How often do you clean your stove pipe

1x/year, at end of burning season

 

I have always checked and cleaned my chimney when it got a little build up of black greasy stuff. Being in fire service for 40 years I know what a chimney fire can do and I always figured that if there wasn't anything to burn, there could be NO chimney fire. "When should a chimney need cleaned?" NEVER. it should always be clean.
After many years of burning, I have learned how to burn and keep my chimneys clean. Now, I only clean once, at the end of the season. Actually, I wait until Fall, after the last burning season. I let it set all Spring and Summer, and in the Fall, a lot of the deposits have loosened up and are easier to clean. I don't get very much out of my chimneys no days, as my burning practices have kept my chimneys clean. It has taken many years t0 learn all of this though.

 

Once a year weather it needs it or not and like tfdchief says, it should stay clean with the correct burning practices.

 

I clean my chimney once a month with normal use. When I burn a lot of pine, I clean it every Saturday morning. I take the stove pipe off and run a brush from bottom up. I do not climb on my metal roof.

 

Wow Doug, you are energetic! But I will give you credit, that should keep you safe. You can not have a chimney fire if there isn't anything in the chimney to burn.

 

I take a gander at the cap every few days, and if it looks like it's getting a build up, I'll get the ladder out and get up there.
Takes me just a few minutes, but the snow has to get brushed off first, or I'm not going on the roof.
So far with the 30 in place, the cap sometimes gets a small bit of crud, but the pipes haven't been bad yet. I've run the brush down a couple times but not gotten more than a couple cups, at most.

 

I have burned wood for 40 years and my chimneys used to be so crappy I had to clean them often, but I have learned a lot and they stay pretty clean now. Even my old Buck stays clean. I used to clean it 2 or 3 times a winter, but not anymore. I checked it just the other day and it has a thin brown layer.....nothing to worry about. Used to be, this time of the year, the old Buck had a pretty good build up of yucky black stuff. Dry wood and the way you burn it makes all the difference in the world.

 

Agreed Steve.
With the Ashley and these outside temps, even though the wood was well dried, I still got a bad buildup at the cap and a foot or so down the pipe.
The 30 burns so much cleaner, it's not much to worry about (but I do still check).

 

Me too. Just glad I know better how to do it.

 

Thanks wildwest, I think so too! I go to too many chimney fires. Some turn out OK. Others catch the house on fire. Bottom line is, if there isn't any crud in the chimney, you can not have a flue fire. How ever you accomplish that......cleaning the chimney regularly, or burning clean, it doesn't matter.....just keep it clean and you will never have a flue fire. And that would make me happy.

 

I clean chimey once a year. Steep roof so I have been cleaning from basement. I am using brush with add on 4ft sections.