Thanks Curt. I have a chimney brush I've used but got only a bare minimum of debris each time. You guys who do a major amount of heating with stoves should be saluted. It's sort of an art coordinating wood, usage, cleaning, and everything else that goes along with it.

If the enviromentals get their way, no one will be allowed to use natgas to heat their homes. I'm looking into a renewables like burning wood. 😀

Its sort of ridiculous when I think about it. Read somewhere it was like using an oil boiler, but feeding, by hand, 16oz at a time. Not quite that bad but its not set and forget. I actually really like the ritual. Finding, cutting, splitting, stacking wood. Where to put it, how dry is it, what is the best wood to burn today, save the 'good stuff' for the really cold days, what do I use when I'm home and dont mind feeding it... everyone has their way/ritual.

Sure, its so much simpler to stroke a check. I get a weird sense of accomplishment from the whole thing. Plus I dont have an oil bill. :)

I find that I get more debris out of the top of the stove (where the black pipe comes out) than the whole chimney. I only have a 4' section above the stove that could drop creosote into the stove, so it is probably sparks that die in the chimney (another good reason to have a damper, and clean often).

I do have an ash pan, that I dump into a lidded bucket that then sits behind the stove. while it cools, but still gives off heat, This bucket is many times red hot on the inside, and can't be dumped outside until it has sat for a day to cool to a gray color. I shovel ash out from under the red hot coals.

Reading all of this is making me miss my years of heating with wood …...or maybe not.

Here Here ! It keeps me healthy doing strenuous work in the Spring, and Fall, and busy in the Winter. I like seeing a full woodpile of seasoning firewood.

I hope that you are not planning on burning pine in your fireplace.
We have family property in upstate New York, heating and cooking all done on wood stoves.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1548970616.jpg
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