Chimney Cleaning

Well I know everyone says do it annually but, honestly, I doubt most people with wood-burning fireplaces are quite that conscientous! Anyway I knew it was time when we had ours cleaned last fall because the fireplace would smell of creosote not only after we used it but also when it rained (yes, the damper was closed but the smell was apparent anyway). One unanticipated benefit is that it smokes hardly at all since we had it cleaned. We used Andre at A&A who advertises here. He also did the original conversion to wbf.

If it’s the chimney for the boiler, the breaching should be checked every year at the base. The chimney itself should be checked and cleaned annually as well. A licensed chimney company would probably charge $100 – $150 for the cleaning (depends on the building) and they will check the breaching as well. It’s worth it to have a clear chimney. Some signs that it needs cleaning would be a lot of debris at the base of the chimney, poor draft, poor combustion or rotting flue pipe.

annually, before you start using the fireplace in the fall. if you use the fireplace more than once or twice a year and especially if you burn wood rather than duraflame logs.