Chimney Sweeping | How to Clean a Chimney

 Overview:

Many Home owners with woodstoves and fireplaces do not realize that the chimney itself can actually catch fire. Chimney fires can be one of the most and destructive fire hazards in your home. When a chimney catches fire it involve the burning highly concentrated and toxic creosote and soot that collects on the inside walls of the chimney.

The resulting carcinogens from a chimney fire can have a devastating effect on your home’s walls and the atmosphere, which continues long after the fire has been extinguished. If you have a wood burning stove or a fireplace in your home you need to do regular chimney cleaning. Chimney maintenance in the form of chimney sweeping is an easy DIY task. The cost of chimney cleaning by a professional chimney sweep can be expensive.

The process of cleaning a chimney is quite straightforward. Most DIY homeowners can do their own chimney sweeping if they follow a few basic guidelines on how to clean a chimney and have the right tools. With the proper chimney cleaning equipment, patience and caution, you can remove the creosote and soot from your chimney and improve the effectiveness of your wood burning stove and fireplace as well as prevent a chimney fire.

The first step to any chimney sweeping process is to evaluate your chimney. Depending on the size of your flue, the height of your chimney and the lining involved, you may need to seek out specialized tools. Assuming your chimney is like most, the only thing you need to know is the height and diameter of the chimney.

Most home supply centers carry all the tools you need to sweep your chimney. They include brushes, brush poles or rope that are be required to reach the full length of the chimney.  Many professional chimney sweeps recommend purchasing a creosote scraper to help dislodge chunks that the brushes cannot dislodge. Always use proper safety equipment such as a dust mask and safety goggles.

Cleaning fireplace chimney:

If your are cleaning a fire place that does not have fireplace doors, lay a tarp or sheeting on the floor of your fireplace and open the damper. Place more sheeting over the opening to the fireplace itself to ensuring a tight seal to prevent dust and soot from entering the room. Open any windows nearby so you get plenty of ventilation once the process is complete.

Climb on the roof using a sturdy ladder. The actual cleaning is accomplished by attaching the brush to the brush rods the and passing the brush down the chimney several times.  Never go up on the roof in icy conditions or when the roof has frost on it. If you are using the rope method you will need a second person at the bottom to pull the rope with brush attached down the chimney. Attach the rope to the brush and pull it up and down several times.

Use a flashlight to determine if the walls are clean. If there are hard patches of creosote still stuck to the chimney walls attach the scraper to the brush rods and scrape it off. The debris will fall down the chimney into the fireplace. Remove the tarp from the fireplace and collect the ash, dust, and debris into a trash container.  The final step is to inspect the chimney for cracks. If there are cracks in the chimney or liner, consult with a mason for recommended repairs before using the fireplace. 

Cleaning the wood burning stove chimney:

Follow the same steps as cleaning a fireplace chimney using the brush rod or rope method.

The only difference is that the chimney has a clean out door at the bottom of the chimney. Depending on the amount of debris, it will have to be removed several times during the chimney sweeping process. When completed, clean all the debris from the bottom of the chimney and use a flashlight to determine if it is thoroughly clean. Put away your tools and enjoy your fireplace or woodstove.

Depending on how much wood you burn a year will depend on how often you will need to clean the chimney. Use a mirror and flashlight to determine when the chimney requires another cleaning. If you burn wet wood it will require cleaning more often than if you use dry wood.

That is all there is to it.

Related articles:

Chimney Fire Prevention

Cleaning a Woodstove Pipe

Fireplace and Woodstove Safety

Fireplace Efficiency