering if normal/mild fires add to buil up. I light a couple super hot fires every year. Gotta check for whats up there now.