How to Clean a Chimney Blockage
Over time, creosote build-up, ash, and bird and animal nests can block your chimney. Then when you use your fireplace, this debris can fill up your house with smoke or catch fire in the chimney. It's important that you regularly clean your chimney to remove blockages or you may have a serious problem. Here's what you need to do. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Chimney brush of the correct size to fit your chimney
- Enough chimney rods to reach the full length of your chimney
- A Double Worm Chimney Screw head that can be attached to the rods in place of the brush (for blockage removal)
- Tape measure
- Ladder
- Safety lines
- Plastic sheeting and duct tape
- Safety goggles
- Gloves
- Dust mask
- Shop vacuum, long hose and attachments
Instructions
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Setup
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1
Climb up on the roof to measure the chimney opening. Don't forget to take a notepad and pencil to write down the dimensions. Get the right brush. An undersized brush will not give you enough pressure to loosen the buildup.
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2
Remove the chimney cap and measure the dimensions of the inside of the pipe. Measure the height of your chimney. Buy the appropriate-size brush at a hardware store along with enough screw-together rods to reach the bottom of the chimney. A brush and rods long enough twill run you between $100 to $200, about the cost of one visit from the chimney sweep. Also buy a blockage-removing attachment. You may have to special order this through the hardware store or on the Internet.
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3
Remove loose andirons, ashes, partially burnt logs and fireplace tools from inside and around the fireplace.
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4
Cover the fireplace opening in the house with plastic film and tape it securely in place. Don't rely on glass doors. They aren't airtight and won't keep fine ash and dust out of your house when it comes cascading down the chimney.
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5
Cover the furniture with sheets in case the debris does spill out.
Remove the blockage
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6
Start the cleaning process by climbing up on the roof. Pull your tools up with a rope after you have secured yourself to the chimney. A safety harness is best, but a length of sturdy rope or cable looped around the chimney and attached to a heavy leather belt can keep you from sliding off the roof, if you slip. Allow about 5 or 6 feet of extra rope below the knot in the loop around the chimney to give you working room, but not so much that if you slip you'll fall over the eaves and be left dangling. Make sure you research this process thoroughly, so you can do this work safely.
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Attach the blockage removal tool (see Resources for supplies) to the end of a rod, screw all the rods together and fish the assembly down into the chimney.
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8
Push the tool head into any mass you encounter and twist the handle back and forth to break up the obstruction. Continue until the chimney is relatively free of blockages. You won't get all the caked on stuff on the sides of the chimney with a blockage removal head--that's for the brush head to clear.
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9
Check below to make sure pieces of the debris haven't knocked loose the plastic protecting the fireplace. Reseal if necessary.
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10
Climb back up on the roof and attach the brush to the rod assembly
Clearing the chimney
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11
Push the brush down into the chimney and work it up and down as you slowly push it toward the bottom of the shaft.
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12
Make a couple of passes up and down the chimney until soot stops falling down and rising out of the top of the chimney.
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13
Reattach the chimney cap, climb down and clean your tools. Change your clothes so you won't track ash into the house.
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14
Set up the shop vacuum with a long hose and extension. Lift the corner of the plastic film and push the hose underneath. Vacuum up all you can without removing the film to contain the ash.
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15
Loosen the plastic film and fold it inward with the soot on the inside to contain it. Vacuum the remainder of the soot and remove any debris from inside the fireplace, then clean around it with water and soap, rags and scrub brushes. Replace everything and dispose of the ash and plastic in garbage bags.
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16
Put away your tools, clean the shop vacuum, and remove the covers from the furniture. Then vacuum and dust just to make sure there is no residual soot inside the house.
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17
Enjoy your fireplace safely.
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Tips & Warnings
Measure your chimney carefully: the right size brush is essential. Spend extra time sealing the plastic around the fireplace opening. You can find many sources of supplies on the Web: the sites below are presented as examples.
Wear protective gear: the soot and ash can irritate your skin and lungs.
