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How long does a sweep and cleaning take? Well it depends.. depends on how dirty the chimney is and what you have for a system. Spent several hours cleaning a blocked liner a week ago.. and finally got it working properly. Was in fact there until around 11:00 PM working on it.. The last wood burning furnace I did was around 3 hours for two of us to clean - yes every single part of the furnace is cleaned - as well as the pipes - chimney - etc. Likely no other sweep in area does quite that complete a cleaning - certainly no better as we clean it so it is pretty much the way it came from the factory! It is about scraping it - brushing it - vacuuming it - make it clean! Every single job is cleaned the way I would do my own! You deserve nothing less!

Should you install a wood stove in the corner? Well it depends.. on a few factors. One is of course the room and size and how it fits in. Sometimes is the most convenient location.. BUT.. many older stoves were never certified for corner installs. I inspected on in Tiny which was never certified for a corner install recently - but had been installed in the corner! I called the manufacturer directly - who indicated that they had spoken with CSA regarding corner installations and that although it was not on the data-plate they did receive authorization. They sent me in writing - on company letterhead - the measurements they had received. Guess what!! The stove was too close to the wall!! Sometimes installers make assumptions.. assumptions are dangerous - and regardless how much the installer thinks they know the facts are the facts. If a stove has NOT been corner certified then it is not certified for a corner installation. You may find somebody to install it.. and even find somebody willing to provide a WETT report stating code compliance. But if they do and have not treated as uncertified - sorry they are wrong. This is not the most common item I find - but I do find it often enough.

Don't forget to dig out that fire hydrant! Yes, if there is one in front of your property it is a good idea to keep it free from snow. A metre all around it and a path to the street is a good guideline. No, it is not the law - but it is protecting your property! Fire crews will often bring along some water with them, but this lasts just long enough for the truck to be connected to a municipal supply of water. If the firefighters need to run hoses down the street, well it all takes time.. and minutes matter! Not everybody can, but if you are able, then keeping the hydrant clean is being a good citizen.

Cleaned a wood furnace yesterday.. have to go back and fix double wall pipe. When it was installed - by another local installer - the pipe was not long enough. This left a gap at lower elbow - perhaps a half centimeter - open to living area. Was in lower part of elbow - so hot gases were unlikely to escape. However, I like it done properly!! So did owner who wants it fixed. Strange part is another local sweep apparently has also cleaned it, now assuming they clean and inspect everything - they should have seen this! At any rate it was clear that the pipes were not long enough to fit - so will be taking in a telescoping double wall piece to fit in properly. My dad always said if you were doing something - do it right and do it once. Not a big job to replace the pipe - may take 20 minutes or so - but it is not right to have pipe not properly fitting on any wood burning system! Do it right - do it once - sleep soundly at night. Get peace of mind!

Cleaning out clogged liner last week - great stove - but unfortunately was not burning correctly. Only around 4 cords of wood and liner plugged solid. Yes, solid -- fully blocked. Important to know how to safely operate the stove - your Chimney Sweep should be able to help you if you are doing it incorrectly. The secondary burn must be operating for a clean burn - getting up to proper temperature allows and ensures that operation. Call a Certified Chimney Sweep and protect yourself.