Chimney sweep logs - do they work?

[Jameshow]

Do chimney sweeping logs work?

Saw them in a garden center and thought they look interesting?

Reviews on the web look good.

We burn a lot of smokeless coal so clean burning but a clean might be worth it??

Anyone tried one???

Cheers James

 

[rob1693]

They do apparently loosen deposits but are not intended to replace a proper sweep by a nacs registered sweep who will examine condition of your flue and smoke test it,I iusualy stick a couple on before sweeps due fir that purpose

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I bought a good set of rods, drain cleaning tools and two new chimney brushes at a car boot for what a log costs. Worth a thought? Keep you eye open.

 

[Sandyn]

Do chimney sweeping logs work?

I tried 'IMP soot destroyer' many years ago. Never found it did any real good. I think brushing is the best solution.

 

[fenhayman]

Insurance company won't be impressed if there is a chimney fire.

 

[MARK.B.]

I think that after trying various things including the sweep logs over the years and all claimed to help clean my chimney/flue pipe, but none made any real difference.There really is no better method than sweeping twice a year,couple of years ago I got one of those kits that fit on any drill though i would advise using a cordless one, it works great on both flue pipes and does no damage,same with the open fire as in older properties you can do some damage with the traditional sweeps brush and rods if not careful , if you have both open and flue pipe you will need two different sized brushes.
Most important thing though is watch what you burn and make sure any wood is nice and dry

 

[1steven]

Would have it swept by a sweep once a year so it is covered by your insurance.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

I don't think there is any substitute for a proper sweep. These 'logs' contain chemicals which may affect the longevity of any metal stove/flue components - I half remember reading a warning on a stove manufacturer's user manual not to use these logs.

 

[MARK.B.]

I can't say for certain but think i am correct that you can sweep your own

 

[RichardG]

Insurance company won't be impressed if there is a chimney fire.

From my experience they don't care. I've been with 3 insurers, I asked if there was any stipulation on who cleans the chimney and how often it should be done, "do you have a thatched roof", no, "it's up to you then"....

 

[Bm101]

I honestly can't see why people go to the trouble of having children in the current worrying times with all our new concerns about future sustainability and carbon equalisation if we can't see a suitable and stable future in the chimney sweeping industry for them?!? There was suitable and pressing economic concern for sending under 7s up chimney stacks to brush out soot at no risk to their personal health in Victorian times.


Why change now?
Surely it's time we started using them again in the interests of 'greening' our environment?

 

[D_W]

grew up in a house that had a chimney fire. My understanding of the logs is:
1) they do work
2) they don't work as a substitute for mechanical cleaning of heavy deposits and may even expedite a chimney fire if a chimney is heavily loaded.

They're considered a maintenance item here to keep a clean chimney clean.

(the reason we had a chimney fire is that we had our chimney swept annually and then in the era of cheap oil (late 80s to early 90s), we had our low stack temp woodburner removed and we told by a sweep that the chimney should be fine, but it should be lined - no rush - but sooner or later the older terra cotta pipe would need to be lined. Some spot in the chimney that wasn't cleaned well enough swelled shut and then the creosote falling above it made the shut area larger in volume and I guess due to the level of heat, the flu cracked (or cracking was unnoticed) and we had smoke coming out of the trim on the walls and a multi hour visit as the fire department tried to find something that would get through the swelled creosote. It was undesirable.

 

[1steven]

grew up in a house that had a chimney fire. My understanding of the logs is:
1) they do work
2) they don't work as a substitute for mechanical cleaning of heavy deposits and may even expedite a chimney fire if a chimney is heavily loaded.

They're considered a maintenance item here to keep a clean chimney clean.

(the reason we had a chimney fire is that we had our chimney swept annually and then in the era of cheap oil (late 80s to early 90s), we had our low stack temp woodburner removed and we told by a sweep that the chimney should be fine, but it should be lined - no rush - but sooner or later the older terra cotta pipe would need to be lined. Some spot in the chimney that wasn't cleaned well enough swelled shut and then the creosote falling above it made the shut area larger in volume and I guess due to the level of heat, the flu cracked (or cracking was unnoticed) and we had smoke coming out of the trim on the walls and a multi hour visit as the fire department tried to find something that would get through the swelled creosote. It was undesirable.

Like this?

 

[Suffolkboy]

Save your money and do what I was advised by an old boy a few years ago.

Find a live bantam hen, take her up on the roof and drop her down your chimney.

Just make sure to cover your carpet to catch the soot that comes out on your front room floor.

 

[Elmo180]

I have three things.
1 - insurance -check with your company. I changed insurers last month. Most state 'items must be kept in working order'. Specifically, one insurance company wanted a sweep certificate, others did not. Not sure how I would prove I swept my chimney but I do keep it in my diary as a form of evidence.
2 - I had a birds nest one year. I used a cork screw attachment to pull it down. The best swept chimney I ever had. Usually I go up and down three times before I get no more dust falling. The birds nest did it in one. I was later told and old trick was to sweep a ball of ivy up and down as this does the same thing (not tried that though)!
3 - I use Stovax Protector. This is a blue powder that turns tar into soot. I have found that it makes a big difference. No matter what you burn, when the fire is lighting up you will put tar up the chimney until it reaches optimum heat.

Elmo

 

[Jonzjob]

The basics of it is that if your insurance company can find a way out of paying then they will, whatever they have said.

Our chimney has just been swept by an approved pro and we have a certificate to prove that. Cost? just 0ver £60, or about £1.20/week or 17p/day.

What price peace of mind?

 

[MikeJhn]

Self certifying certificate accepted by my insurance company as proof of sweeping.

 

[profchris]

The basics of it is that if your insurance company can find a way out of paying then they will, whatever they have said.

A lot of people believe this, but I've never heard anyone cite a real life case where it happened.

Insurance regulation requires insurers to treat customers fairly, which means only refusing claims if the customer's failure caused the claim or meant that the premium charged was too low. A typical example is insuring a young person's car by saying that the main driver is someone else - that misinformation can cut thousands from the price of the insurance, so it's not surprising if an insurer refuses to pay if they discover it has happened.

Now, trying to settle for a low amount is a different matter - they expect you to negotiate, but many just accept the insurer's figure without arguing.

 

[Sundial Colin]

Having swept chimney for last 20 odd years first with old cane rods and classic brush head, and more recently with keyway jointed plastic rods and cordless drill with a polypropylene brush cutter type head, on last 10 years a wood burning stove with SS chimney liner, the dryness of timber is the most influencing factor. I have a South facing log store that takes the moisture content down to 9% (much lower than the 20% max recommended), and whole year's soot is about 1/2 bucketful.

 

[1steven]

I have three things.
1 - insurance -check with your company. I changed insurers last month. Most state 'items must be kept in working order'. Specifically, one insurance company wanted a sweep certificate, others did not. Not sure how I would prove I swept my chimney but I do keep it in my diary as a form of evidence.
2 - I had a birds nest one year. I used a cork screw attachment to pull it down. The best swept chimney I ever had. Usually I go up and down three times before I get no more dust falling. The birds nest did it in one. I was later told and old trick was to sweep a ball of ivy up and down as this does the same thing (not tried that though)!
3 - I use Stovax Protector. This is a blue powder that turns tar into soot. I have found that it makes a big difference. No matter what you burn, when the fire is lighting up you will put tar up the chimney until it reaches optimum heat.

Elmo
My stainless steel terminal no problems with birds