I hired a "professional" Chimney sweep to clean my chimney. Last Year was my first year with my Hearthstone Homestead (hearth stove) so I wanted it cleaned before the new burning season. I hired a sweep that owns his own company and does all the work himself. He is NFI certified. He is also a member of Chimney Safety Institute Of America. He has great reviews on Angie's list. He comes to the house and the first thing he does is come inside to look at the stove he places a vacuum in the stove then goes up on the roof. He spends time sweeping the chimney. When he comes back down he goes to the stove and proceeds to take apart the tubes at the top of the stove. As hes taking out the "cement board" that was on top of the tubes it came out in two pieces. I asked him if that would be a problem? He told me that its only in two pieces and they fit tightly together so its not on issue. He told me to order a new one from hearthstone and when he comes back next fall to clean the stove he will replace it? Does this sound OK???
Now the scary part. I went to the kitchen and he was in there for about an hour. Then he comes to me and asks if I have the manual for the stove? I see a pile of cement that he told me was extra from when they made the stove and all the tubes are still out. I had the manual and he told me he was looking for a picture with the schematic of the pieces he took out. Since there wasn't one in the manual I suggested calling hearthstone but he said he would figure it out. At this point I was getting nervous. It took him 2 1/2 hours to clean the stove. I just paid $125 and I'm not even sure if its safe to use it?
Im posting a picture of all the "extra" cement he took out of the stove and a couple of different angles of the cracked cement board thing....
Now the scary part. I went to the kitchen and he was in there for about an hour. Then he comes to me and asks if I have the manual for the stove? I see a pile of cement that he told me was extra from when they made the stove and all the tubes are still out. I had the manual and he told me he was looking for a picture with the schematic of the pieces he took out. Since there wasn't one in the manual I suggested calling hearthstone but he said he would figure it out. At this point I was getting nervous. It took him 2 1/2 hours to clean the stove. I just paid $125 and I'm not even sure if its safe to use it?
Im posting a picture of all the "extra" cement he took out of the stove and a couple of different angles of the cracked cement board thing....