Diy chimney sweep vermont castings montpilier

[colophoto]

Hi everyone, we dont burn often and so althoug it has been two years its probably only been 30-40 fire days since our Montpilier was last cleaned/swept. Ive waited too long and would like to do our chimney before it gets any colder but i have a bad memory of the last cleaning - taking the whole unit out to clean scratched our hearth and was a major headache. If it possible to sweep my chimney with the unit in place? I have a low slope roof with easy access and have the drill attachment cleaner but i want to be sure i get everything i knock loose out. Youtube is surprisingly unhelpful on my particular insert. Can anyone give me guidance on if i can do this and if so, how?

 

[begreen]

I haven't cleaned this insert, but it looks like one would need to carefully move or remove the baffle. Then it's a straight shot up the liner.
The baffle is vermiculite and fragile. You don't want to get rough with it and you definitely don't want to poke it with the brush. I'm not sure how far forward toward the front the baffle can be lifted. If this is >6" then cleaning may be as simple as removing the rear secondary tube and moving the baffle forward. If moving if forward does not create enough room for the brush to safely pass then it may need to be removed by first removing the secondary tubes (note and mark their position).

 

[woodhog73]

I’m not familiar with your insert. But I have to say I would never want to have to remove my insert just to sweep it. Actually I hope to never remove it unless I replace it.

On mine I simply remove the front air tube ( the ones at the top) by doing this I have enough room to take the baffle and blanket out. Then I go up on my roof and use a 6 inch plastic round brush attached to the flexible rods. ( I have a 6 inch round flex liner).

Pretty simple. I bring the brush up and down 3 or 4 times from bottom to top. On the way down I actually let the brush enter into the stove until it hits the other air tubes.

Works great I get about 2 to 3 cups of the powdery creosote in my stove after sweeping. I sweep once per year. I have no idea if this is too much creosote or not. I’d prefer 1 cup or less but that might require sweeping twice a year.

 

[colophoto]

Thanks folks. Ill see what i can do to get in there. One of my concerns is the droppings landing on top of insulation or otherwise being hard to get out. Ill see what kind of inside access i can gain.

 

[begreen]

One of my concerns is the droppings landing on top of insulation or otherwise being hard to get out.

This is why moving the baffle to the front or removing it before sweeping is important.

 

[weatherguy]

I’m not familiar with your insert. But I have to say I would never want to have to remove my insert just to sweep it. Actually I hope to never remove it unless I replace it.

On mine I simply remove the front air tube ( the ones at the top) by doing this I have enough room to take the baffle and blanket out. Then I go up on my roof and use a 6 inch plastic round brush attached to the flexible rods. ( I have a 6 inch round flex liner).

Pretty simple. I bring the brush up and down 3 or 4 times from bottom to top. On the way down I actually let the brush enter into the stove until it hits the other air tubes.

Works great I get about 2 to 3 cups of the powdery creosote in my stove after sweeping. I sweep once per year. I have no idea if this is too much creosote or not. I’d prefer 1 cup or less but that might require sweeping twice a year.

Once a year is fine.