Once a year is usually sufficient either before or after the season. If you generate creasote build up then more often. Always burn dry wood with an INTERNAL moisture content under 20% to minimize this.
Once a season has always been sufficient for me. I usually do it in the spring so it sits clean all summer.
My small insert with uninsulated liner gets it twice a year. One mid-season sweep and one end of season sweep.
Once a year, either end of season or beginning of next season, then I break down the stove and do a thorough clean and vacuum. I only burn wood now but when I burned coal as soon as I shut down the stove to remove the corrosive ash.
