Coalpail.com Forum

I just got done cleaning my chimney and to this day I still cant believe how much crud comes out!! How many times do you guys clean your chimneys and how many sweeps up and down do you all do with your brush? Cheers!

I just clean the flue pipe and whatever is in the chimney cleanout...no brushing.

I am embarrassed to tell what I found today For 28 years prior, I burned a Buderus hand fed. The first few years I used to sweep the chimney. I soon realized there was very little accumulation at the base of the chinmey after sweeping. So all I would do is vacuum the base and be done every fall. Well today I decided to sweep after 2 years of burning with the new Keystoker 90. I was amazed at the amount of ash at the thimble which is my cleanout. There had to be 2 gallons of ash vs a mere 2 quarts with the hand fed. Have others had the same experience?

Been here 8 years & haven't cleaned it once. Just the connector pipe & the oil boiler's heat exchanger.

I'm afraid I'll knock the damn thing down if I run a brush through there. It's barely standing ...

I brush huh mine out once a year. Usually in the spring. I use the brush until my arms get tired. Then I vacuum it out.

Holy Crap! Be careful breathing by that chimney!

once at the end of every season--a couple full length brushings whether it looks like it needs it or not--- empty clean out, check cap & walla, ready for next season.

freetown fred wrote:once at the end of every season--a couple full length brushings whether it looks like it needs it or not--- empty clean out, check cap & walla, ready for next season.

Do you get much out of it? I can't imagine it is much more than a few handfulls of flyash.

A stoker will put more flyash in your pipes and chimney that a hand fed. The stoker has a forced draft that will blow the lighter particles of ash into the pipes where a hand fed depends on draft. With a hand fed only the smallest particles will travel up into the pipes and chimney.

Mornin Rob, nope a couple handfuls pretty much covers it. Mornin Ivan Then it always seems a couple starlings get throught the cap,hang out for a while & leave. They get whatever I've missed. Gotta love em.

Ivan has been up every hour since 1 am.

Back to the chimney, I don't even have a brush to sweep it . 32' of 8x12" flue, with an offset about 15' up. It does collect some flyash, but not enough to hinder performance.

Hell, us old guys gotta do something after all the kids leave the nest.