Chimney Sweep Logs Do They Work?

A step by step How to Video showing how to use a chimney sweeping Log.

[@scottsuhre2514]

This log wasn't used correctly in the video. The instructions clearly state to use the CSL after you have burned a wood fire in order to heat up the soot in the chimney. Once that fire has died down to coals at the bottom of the fireplace is when you are supposed to use the CSL.

[@solosix3991]

@The Crazy Malkie Woodland Show ..... I mean... you WOULD say that. Just sayin.

[@DonziGT230]

We've had our fireplace for over 30 years and it's never been cleaned. How long before it catches fire and takes the house out? I've been waiting, but my patience is running out.

[@ChimneyMonkey]

DonziGT230 start using it to speed up the process

[@RobertsBulgaria]

I don't know if anyone still replies to these comments as the video is now almost 7 years old. However, looking up this subject now as I will want to clean my chimney this summer. I have stainless steel pipes that then run through a 90 degree angle into a Terracotta made for purpose chimney brick stack, (single story house). Now, I clean the stainless steel flue pipes prior to every burning season, I thoroughly clean out the wood burning stove on top of the baffle plate and water heating jacket, but I have never cleaned the actual terracotta chimney flue since it was built in 2010......... Now, what I would like to know is this, what will a Professional Chimney Sweep do to soften and remove that build up of tar/creosote that is undoubtedly there - the guy with 37 years experience says that these 'sweeping logs' don't work, but doesn't explain how he removes this hard build up of creosote...... I would think it wise to at least sweep your chimney and clean out the residue before using these 'sweeping logs' and then sweep again. Unless one is physically able to inspect their chimney lining how can one know what was there before and after the Sweep or the Sweeping Log? Thank you to anyone who offers suitable answers to my questions.

[@brent440]

I use the minerals you can buy at menards, maybe once a month. I haven't brushed my chimney for 23 years and it is very clean. My brush and rods are for sale. Just make sure you clean the creosote out of the bottom because the minerals work, and they'll leave the creosote at the bottom and you can get a fire there if you don't clean it out

[@thestevensfamily2463]

We used to have a "decorative" fireplace as well. Get you a great wall of fire. Youll have to google it. Ours was a couple hundred bucks and we increased our living room temp by 10 degrees. They are awesome. Thanks for the video.

[@ExcelDriveVideo]

I just checked out that great wall of fire. Cool! Thx for watching.

[@panama-canada]

Never ever ever burn those in a masonry heater. Why? It’ll flake and detach creosote inside of smaller heating channels inside of your masonry heater and will clog them up.

[@NowellHolmes]

You need to follow the friggin instructions properly, delete this video, and film you doing it the proper way. This is amateur hour.

[@matthewwhittaker478]

Directions says it helps to have a fire already going to improve draft

[@TRUCKERMcD]

Great video........IF I COULD HEAR IT!

[@woodleyhouse7299]

Thanks. The instructions were a bit vague and I wasn't sure if I should year the covers or .. . certainly helped clear a couple of doubts.

[@ExcelDriveVideo]

:-) Thx for watching.

[@TheDirtiboi]

Just read the Amazon reviews from actual users , it works.

[@thegreatwhite75]

And by "actual users" you mean people that have absolutely no idea what they're doing or what they're lookin for inside a chimney!? Or are these "actual users" actually people that sell the CSL logs?

[@wesmahan4757]

+TheDirtiboi : Do Amazon customers measure the before and after amounts of creosote? That's the ONLY way to tell whether it works, NOT that the log burned. How ridiculous.

[@hatfez]

I took a burlap bag, filled it with some bricks, tied a rope to the bag and let it down the flue. I kept "sweeping" the chimney for a few minutes (adding some bricks to get good resistance) then swept and vacuumed the debris out of the fire box. Then shined a light down the flue and it was as clean as a cat's butt...

[@matthewmazurkiewicz404]

pics or it didnt happen

[@ybsorcnad]

Thanks for showing this cool chimney sweep logs..

