How do you know when it's time to clean the chimney and how to do it?

Answer 1

we always clean it before the heating season starts, if your roof is easily accessable, go to the hardware store, get the rods and the proper sized brush(dropping anything else in your chimney may damage the liner, opening yourself up to flue fires) pull your stove away and cover the thimble, on the roof and push the brush downwards, adding sections of rod as needed, repeat 2 or 3 times, using a flashlight to check the results. then you can remove the debis from the clean out or put a shopvac to work. if the roof is too steep for your liking, call a pro

Answer 2

A chimney if used a lot should be cleaned each year. A professional chimney sweep, is the best bet to get it done properly.

Answer 3

Just hang a bit of chain (for weight etc) on the end of a length of rope but have a weaker link in the rope so the chain can break free if it gets snagged. Lower up and down and wiggle it all about and that will get most of the soot free. Cover the fireplace opening if need be or you'll soot the house out. If the chain snags, pull and it should break free and not really be any harm down the chimney. If its one of those slow combustion stoves, you will need to reach in and upwards above the steel baffle inside it to clear away all the fallen soot from the stove pipe. That has caught me out once. A clean chimney but blocked just on top of that baffle. Have fun.

Answer 4

Hold a mirror in fireplace in day time so you can see up the chimney, you can tell if it is getting blocked or not, Also go up on the roof and look down it for blockage.

Answer 5

Your chimney should be cleaned every year. Call a professional.
I suggest you have it done in the spring after you don't really need to use the fireplace any more.