Always rotate the rods clockwise as you feed them up and down to ensure that the threads do not unscrew and leave the brush stuck in the pipe.

Thank you! My husband has recently passed away. We own our home and run solely on wood heat from our wood stoves. All winter. It snows where we live. So we use it fairly often. My husband always kept up with all of this stuff. Now it’s up to me. this video really helped me. I’ve been stressing about the safety and cleaning of our stoves. And having no idea how I’m going to keep up with everything is overwhelming. I just want to keep my family and house as safe as possible. So thank you again 😊

Not getting on the roof! (I'm 74.) Are you the only person in the world who knows how to clean a flue from the inside? Glad I found you! Thanks!

Thank you for the thorough explanation. We recently came into possession of an Arrow Stove Heater and this is our first time learning about what it takes to keep it happy and safe. Much appreciate it!

The organisation is like we have in the UK..NACS. National Association of Chimney Sweeps. Coal, wood, oil, wood chip boiler stoves, fed by conveyor belt, wood burning stoves and open fires. In Scotland, I swept castles, mansions, apartments, houses and cottages and everything in between..sweeping, chimney and chimney stack repairs, stoves etc. Now retired..my son now runs the business..I moved overseas.. sunshine.

It helped me to understand when, and why I have to clean it... Not me, but professionals, and yet I know now if they do it properly... So thank you!

Thanks to you, I just cleaned my first ever chimney 😅👍

I am so glad you get to the point and not silly ...very nice job thank you

Great video. Will be cleaning mine out for the first time at my camp. Great information.

Thanks for doing this video it'll definately help me, I didn't know they sold plastic chimney brushes great information thanks!

Thank you. Very informative and easy to follow. This is my first year with a wood burning stove, so here goes.

Brilliant upload, well worth watching, thank you for posting !

Thanks for the video buddy. Just installed a Osburn 1700.

Thanks for this. I felt that this was doable (had seen tools like this) but good to see it works

I bought a set of those rods with the brush, go in from the stove by removing the fire bricks so I have a clear shot up the straight stovepipe.This worked great, i am 76 years old now and a little shaky climbing up on the roof these days. Brushed the pipe clean and then cleaned up the mess with my shop vack.

Thanks for the video! Very well done.

This is super helpful. Thank you for posting this!

Pierce, Idaho!!! Thanks for the cleaning video.

Seems relatively easy. I will have a go at mine and hopefully won’t completely cock it up ! Happy new year from the UK

Hi and thanks so much for the video. I'm going to give this a try the next time up at my cabin. I too also have a straight pipe up with no 90s. The one thing I would do different is run the brush up more than one time. maybe even 3 times. But all in all a great video. Thanks again!

Great video, thank you soo much! Even though I'm not going from the bottom up, you gave tons of fabulous tips

Best video on cleaning a wood stove! I started having smoke blow back out (of an already warm stove), and a decrease in draw, almost overnight. Was working perfectly yesterday. 🤔 I’ve used the stove about 250-350 nights total before moving to Montana a couple months ago, so I’m thinking it has to be time. I’ll get through tonight, then head into town in the morning for some cleaning supplies! Thanks!

Good advice. I would never want to get a brush stuck in a chimney but I wouldn’t mind watching a video showing a brush stuck in a chimney. I’m going to search for a video on that

The cause of creosote is wet wood. The blonde appearance of your wood seems to indicate that it is not seasoned. And nylon brushes only clean out soot and ash- very little creosote is likely to come off unless you use a metal brush.

Excellent video

thank you. great video

What I used to do as a pro..was to visit stores selling stoves and got a salesman to let me check them out just in case new designs came out. That way..when you go to a job..you have the knowledge..of any new design..you also look what you are..a pro. I have condemned a few in my time. Only had one disgruntled client when I condemned his stove. I had to get the fire brigade out to check my decision..they confirmed it. He had fitted the stove himself. Always use a pro..

Thanks for doing this. I have a similar wood stove, except instead of bricks as a baffle, I have a large ceramic plate with a baffle blanket above it. I removed it and several bricks on the side, then used a small wire brush to clean any creosote off of the interior of the wood stove. I have a similar 4” brush which didn’t do as well as yours. I’m going to get the 6” as well as replace the baffle blanket and several cracked bricks when I do it next year. I’ve been on a 2 year waiting list for my local chimney sweep. Enough is enough. I’ll just do it myself. SMH

Great video. Our Drolet has a vermiculite? Panel up there, been wondering how to clean it from the inside and you explained it well.