[@yoyo624]

Thank u for the video man

[@426superbee4]

Let the fire die out to hot coals, and Just throw the box and all into the fireplace hot coals. Then 2 hour later start building a fire. to Medium heat

[@rolandoperez8054]

Did you took before and after pictures or video?

[@raptureready9502]

don't let your fires smolder. burn the fires nice and hot. no problems ever

[@raystone3172]

this guy don't know what the hell hes talking about you need to start a fire first let it burn to heat up the chimney when you only see burning coals THEN you add the log

[@Corteese1980]

Can you show a before and after if the creosote buildup? I don’t see how this could help remove creosote... Without that data, burning this CSL was just an expensive and boring hobby. Please add the before and after the next time that you do this. 🙏

[@weakcannow]

Say the glass doors on your fireplace look just like mine only nicer however are they consider your damper please respond it's getting cold I'll explain in more Detail

[@thegreatwhite75]

I know you weren't asking me, but I just read your post & you said you needed a fast response, so...... No, fireplace doors are not considered a "damper" If you get down on your hands and knees (or lay down on your back) and look up inside the fireplace you'll see the damper. The size, shape, & operation can differ from fireplace to fireplace but it's a usually a metal plate about 6-8" X 24-30" (or there abouts) that closes up the the throat of the fireplace at the top of the firebox (where your fire sits) You can see in the video the brass handle sticking out of the front of the fireplace right above the glass doors. That's the damper handle for this particular fireplace. But a lot of the time there is no damper handle on the outside of the fireplace. The most common type is where you have to reach up in the fireplace & grab a handle that has notches in it so you can open or close the damper to varying degrees. If someone has removed the damper or there is no damper in it you can get what's called a "top sealing damper" This goes on top of the flue tile where it sticks out the top of the chimney and a thin stainless steel cable (with a handle on it) runs down inside the flue & is attached to the inside wall of your firebox, and you operate it using the handle. These work great (provided they are installed correctly) & give a MUCH tighter seal than a conventional damper!

[@TheDigitaljammer]

Anybody's else here from letter Kenny Christmas episode?

[@thegreatmilenko708]

It’s called opening the damper. Not flue

[@MichaelVinci]

thanks for the vid hater gonna hate

[@jeanducheamps7697]

You use your fireplace 12 times a year and are giving advice on chimney maintenance? I think I’ll just ask the unicorn in my attick what to do best.

[@GrandpaBillDex]

Ok, lets be fair here. Here are reviews from people using these logs. After reading them, you be the judge if you want to use them. Click on: www.amazon.com/Creosote-Sweeping-Log-Fireplaces-Pack/dp/B001EPRAGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427291240&sr=8-1&keywords=chimney+sweep+logs#customerReviews

[@Sonny2344]

can hardly hear you, but thanks for the info

[@ckohar]

wow these comments are messed up. I would say that most of the people bitching are in the business of "sweeping chimneys". anyways thanks for the vid. its pretty much a self explanatory procedure.

[@MediaWatchDawg]

Plus,these logs do a lousy job STRONGLY suggesting you need to have your chimney lined. o.0

[@anthonypay8262]

These are a complete waste of money, if a Chimney Sweep has suggested that you have mild creosote in your chimney, you may as well burn some smokeless coal. Smokeless coal gives off sulphur in its fumes which helps attack the creosote. For the same price of one of those logs you could buy 20kg of smokeless, this will do more good for your chimney and you get the benefit of the heat. Some people who's car has a blown head gasket believe that pouring a liquid into the radiator will repair the blown gasket. It, along with these logs are aimed at the gullible members of the public.

[@DoubleDogDare54]

I have a wood stove I use pretty much every day between Thanksgiving and Easter. I go through around four full cords of wood each burning season. I typically use four of these CSL logs a season. The sweep that comes here tells me they DO work and the flue at my place proves it. He told me he vacuums more ash out of the stove than out of the flue, the flue is always clean as a whistle. The trick to keeping a chimney or flue clean is to burn *hot* fires with very dry wood. No smoke that way. That is what I do, very seasoned dry wood and the CSL logs means my flue is in no danger of a chimney fire.

