Okay.... I need help. How would I go about cleaning out fireplace chimmeny? I can't afford to have it done, and got to wondering how 'they' did it before professionals came along. Anyone have any ideas. I know ours has not been cleaned in 3 years, and by the looks of it, none before then. Thanks in advance to all who post here. I love this site, and wondered what I did before I found it.

-- Bear (Barelyknow@aol.com), January 09, 2002

Answers

Response to Unusual How to question

can go get a chimney brush thats the same diameter as the inside of the stack. OR how about a long stick with rags tied to one end and use that as a "scrub brush"

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

I believe I have seen chimney brushes at the larger home building stores. I have never seen this done before but I believe you will have to seal off (if fireplace) the front so your house doesn't get full of soot.

-- george (bngcrview@aol.com), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

Dad would do it with light-weight car snow chains on the end of a long chain, and/or a big rectangular steel brush nailed on the end of a long 2x4. This is on a tall 2-story house.

Getting the proper brush as mentioned would be the best. If you lose or stick something in the chimney, could be a battle or expensive to get it out again, so use common sense! :)

--->Paul

-- paul (ramblerplm@hotmail.com), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

I've never swept a fireplace chimney before but it is a dirty job so blocking off the front sounds reasonable to me!! Wire brushes, and fibre glass rods that screw together as you slide it in. Brush it up and down as you move it down to scrub. it really does take a vigorous action to "clean" it but be careful to get a brush that fits or you can damage the chimney.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

For what it's worth, I've seen a special artificial log advertised that is touted to clean your fireplace chimney. I don't remember what it was called but I think it was available at stores like Home Depot, etc. From everything I've heard and read about it the thing is actually supposed to do the trick. I've not tried it so am only telling you what I've heard. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

Rags tied on the end of stick won't do a thing! The brushes that everyone is talking about is your best bet. They are wire brushes that are REAL stiff and the wire is strong and big. The chain things is also a good bet, but you have to be careful and not hit so hard to crack or damage the inside of the chimney. What you are trying to accomplish is to get off the creosote that has accumulated (not the dust particles - they aren't the problem and burn off). Creosote is like concrete when it hardens and you need the chain and brush to knock off and losen the creostoe and get it out of the chimney. Below is a link for sweep brushes, etc.

You may not be aware, but it is not really expensive to hire a chimney sweep. It runs in the neighborhood of $70 - $100 and you have the peace of mind that it is done right and don't have the worry of chimney fires. There is more to sweeping out a chimney than than just brushing and banging and lots of hidden places that creosote builds up that the average person does not know. Chimney sweeps have to complete a course and pass a test and are certifed. If it were so easy all that would not be required!

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

If you go to the search engines, there are many sites that will tell you (although you will have to wade through the chimney sweep company sites (in other words, go to the web pages section).

That said, I would still pay a certified sweep to do it, make sure they have workman's comp, are licensed, insured, etc. I would rather not be the one to fall off the roof. If you have it done early, (like in June or July), you can often get a discount because it is their slow time-- this time of year you are kind of stuck. Also, if money is a problem, sometimes just cutting back a little here or there will give you enough money to get it done. Good Luck.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

Always burn well seasoned hardwoods, as chimney fires can kill.

I swept our chimney years ago, The best way is to seal (duct tape works well) an operating shopvac hose around the flue, and insert your properly sized chimney cleaning brush into the chimney. Use a down up down motion, as you make your way down, adding extension poles as you go.

You must invest in the equipment, but you can use it forever. This will be the cleanest way. Any way that removes creosote is a step in the right direction.

Inspect/ and clean if necesssary monthly. You can spread out the inspections, as you get the hang of it. Increase inspections as need in later years.

