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Keep Your Chimney Clean

When & with what equipment?

Keep Your Chimney Clean

Keeping chimneys clean is the other key step in preventing chimney fires. If you don't use your fireplace very often, or you just moved, you might not know whether your chimney is clean or not.

The following signs indicate a chimney in need of a cleaning:

• Burned wood odors coming from the fireplace when it's not being used.

• Fires that seem to burn poorly or that dump a bunch of smoke into the room.

• A black damper. Since it sits right above the firebox, the damper is often the easiest thing to see and reach. And it gets caked with creosote. Look or reach inside, and see what you can find. If you see black gunk or you can pull out chunks of the stuff, there's a good amount of creosote built up inside.

How often you need to clean your chimney depends a great deal on how much you use it. The kinds of fires you build and the type of wood you use also govern frequency. As a rule of thumb, it's a good idea to have chimneys cleaned at least once a year, usually before cold weather sets in. Some people prefer to do it in the spring, and some chimney sweeps offer special promotions at this time of year to keep business going. This is fine, too, but scheduling a fall cleaning will also clear out anything that might have fallen into the chimney during the summer.

Most people hire chimney sweeps. We recommend it as well. It's dirty work, and not something that's okay to do half-way. A certified, well-trained sweep will do a better job in a shorter amount of time than you can. Look for someone who is credentialed by the National Chimney Sweep Guild or the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

You can, however, clean your chimney yourself. Here's what you'll need:

• Ladder for climbing onto the roof.

• Drop cloth or old sheet to cover fireplace opening, and additional drop cloths or sheets to cover any rugs or furniture in the area.

• Duct tape or another product for attaching the drop cloth or sheet to the fireplace opening.

• Vacuum cleaner with crevice attachment. If you plan on making chimney cleaning a regular habit, you might want to think about investing in a vacuum designed for exactly this.

• Chimney rod and brushes. You can buy these at some hardware and home stores, or from a chimney sweep supplier. Some fire departments keep brushes and rods for people to borrow to clean their chimneys.

• Stiff-bristled cleaning brush. Buy one with a long handle for easier access to the damper.

• Broom for sweeping up ash and other debris.

• Eye protection, gloves, and a dust mask. While you can get away with a cloth mask, a respirator mask is strongly recommended. You don't want to inhale creosote dust or soot.

• Old clothes. Wear things you won't mind getting dirty.

• Flashlight, for checking your work.

How?

There are a couple of different ways to clean a chimney. We'll give you the preferred method, which is from the top of the chimney down. If possible, do it when the chimney is still warm from a fire. Creosote is easier to remove from warm surfaces. But make sure the fire is completely out:

In the Nick of Time

If you're going to be serious about cleaning your own chimney, and do a good job of it, be sure to buy the right size of brush for the job. To determine this, you'll need your chimney's interior measurements, which are taken from the top of the chimney. To do it, climb on the roof. If you have a metal or prefab chimney, remove the chimney cap and measure across the diameter. If it's a masonry chimney, measure the length and width of the flue liner and compute the dimension from these measurements. Be sure to buy a brush that comfortably fills the chimney without being too tight. A too-large brush will be harder to maneuver, but it will work unless it's really huge.

1. Tape or otherwise attach the drop cloth or sheet around the fireplace opening. This will keep ashes and other debris in the firebox and off your furniture and floors. Drape other drop cloths or sheets around the area as necessary.

2. Open the fireplace damper.

3. Don your protective apparel, grab your chimney rod, brushes, and flashlight,and climb onto the roof.

4. Remove the chimney cap. While it's off, clean it with the stiff-bristled brush. Check for damage.

5. Assemble the chimney brush and rods. Make sure all fittings are securely fastened. Just attach a few rods at first. You'll put more on later.

6. Lower the brush into the top of the chimney. Attach more rods as necessary for the brush to reach the bottom of the flue. You'll know you're there when you hit the damper assembly.

7. Work the brush up and down in a scrubbing motion. Check your work with the flashlight. Typically, you'll see the largest concentration of creosote in the upper one third of the chimney, but it's important to scrub the entire length.

8. When things look good from up above, climb down and go inside. Remove the cloth from the fireplace opening. Be sure there's a cloth on the hearth and the floor where you're working. Use the stiff-bristled brush to scrub the damper assembly and the sides of the firebox.

When you're done, sweep or vacuum up all ashes and other residue. Be sure to check behind the damper and around the smoke shelf for pieces of creosote. If you're cleaning a stovepipe, check all elbows or T connections. Clean your equipment with kerosene to remove creosote residue, and store it away for the next time.

Using creosote prevention products inside the firebox on a regular basis between cleanings will help keep creosote levels down. However, they won't remove existing creosote, so don't substitute them for regular cleaning.