[@thegreatwhite75]

DoubleDogDare54 You're absolutely correct about the trick being to burn hot fires with very dry wood! That's the whole name of the game! This will definitely help in REDUCING the amount of creosote buildup, (and also prevents the buildup of glaze (which is like rock hard tar that does not brush off) but you still will get creosote buildup in your flue (just a lot less with the hotter fires) And you will almost ALWAYS get more ash & creosote in the stove itself, because that's where the process of combustion is taking place, and all the ash, etc from the burnt wood) Unless someone's flue is SUPER dirty! (which often is the case) But as long as you continue burning hot fires, with very dry wood, (and don't change the way you're operating your stove), I can assure you that you'll have the same exact results regarding how much creosote buildup you have, how clean it comes after being brushed, etc! Try going a season WITHOUT using the CSL logs and you'll see what I'm talking about. And keep that extra $ in your pocket!

[@vanessautubemoore]

thegreatwhite75 very informative. double dog

[@vanessautubemoore]

Van Moore i meant to address to thegreatwhite75

[@DonziGT230]

Since I have fixed head gasket leaks with pour in additives I guess I'll give the logs a shot.

[@joeyf504327]

wow. we burn wood for heat and so did the previous owners. this is our 3rd heat seasona dn we havent had our chimney even looked at...

[@ClimbingFlame]

@@vashsunglasses Most people get lucky despite such stupidity, sadly.

[@wesmahan4757]

Completely misleading title. There is NOTHING in the video to show whether the burning log reduced creosote accumulation. Anyone can light the paper wrapper, so why produce a video showing just that???

[@ChimneyMonkey]

Chimney sweep here - creosote logs don’t work.

[@MIKE-D158]

Does anyone have evidence that these work?

[@ExcelDriveVideo]

Thx for watching. Most chimney sweeps don't recommend these actually.

[@StephenSelf444]

ExcelDriveVideo because that takes their job

[@TheDirtiboi]

According to customers in the Amazon reviews, they work.

[@sandoval10]

So....you lit the log and end tape? Thanks for nothing.

[@raymaresh1712]

This was a waste. So stupid I didn't even finish it.

[@christinatoth4552]

this guy is misinformed. Cleans his chimney every three years? This doesn't 'extend time' between chimney cleaning. Yikes. Get a chimney sweep.

[@marty64thornton]

They dont work.waste of money. You have to have a chimney sweep guy to have it done.

[@kennethpoppitt4715]

a total waste of time and money don't work at all just a scam

[@quant_solutions]

Don’t waste your time on this vid

[@thegreatwhite75]

First off let me start by stating that I am a professional chimney sweep with 37 years in business. (So you might say that I've got a little bit of experience & knowledge on this topic) And I can tell you first hand that these CSL logs DO NOT WORK!!! SAVE YOUR $$$!!! And in a fireplace up behind your damper is what's called a smoke shelf. So even if these DID work as they claim, most of the soot would "fall" down on top of that smoke shelf putting that soot/fuel closer to your fire, making it more apt to catch fire! NOT GOOD!!! Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but there is NO substitute for a professional chimney cleaning! (Provided they do it correctly) The flue should be brushed down, along with the inside walls of the firebox (where your fire sits) and the damper should be taken out, then the smoke chamber (which is like an upside down funnel that funnels the smoke from the damper area up into the flue tiles) should be brushed down, then the smoke shelf vacuumed off! We've been to many many places where the customers have tried CSL logs & never once seen where they've done a thing! (Along with all the other chemical "cleaners" out there) There IS 2 chemicals "ACS" & "CRE-AWAY" that we've seen work (SOMETIMES) to soften up harder creosote a little bit so that it can then be brushed off. But they still will not "CLEAN" your chimney! Woodstove flues are supposed to be cleaned when they get 1/4 inch buildup, fireplace flues when they get 1/8 inch buildup, & oil flues when they get 1/16 inch buildup. Also, when burning wood make sure your wood is well seasoned AND well dried! (Just because it's seasoned doesn't mean it's dry!) It should be stacked on pallets or something (up off the ground) and covered on top & about 1 foot down over the sides, but the rest of the sides should be left open so the air can get to it. AND BURN HOT FIRES!!! This will help cut down on creosote buildup! Another thing people will do to mess up their chimney is load their stove up before bed then shut the draft way down to try and get it to last until morning! This kind of smokey little fire WILL MESS UP YOUR CHIMNEY! And regardless of what anyone tells you, (if you're giving your woodstove enough air to burn properly) there's no woodstove out there that will last ALL night! (unless you don't sleep very long) You're going to have to get up atleast once during the night to reload it! If you don't give it enough air to burn properly you will build up "glaze" in your chimney (which is like rock hard tar that does NOT brush off and is VERY flammable) And once it catches you will have a chimney fire that 99 times out of 100 will crack your flue tiles! Then you've got to get it relined, which can be expensive! Hope this helps someone!