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

Wow. We clean our chimney out every month during wood burning season, as that's our sole source of heat. Our wood stove is in the garage and is ducted through the house. My hubby has one of the chimney brushes mentioned earlier, we bought it at Lowe's. He simply brushes out the chimeny, shop vac's out the stove, and takes the chimney pipe apart and cleans it. He keeps a spare chimney part so he can put one in while he cleans the other. I don't much like being without heat for very long... :)

-- CJ (cjtinkle@getgoin.net), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

We went to Lehmans Hardware and got this device. They come in round or rectangular. You put the device (it's metal) on a long rope and then you also tie another rope to this little handle. You drop it down your chimney from the top. Once it's on the bottom, you pull the rope that is attached to the little handle and the device opens out to the size of your chimney. Then you start pulling it up. You can do this several times for a really dirty chimney. It works great. I am sorry that I don't know what it is, but Lehmans could tell you. I have a link to their site on my page. www.amazinggrazefarm.com Hope this helps.

-- M & M (amazinggraze@valkyrie.net), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

I made a chimney brush by cutting a push broom head to the right diameter and affixing wire brushes to the ends and replaced the handle with an extention handle. Had the girl I was with work it from the roof. She said it was easy to work with.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

We bought a brush too. It screws into the threaded end of a 1/2" PVC adaptor which we connect to a series of PVC pipe while standing on the roof. But the last time I hired a sweep, he said the old way was to put your snow chains in a gunny sack and tie it to a rope, lower it up and down the walls of the chimney, being careful not to destroy brittle masonry in the process.

-- Dwight (summit1762@aol.com), January 09, 2002.

Response to Unusual How to question

Well.... thanks folks for all the good advice. The snow chains are out due to the fact we barely have snow in the south. I will do some looking around for brushes. Hey.. I have an idea!!!! I could take the velcro off DH pants and use that!!! Maybe that way I can kill 2 birds with one stone. I can use the velcro for the chimmeny, and maybe his butt won't stay stuck in the recliner! (Teasing slightly)

-- Bear (Barelyknow@aol.com), January 09, 2002.

I used one of those openiing chimney cleaners that M&M talked about, they do a good job. I have tried the Chain method, a 20' chain get mighty heavy when your up on the roof on a ladder. Chimney brushes are cheap enough, they can be weighted and worked up and down with a rope. Years ago I use a Thornapple tree about 3" in diameter, branches and all and shoved it up and down my masonary chimneys but they were short, 12'.

-- hendo (redgate@echoweb.net), January 10, 2002.

I hire mine done. As Rick said, burn only well seasoned hardwoods, it decreases the need to clean as often. Mine is cleaned/inspected every 3 years.

-- Rog (rw285@isoc.net), January 10, 2002.

Resist the products that claim to dissolve the creosote when burned. They also dissolve your chimney.

-- David in OR. (dgriff@hotmail.com), January 11, 2002.

We had a fireplace and later an Ashley wood heater in our last house and a fireplace with insert in this one. My husband bought brushes to fit the chimney or stovepipe, I believe at a building supply place like Lowe's or Home Depot. As I recall, the brushes are not that expensive--considerably less than hiring the job done once. He just removed the cap from the top and ran the brush on its long handle (which comes in sections, making it easier to store) down the pipe or chimney flue and brushed up and down vigorously. A lot of hardened creosote fell down into the fireplace or the wood stove. I had to reach inside the wood stove and remove some of the stuff from the elbow where the stovepipe enters the stove. And yes, it is messy and will probably get a lot of ash out in the house even if you have your stove door closed or the front of the chimney covered. It might be that an old sheet draped over the stove or the fireplace doors might keep some of it from spreading through the house. Be sure to give your chimney cap a good scrubbing with a wire brush while you have it off. And I'm sure everybody would know you have to have your stove cold when you do this. We were told to throw a handful of salt into the fire once a week or so to help keep the creosote buildup down, and it did seem to help.

-- Pat Burroughs (pburroughs@clnk.com), January 12, 2002.

We just did ours today, took less than 45 min start to finish, but we have a relatively short chimney, my brush cost about $12 and we tied a small pipe wrench on for a weight useing a yellow poly rope to work the brush up and down in short then long strokes. We put a small waste paper bucket under the end of the flue pipe inside with an old towel wraped around the pipe and the top of the bucket to seal it to catch the mess then cleaned the flue pipe out in the yard, by working the brush back and forth from each end. Then put it all back together and wiped the stove down with a wet rag. All done....

-- Thumper (slrldr@yahoo.com), January 12, 2002.