HIGH STAKE SWEEPS

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When one is cleaning from inside the house, it is important that downdrafts be avoided, or loosened soot will be drawn back into the house. Cleaning on a cool day usually assures an upward flow of air, but it may be necessary to open a first-floor window or two to create the proper flow of air. (To determine the direction of flow, hold a smoking piece of paper near the opening of the stove, fireplace, or flue.)

Having cleaned out the chimney, one should next shovel up the fallen creosote and soot, and bag it to go to the dump (it serves no useful purpose around farm or garden). Using a flashlight, inspect the chimney to assure that the walls are now clean. They need not be shining bright or spotless, but any obvious deposits of creosote should have been removed. In an especially dirty chimney, the falling creosote occasionally jams in the flue, creating a thick block of fallen waste. If you are unable to visually check the flue, insert a fire poker or other tool to assure yourself that the chimney is open.

To clean the stovepipe connecting a stove to the chimney, it is often best to take it down and move it outdoors to avoid creating a mess inside. If the pipe is properly screwed together at each joint, it may be possible to carry it out in one piece and to clean it without totally disassembling the sections. When taking apart any stovepipe, it is wise to first make a small scratch at each joint, so that the pieces can be rejoined easily (used stovepipe sections can stubbornly refuse to be connected in a new order or alignment). The pipes can be cleaned with a sweep's brush or with a simple long-handled wire brush available from hardware stores.

For the occasional cleaning of the stove or fireplace itself, a drop-cloth should be spread to protect surrounding floor space and any hint of a downdraft avoided. If the chimney is drawing air briskly, the inevitable dust that arises will be carried up and out the flue. Professional chimney sweeps make use of an industrial vacuum to clean stoves and fireplaces, as well as to filter dust from the air during the indoor cleaning process. The average home vacuum should not, however, be used for cleaning up heavy amounts of ash, as the fine particles can damage the motor bearings. A wire brush, scraper, flashlight, ash shovel, and whisk broom make it possible to do a completely acceptable job of cleaning any stove. Occasionally a fireplace will have an almost inaccessible smoke ledge or other space where creosote, ash, and soot have accumulated, and an industrial vacuum (available at rental outlets) may have to be employed to complete the job.

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