How To Clean Your Chimney + Testing a Creosote Log

How to clean a chimney. Testing a creosote log.

[davidgagnon]

The before and after shots said it all. What a difference. I would not have expected that. Thanks for another great video.

[MagnificentMurphy]

You did a better job than the fireplace cleaning company I just paid to clean our fireplace!

[guysolis]

I was cool watching you leap up there on your truck to gain access to your chimney. I'm not so acrobatic any more but yeah, the Creosote Log makes the sticky creosote dry up and easy to remove. My previous stove couldn't get hot enough to give me a fighting chance and I was on the roof every week with my brush. I forgot one week and we had a chimney fire. The sound was unforgettable but I was able to stick my fire extinguisher up there and put it out. We bought another stove, a fancy one and it's satisfies all the EPA doo doo and it burned hot. The stove stopped drawing and I went on the roof and the flu cap was a mess, it was 75% plugged and the pipe was just as bad...I was amazed. And this set up has no way to put a flu fire out with an extinguisher..It's been about a month later and now it's having trouble drawing. From the stove up it looks good...now to check the manual..stay safe..

[RyanIngram]

This was one of the most helpful videos I’ve ever seen. Thank you.

[adrianrog]

I used to burn in an insert with no liner, then I had a chimney fire. I lined the chimney and man what a difference. It drafted so much better and cleaning was super easy. I highly recommend installing a chimney liner

[CCWSig]

I don’t know why all the haters, I don’t know much about sweeping the chimney, but looks to me like you did fine. Thanks for posting.

[DoubleDogDare]

My understanding is the chemical in those logs is actually TSP, like you use to rough up paint before you repaint in your house. It eats away at the shiny creosote and makes what's left easier to remove. I have sweeps do the work (no way I'm getting up on the roof...too old) and I've had them comment they can tell I've been using the sweeper logs. I use the logs several times a season and also throw in a scoop of creosote remover powder every few days for good measure. I was told to use the log, burn two weeks of hot fires, then have the chimney swept. Let the chemicals really eat away at the shiny creosote and turn it to powder.

Another thing I do beside burning bone dry wood is use 50% fuel blocks. They produce virtually zero creosote. I start with dry wood then use fuel blocks with the dry wood. A little pricey but they burn well once you get a fire started and lessen the build up of creosote significantly.

[crazycoyote]

As they mentioned- dust mask will keep you playing with your loved ones for many more years to come!!
Thanks for a very good and down to earth video!!
And if I may- you can get another decade of good roof, if you’ll scrub it and spay two coats of a good paint.
And a stainless flex insert will draft better and burn less wood for the same or more BTU.

[fiorevitola]

I have used them for years and found that they are working for me. Thanks for your post.

[adosha]

Hey here's something I saw a professional do, cordless drill an a extension rod type brush and he went to town and did a superb job

[jeffselchow]

LOL, "make sure you put picking your nose in there, oh I'm still on camera" Love That.

[BackwoodsGourmetChannel]

Wes @Fall Line ridge is the ONLY MILLENNIAL that has ever performed this task!

[BG-xhrb]

Great video! I brush out mine 3-4 times during the burning season.

[galationso]

Thank you for the suggestions. I wonder if I should wear a mask when I clean the fireplace?

[louiefuerst]

ENJOY watching another doing his work, still do mine yearly only because seasoned wood, when I put my new incert in my paperwork telling to put at least 6 ft. pipe to stove for proper draw on draft, there was no shinny black below top of pipe. Can see how that made a difference big time on my drafting, it changed incert to be completely different for the good, stay safe n happy burning

[summawub]

Love that last shot! What a pretty woods you live in!

[gregmislick]

Nice cleaning job - If you (or anyone) use a wood stove - consider replacing with a newer one which has the "new" EPA design to the firebox. They run with a hotter flue temp ( 400 - 600 F is not uncommon - and after 40 years of "old style" wood stoves I was freaked out over this let me tell you...kept trying to find the chimney fire) and arguably more heat is lost up the stack than older stoves - BUT - I was up there this spring to clean the pipe out after far too long, and discovered that after about 35 cords of wood burned ( since a brush went down the pipe ) my pipe was almost as clean as JD's AFTER he cleaned it. I keep checking but keep finding nothing that I can brush out.
I have a slight advantage, in my flue there was a 7" round stainless liner inserted in the flu, and at the top end the gap around the pipe is sealed in with mortar, so I have a trapped air blanket around the flue liner, so it warms up quickly, and once it warms up it tends to stay warm ( I guess). Anyway, the "new' design fire boxes, which have both a secondary combustion chamber and introduce fresh "cold" air to the top of the primary firebox so that there is enough oxygen for a good burn of the gasses in the secondary section run very clean. I happen to have a long length of pipe between the stove and the chimney so I get a bunch of this heat back coming off the pipe, but the brick on of the chimney on the 2nd floor will still get warm to the touch, so there is a lot of heat going up the stack.
I'm still able to keep a pre 1840 uninsulated house of 2700 sq feet livable without the gas furnace most of the time here in the snow belt on about 5 cords of wood / year, so they don't really suck down more wood

[lisamanning]

THE ONLY THING I WOULD DO IS WEAR MASK . THAT DUST CAUSES SO MANY ISSUES ON YOUR HEALTH. OTHER THEN THAT GREAT JOB

[eagle]

You say you are not a professional, and maybe you are not, but your photography when looking down the chimney certainly looks professional. Good job.

[markthorpe]

i use those logs often in my woodburner as i dont want a chimney fire.although it says burn them on their own not on logs.good to see they actually work though..with the before and after chimney swept that creosote did clear...good video thankyou