Place diesel soaked firewood in the firebox, open the door and set the creosote alight. Works every time.

Thank you.

Thanks 🙏 😊

I'm just putting a similar unit in my house! Perfect timing man! A video about how to pass an installation inspection would be sweet lol. I need a heat sheild like yours too! Thanks for the video! It's simple stuff till you have your own stove and you realize you know nothing! Lol. (and by 'you' I mean ME!)

Thanks alot for this video. Just got a stove installed and my roof has a steep pitch, so I'm not able to reach the top of the pipe.

Can you make a video on how to clean a wood burning fireplace flue. What size brush would I need?

What about glazed creosote built up on the inside of the flue? Ive been told only the hard steel brushes take care of that. How might steel brushes damage pipes? For reference i have fiber glass insulated pipes. As for that coal like creasote, it makes for wonderfull starter.

If pushing it up and pulling it down like that is all it takes, my chimney must be pristine. You have to run the brush back and forth half a dozen times with each section of rod you add as you go up and the same on the way down as you're taking sections off. Creosote is like tar. It accumulates on the chimney wall as the smoke rises and cools. Your brush doesn't take off creosote unless there is ash underneath it. Moist wood and a smouldering fire makes more creosote than dried wood and a roaring fire. The amount of creosote you will have depends on how you operate your stove and your wood. If you can see a shiney layer of what looks like tar or thick black paint, that's creosote, and you're ready for a chimney fire. When the creosote burns it leaves behind the ash you're brushing away. When the creosote layer burns, it will leave ash on the chimney liner and a new layer of creosote will begin to form on the ash. Eventually, as ash accumulates, an 8" chimney liner becomes 6". If the creosote layer gets thick enough before it catches fire, you'll have a heck of a fire and your chimney can go from 8" to 6" all at once. The key to avoiding disastrous chimney fires is to have a hot fire each day that burns the creosote. This forms the ash that should be cleaned as necessary, yearly or more frequently, depending on how much and the type of wood you burn. The vacuum is great, but you're sucking up ash, not creosote. The ash is from burned creosote and deposited ash from the firebox that is carried up by the chimney draft. Every woodstove and chimney system is different. The key is to learn how to operate yours with the type of wood you have available.

So do not use a drill? I have a Waterford Trinity but previous owner didn't put in a damper. I live in the Rockies of Colorado and only have access to Spruce, Pine, Fir and some Aspen so I probably have decent amount of buildup. I have double wall pipe but should i have a damper? Thanks!

I'm interested in information about a damper and chimney temperature gauge. I have a Pacific Energy from 1999 and am wondering if I need the gauge and damper. This is in a cottage and I burn only a bit in the fall and spring or for a weekend if I go up in the winter.

I have a couple questions. 1. Why does it matter that the fire bricks go back the way they came out. 2. Does burning a fire at high temps (500+), a couple times a week, help get rid of the debris collected in the chimney?

Did reverse. Used electric drill and fed from the top. Used a dryer kit clean out kit and attached vacuum plug and shop vac at the bottom. Tip: never reverse drill

Hi, my quarter inch baffle plane keeps warping so i bent it flat again. Is it safe to weld another quarter inch steel plate on top or bottom to reinforce it? and should it be on top or bottom? thanks

I need a recommendation on the kit to use. I find several are unsatisfactory to buyers.

BETTER CHECK THE CLEARANCE ON THE STOVE BEHIND YA

Welp, this video showed me I'd better call a professional. The ceiling of my firebox looks pretty complicated compaired to yours. I see fire bricks in front of the baffle board and then I have a baffle blanket (according to the manual) in my Avalon Pendelton. I looks a bit like a step pyramid is jammed up in there.

I think its easier to disconnect the slip pipe and the pipe all the way to the ceiling. You can vacuum the baffle from the top of the stove. I actually took a low profile plastic tub and put two holes in the bottom of it. Use it to run your brush through the center and a side hole for your vacuum hose. Have someone hold it up against the ceiling. Turn vacuum on and brush.

