CHIMNEY CLEANING

Chimneys need to be cleaned to remove creosote and soot deposits. This will prevent chimney fires and improve the draft as well. How often the chimney is cleaned depends on how frequently the wood burning appliance is used, how it is operated and the type of installation. Some authorities recommend cleaning the chimney after every third cord of wood is burned and most recommend at least once a year. Any time you observe excessive soot and creosote, the chimney should be cleaned. After you once have cleaned the chimney, you may want to check it after 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, etc., to determine how often your chimney needs to be cleaned.

You may have the chimney cleaned for you by professional chimney sweeps or you can clean it yourself. Costs for chimney sweeps vary with the job but usually amount to about $60. ln addition to cleaning your chimney, a good chimney sweep can act as a inspector for your installation.

Chimneys are normally cleaned by mechanical means to scrape off any loose creosote build-up. Stiff wire chimney cleaning brushes are available at reasonable cost. They are constructed to match the size of the chimney flue and can be pushed through the chimney with extension rods or pipe or can be pulled with ropes on either end of the brush. You can attach a weight to the bottom of some brushes. The weight will drag the brush to the bottom of the chimney so it can be pulled up with a rope.

Many people start chimney fires deliberately by building hot fires or by tossing in compounds designed to remove soot and creosote by controlled burns. Under some circumstances this practice may be reasonable, but generally it is a risky way to keep a chimney clean. Any chimney fire could build into a house fire, but in addition a chimney fire causes wear on a chimney. The high temperatures increase corrosion rate of metals and cause thermal expansion of masonry materials which can lead to cracks. Some of the compounds used in controlled burns have been known to explode in stoves.

Chemical chimney cleaners are commercially available. These are not intended for use in chimneys already containing heavy deposits of soot and creosote. Chemicals such as sodium chloride, or table salt, are sometimes used as a chimney cleaner. These chemicals combine with water released from a hot fire to form a weak acid that dissolves small amounts of creosote. Sodium chloride is corrosive to metal and is not recommended for use.

Chemical cleaners are intended to be used after chimneys are cleaned or new. Use the chemicals as directed--- approximately 50g per week. If not used as directed, the chemicals can cause intense chimney fires that will result in rapid deterioration of the chimney. THE ONLY EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE METHOD OF CLEANING IS TO USE A CHIMNEY BRUSH, SINCE THE BRUSH SCRUBS THE ENTIRE SURFACE UNIFORMLY.

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	Email: Skype: brian.o.shea68 PO Box 905 Manjimup Western Australia 6258