Four wheelbarrows full of sticks

That's what I picked up around the yard yesterday from the winter storms. Ground still wet so I figured I'd go ahead and burn them in the pit.
This was near the end when I thought to get the camera or I'd be called a liar...LOL.





Today I did the job I hate the most, cleaning the chimney, the stovepipe and back of the furnace. What a mess.
Even with a plastic bag taped around the chimney you still have to poke a hole in it to get the rods through to the brush. Every time you push the brush up a cloud of soot falls down and pushes out the hole.
It was just light black fluff in there but it almost half filled a metal pail.
Face was black, hands and arms black and part of the basement floor black. My arms got dirty from scraping the stovepipe outside after I took it apart and from getting my arm in the outlet at the back of the furnace and scraping that clean too.
Hopefully I'll be good for another year before i have to go through that gauntlet again.

 

Wow you’re way ahead of me. Sometimes I procrastinate chimney sweeping until a week or two before time to burn again.

 

Chris F not trying to be a smart Alec but a cheap zip tie makes hole much smaller

 

I try to sweep mine when it’s warm…with a mild draft on a cold day. Doesn’t cure all of the dust , but helps some. Never easy or clean.

 

Cleaned out my stove and pipe today. Will get on the roof tomorrow and brush out the chimney. Not anticipating any more fires until October.

 

Our yard gets littered with twigs and sticks after a good wind. I hope youre not burning green twigs and pine in there. Dont want any creosote build up on that firepit.

 

I squeeze the plastic around the rod after giving it a push up, but it still leaks passed it. Also it has to be big enough to let the metal connection through.

 

I learned quickly to do it that way too.

 

I always dampen a towel and hold it around the hole.

 

Now that's a good idea I never thought of! If only I can remember next time I do it.