How often does a wood stove need to be swept?
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If it is a freestanding stove, with pipes that go straight up, it should be
swept after every 2 cords of wood. This is assuming that the wood is
seasoned. The pipe above the roof line is exposed to colder
temperatures, so this is the area where creosote builds up faster. If you
burn more than 2 cords of wood in a season, then the stove should be
swept at the end of each season.
You must remember that in all stoves, the hottest part of the system is
inside the firebox of the stove. A well maintained system would only have
a light ash buildup in the firebox. This coating should be able to be
brushed off with a plastic whisk broom. If the buildup is such that it needs
to be removed with a metal scraper, you aren't burning properly. If the
firebox is this bad, what does the rest of the system look like? It could be
full of 3rd degree creosote that ignites and burns . This is called a
chimney fire. You don't want this type of creosote in your free standing
stainless liner because using a metal brush on a double or triple wall pipe
is very bad for the liner. It can greatly shorten the life of the liner.
If it is a free standing stove that has a black pipe that bends and goes
into the wall, it will also need to be swept about every 2 cords of wood, or
at the end of each season.
If you have a stove pushed into a fireplace, the same rule applies: 2 cords
of wood, or end of burning season. This type of installation, should have a
stainless steel liner from the top of the stove, to the top of the chimney. If
you don't have the stainless, it is not a safe installation. It is much more
expensive to have a stove pulled out of a fireplace, sweep down the
fireplace, and put the stove back in, than it is to sweep down the stainless
liner and sweep out the inside of the stove.
Notice the underlined sentence in the above paragraph. The insert needs
a full liner to the top of the chimney, not a liner that is only 5 feet long. To
service that type of installation, the stove must be uninstalled from the 5
foot of liner, pulled out, and reinstalled after the sweeping. This is very
time consuming and very expensive if it is done properly.
Check Abbey Road's website during the slower months for possible
discounts on these services. We cannot discount during the "silly
season."
