Lopi Large insert question on cleaning chimney liner

[uforia]

What are peoples' thoughts on how often to clean your SS liner when using a insert that runs with bypass closed? Conventional thinking is once a season, however i feel like, since bypass is closed 80% of the time perhaps cleaning can be one every other season or even longer? Is my thinking way off base here?

Looking into buying the sooteater tool to attach to my drill and clean my liner from firebox although the opening to the flu is still pretty small even with bypass fully open...

thx in advance guys!
Chris

 

[stoveliker]

If you don't know what is needed for your wood, insert, and flue, do it twice per season.
Until you have proof (from little build up) that you can do less.

Don't start out overconfident and run into serious trouble...

 

[uforia]

point taken thx!

 

[begreen]

The big variables are the quality of the fuel burned. draft, and the operator. Even the best stove will sote up the chimney with poorly seasoned wood, too short of a chimney, and always choking down the fire to a minimum. Normally we can go every other year but many years ago we had some maple that got wet under a leaky tarp. That dirtied up the flue something awful. It had to be cleaned monthly until we got through that load.