Thanks for the chimney cleaning tips. We have a 2007 Quad-Fire that looks just like yours but has a baffle board and a ceramic blanket above the tube channels instead of the firebricks that you have on your unit. Where did you get your 6" dryer vent brush kit from? You video suggest checking the "Link in Description" but I could not find where the link is. All I could find on Amazon was 4" dryer vent brush sets. Thanks so much.

what you do with that paddle i see

Just subscribed. Great video. I’m looking to buy a wood stove for my 1200 sq ft brick home. Should I shoot for a 1800 sq ft model or 1200? I seen the 1200 models are more for 2 rooms.

very clear steps, thank you. My question is how can I use the same method for a flue that is not going up straight 🤔 My flue has 2 corners.

I installed a pacific energy wood burning insert (with a baffle in the top) and I installed a chimney liner as well. It was working great for about 4 weeks...then this strange thing started. Even with the air intake set to H (biggest air flow) and an exterior door open, after I get a fire going...when I close the door, the first immediately goes out like it isn't getting any air at all. The baffle is seated correctly, and it's fairly new. The ash had built up...but I cleaned it out. Every time I close the door...even with air flow set to High....the fire dies. I open the door to give it air and smoke billows into the room. ALSO...there is STILL smoke coming out the chimney outside, too. I looked down the chimney...and it's really not clogged. I also took the plate off the front bottom of the stove for inside air intake....but the problem persists. And is started suddenly....what else can I possibly do? Thanks for any help you can give me.

Hi thank you for sharing ..im curious can this cleaning be done with a fire place insert wood stove ? I mean I'd think so..

Questions. where do you get those bendable rods and two, where can I find (buy) the sealing cord. Ours is old and needs replacing. Need answer ASAP. Thank you

Sorry to comment on an old post but why couldnt you put a tee at the bottom of the stove pipe? I'm in the design stage for mine and i was thinking how convenient it would be to place a damper then a tee above that then I'll have a straight up run of about 12 feet to roof then about 10 feet up out of roof. If you had a tee you could easily open it and run your brush and flex poles up from there? Then just hand clean the small section below the tee? Would that work or no?

There is batting on top of the baffle plate bricks. If I remove it gently I should be able to put it back? There is not a lot of clearance so I am concerned I might not get it back in as smoothly as it was in there before. Any suggestions?

Bro, thanks for the tips, If I can suggest something- you had the brush all the way in the chimney, why not brushing back and forth between each time you removed one of the sticks, so it’ll scrub more creosote from the walls?

Hey I have a prefabricated chimney ( California ) besides the main pipe. There is another pipe I should clean? Or know about? Sorry I don't have any idea about Chimeny.

Oh, and one more question. Where can I find the nylon brush, I’ve only seen the metal ones in stores.

My stove isnt like that, I have a baffle also you were able to get your arm inside to direct it I cant. I am going to remove my flue from the inside and hang a plastic bag over the top and let it fall in a bag

Thank you so much for this video. I noticed that you didn't use a drill in the video. Given your experience, is it ok use a drill to spin the brush or is it better to just move it up and down by hand?

My Quadra Fire ( looks exactly like yours ) has a baffle blanket. Can I replace the blanket with bricks? The blanket tends to build up with very fine dense ash. I think the bricks will get hotter and burn off the ash better.

Excellent point in your video about the baffle...These are super fragile and easily destroyed if you don't really know what you're doing. (Read, understand and follow ALL of the instructions that came with your wood stove or other heating device)...Failure to do so could result in burning down your house and killing your family...Bottom line is, Know what you're doing

Does the same basic process of cleaning work for an insert fireplace unit. I'm 71 and don't want to get on the roof either. I presume I can simply clean from the bottom up the same way? And does one pass of the brush sufficiently clean the stove pipe chimney? Thanks for your video.

How does the brush get past the dampener in the bottom section?

I have a question, my chimney has a sort or lever underneath beneath the glass door, for air I assume (not sure i just boughtthe home. Do I have to worry about cleaning that part out?

