How to Clean Out a Fireplace and Chimney

A clean fireplace and chimney is your best defense against a dangerous chimney fire.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Brooms
• Crevice Tool Vacuum Attachments
• Duct Tape
• Stiff-bristled Cleaning Brushes
• Vacuums
• Plastic Tarps
• Chimney Brushes
• Chimney Rod
• Dust Masks
• Extension Ladders
• Safety Goggles
• Duct Tape
• Safety Goggles

1. Buy a set of chimney rods and brushes at the hardware store.

2. Change into old clothes and don safety goggles and a dust mask. Lay out a clean tarp in front of the fireplace. Cover the fireplace opening with a plastic tarp held on with duct tape.

3. Open the fireplace's damper. This is the metal door up inside the fireplace, located just above the firebox; it prevents cold air from entering your home when you don't have a fire burning.

4. Carefully climb up on your roof, taking the rods and brushes with you.

5. Remove the chimney cap - sometimes called a spark arrestor - and check it for weather damage. The purpose of the chimney cap is to keep sparks from escaping your chimney. It also serves to keep out rain, small animals and debris.

6. Assemble the chimney rods and brushes according to the equipment manufacturer's directions.

7. Run the brush down the chimney, using a short up-and-down plunging motion. Some brushes are designed to twist as well.

8. Go back inside the house and use a short chimney brush to clean the flue, which is the pipe that runs between the fireplace and the chimney.

9. Use a vacuum cleaner or small broom and dustpan to remove the cold ashes and creosote from the fireplace and the damper.

10. Brush the floor and walls of the fireplace with a stiff, dry scrub brush.

11. Use the brush to clean the creosote built up behind the damper.

12. Reach through the damper with a vacuum hose and vacuum the creosote out of the 'smoke shelf,' a cavity behind the fireplace.

13. Vacuum up all of the dust and debris.

Tips & Warnings

• Many fire departments recommend a yearly chimney inspection.
• Consider hiring a chimney service to inspect your chimney and fireplace for possible dangers and to clean them out. This should cost less than $100.
• Don't use water to clean the fire brick or cement blocks. It could affect heat retention.

[surfstang]

on 12/2/2008 I use a product called Ashes To Go. It's excellent. You can find it here http://www.ashestogo.com

[bnorth]

on 10/19/2008 dont forget to put a trouble light in the fire box,go back up on the roof and look for signs of deteriation and cleanliness of the inside of the chimney.

on 11/22/2005 I have a WoodChuck wood stove and I clean mine by removing the elbow and the first section of pipe that is connected to the stove. My pipe is 22 feet long, so I push and pull the brush and clean the pipe in segments. I have a 5 gallon pail on the floor to catch the mess. Some vacuuming and sweeping is required when done, but not much.

To clean the very top, where the cap is attached, I bolted a paint removing wheel (looks like a wire brush wheel on a grinder) to the end of a section of the cleaning rod and wiggle it around when the it reaches the cap.
I tried cleaning from the roof, but the method described above works much better and there is no chance of falling.

on 10/1/2007 I have been told by a chimney sweep that instead of using rods, get a chain, and knock it on the sides of the chimney pipe. It may not get everything out, but it will knock the larger buildup off.

on 11/22/2005 I've been told by a professional that if I have a reasonably straight pipe from the cap to the wood stove, I can simply close the wood stove doors and sweep down from above. Then I can open the doors and vacuum out the contents. Of course this will not work if the built-in draft of the stove has a lot of twists and turns, but on mine (a Garrison) there is only one steel plate that can be removed.