chimney sweep

[mlchorn]

how often should you have this done?
i probably burn around 25 - 35 fires per winter and last had the chimney cleaned in 2002.
is it time to have it done again or can I wait another year?

 

[NickDanger]

It depends on what you have been burning. Other than a little pinon, I only burn very seasoned oak. It takes me 4 or 5 years to get much buildup, but then again, my flue is 24 x 42.

 

[mlchorn]

mostly well seasoned oak also
i'm not exactly sure how big the flue is but i do have a pretty big (wide and deep) fireplace

 

[NickDanger]

I was able to actually show how Santa could fit. There are 3 fireplaces and two old furnaces that shared the flue. Coons and cats used to use it to get in and out of my house. I think it has a sort of a spiral staircase in it.

 

[wolfman]

I worked a part time job as a chimney sweep many years ago. I believe that the recommendation was to have the chimney cleaned after every 2nd cord of wood burned. At the rate that you burn probably once every 3 years or so should be OK. But that is just a rule of thumb.

The best way to know though is to look. If you open the damper and shine a flashlight up the chimney and see lots of black powdery residue clinging to the walls of the chimney it is time to get it cleaned for sure.

 

[horn4life]

Just trap your self big old raccon, one of those 30 pounders. Tie a rope around it's tail and drop it down the chimney and pull it back very slowly to the top. That should pretty much knock off any carbon buildup and be MUCH more exciting to your neighbors than just paying a chimney sweep.

 

[NickDanger]

Why you wanna be mean to a coon? Tie a couple or 3 cats together instead.

 

[horn4life]

Nick I was thinking of the neighbors!

I don't know if pulling three soot covered cats out of the chimney would be exciting. However I GUARANTEE that perched upon a ladder and dragging out a pissed off, soot covered, 30 pound racoon will be exciting! Probably make a legend in more ways than one of the man who extracted the soot covered beast...