Would those rods bend through two 45 degree angle pieces? Thats what I have on mine, one taking it out through the wall and then the other taking it into the main past of the flu

We have a brand new home and have only had about 20 fires in the fireplace and have only used oak wood. How do I know if it needs to be cleaned. I was going to use a creosote log this season and then have a professional clean after the season. I do appreciate your input, stay blessed

My chimney was cleaned in the fall, prior to having any fires this winter. However, I had a chimney fire last night, grateful the house didn't burn down, but wondering WTH? I burn some pine but otherwise red and white fir with some other miscellaneous species. I'm sort of boggled why it caught fire. I burn in it all day, everyday and have had no issues. Worried I'll need to get up there to clean the chimney again with snow on the roof. (Unable to clean from inside as it's an older style with the shelf above damper). Any ideas why the flames?

What are the rods called on Amazon? Do you have a link

Don't forget to clean the mesh on the cap at the top...thar often gets clogged and diminishes the draft.

What does that box on the ceiling do? Collect ash?

do them \chimney sweeping logs work

I've had a stove for three years. This year we've upgraded our fuel to burn nicer wood and smokeless coal. But there's now loads of ash from the flue all over the garden and windows all the time. I don't understand why the better fuel is causing this. Unless it's coincidence. Google isn't helping. Had chimney thoroughly swept and serviced stove but still getting black ashes all over the driveway and car. Any suggestions?

i have a 4" chimney for my wood stove, but i feel my damper will prevent me from cleaning my chimney myself? How do i get by damper?

Install a piece of telescoping stove pipe. Then you can remove easily and dont have to go through the actual stove.

Do you recommend flue cleaner stuff that you burn with wood

what if you have a damper in the way???to push the brush up there

So it's not necessary to clean the bricks?

Sup Drew! Your video played after one of mine, saw your interests, sub'd! You seem rad.

My pipe goes up and then I think it's a 90 degree curve it's on a lower level and we couldn't go straight up, will your system you used bend through the curve piece of pipe?

Does dust still come out of the vacuum or ash? Is a wet vac with the filter enough or Would it be better to run an exhaust tube from the vacuum out a window?

As a single female that was very informative for me. Thank you for mentioning about laying out fire brick the way you take them out. Would not of thought of that.

What about the damper

no way to access with modern baffles welded in

Good job. Dont you put rods on a cordless drill too.

Just use a shop vac or your central vac. Easy pezy

Sorry about this but I have to take issue with your advice, like you I am no longer working as a sweep but have considerable experience and training . My main point is that of polymer brushes and creosote, creosote can be found in various conditions depending on the stove it's flue the location of the flue in relation to the roof and surrounding buildings or trees, the type of cap you have on the flue the flue material and construction, the quality of your fuel and the way the stove is operated. Polymer brushes will not deal with slick hard caked creosote at all, in fact they will only deal with dusty dry creosote that has been burnt dry, and will leave behind deposits of hardened creosote ,over a number of years this can build up resulting in a chimney fire. Further more most baffle plates are designed to be pulled forward so as to allow easy brush entry from the fire box and allow the swept deposits to fall straight down into the aforementioned fire box.[top exit stoves only] rear exit stoves require a modified technique. Chimney caps should be cleaned properly, preferably removed before sweeping the flue, this also reduces the chance of damage to the cap and dislodging sectional flue systems.Prior to cap replacement a good light should be shone down the flue to aid visual inspection. I used to have brushes made for me by various companies to my own specification to fit various flue sizes the bristles being made from an assortment of materials from flat spring steel and brass to softer natural bristles and polymers.

Can’t u just burn the creosote away?

I think your giving some good info, but not enough....any professional will verify either with a camera or visually that the flue is clear of any obstructions or soot BEFORE lighting a fire...and i have to stress that just cleaning the chimney doesnt make it safe------that is giving a false sense of security-----over 90% of installations that i inspect fail due to clearances and conditions which most are unknown to the homeowner. its a good idea to recommend proper inspection and cleaning by an experienced and certified sweep is the way to go

I've been burning wood for over 40 years,your way has got to be the hardest way possible to clean the pipe,and dirt est way also.My rods are 5ft in length,twice the diameter,and my brush is much bigger in size also.I clean my pipe every 2-3 months,because I burn 24-7,8 months of the year.My god,son did you just learn about cleaning the pipe?????Your way might work but there is a much easier way.Come on.

THAT is not a clean chimney😂😂😂😂 A too small, too soft brush.

Top down is the professional way to clean duct work ...... duh

You didn't clean the glass 😄

you would be better off putting the rods into a cordless drill 1 at a time and spin it then add a rod going up and down whilst spinning.