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That chat with the old timer last week changed how I think about soot buildup
I was cleaning a chimney in a 1920s house in Buffalo and the homeowner came out, must be 80 years old. He told me he never sweeps his own chimney, just burns really hot fires once a week to keep the creosote from sticking. I always thought you needed to clean everything out regularly, but he showed me his flue and it was barely dirty after 2 years. Made me wonder if my approach is too aggressive for some setups. Anyone else ever run into someone with a totally different method that actually works?
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henderson.wesley17d ago
That old timer's method makes a lot of sense for really dry wood setups. I've heard similar stories from folks upstate who swear by the hot burn approach.
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graceblack18d ago
My dad did the same thing with our wood stove growing up in Vermont. He'd load it up with dry hardwood every Sunday morning and let it roar for a few hours, claimed it burned off everything before it could cake up. I was skeptical until I climbed up there with a flashlight once and saw nothing but a light dusting.
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