[@GrandpaBillDex]

You are so wrong. They do work great!!

[@thegreatwhite75]

Bill Dex No Bill, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but they do NOT work, and like I stated previously, even if they DID work (as you claim) that would make for an even MORE dangerous situation because in a fireplace the soot would fall down on top of the smoke shelf & then that soot/fuel would be even closer to your fire! (Don't know if you're just trying to troll on these comments or you actually believe that they work) If it's the later then I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken! And if you think you know better than 37+ years of experience in the field then show us some video proof of the CSL logs working! And before & after comparisons! Good luck! Hope you're not offended if I DON'T hold my breath!!!

[@GrandpaBillDex]

Sorry. but my creosote was so hard I could not chip it off. I put one of those logs in and it turned that hard creosote into a potato chip type crust. Brushed my chimney out and it shined like a new one. YES it does work.

[@GrandpaBillDex]

Bill Dex I'm not a troll, I use this in my air tight wood stove.

[@GrandpaBillDex]

Bill Dex Now I see. Of course Chimney Sweeps would say they don't work. I rest my case.

[@thonati2163]

This was a waste of 3 minutes that I will never get back. Where is the imperial data? All you did was read the package and light the fire. You did not answer the question supported with data or even pictures.

[@eszumlas]

*Empirical Data

[@ExcelDriveVideo]

Unfortunately I did not. I'll redo this again this year so I'll be sure to do that. Thanks for watching.

[@wayneswingle4706]

could not have been more boring! 15 seconds of information in 4 minutes. how about losing some of the pauses between words.

[@davethesweep]

These can cause problems if your chimney is very dirty. It will make the soot drop and may collect/block or set alight in your chimney.

[@jonathanlaine2128]

Bill Dex, You sure are taking other people's safety into your own hands. Of course a chimney sweep would tell you it doesn't work, if it DOESN'T WORK!! Read all the disclaimers on the product. It even says that it doesn't take the place of having your chimney swept. It is good marketing on a product that should be called, " Use this right before you have your annual Chimney Sweep Log"

[@peter-oe4wh]

Really! All you show is how to light it. Change the title because you never give a before or After!

[@roverporter2434]

I take it your question was rhetorical?

[@faythmomto5]

Great. Thanks for the information. The box can be slightly unclear. TIA.

[@ExcelDriveVideo]

:)

[@weakcannow]

Thanks I think my damper is rusted open I've tug on does not move guess no fireplaces fit the holidays any money saving ideas

[@thegreatwhite75]

Yes, it very well could be stuck open from rust! Just the condensation that builds up inside a chimney itself can rust the damper! Especially if the damper is always open, because the warm air inside your house is getting sucked up into the cold chimney and makes condensation which runs back down the inside walls of your chimney and rusts the damper & damper casing. And especially if there's no cap on top of the chimney & the rain is going down inside. Also if the inside walls of your firebox (where your fire sits) are metal (instead of brick) then you have what's called a "heatilator fireplace" and this type of fireplace is often affected much worse by water & condensation. But your damper could also be stuck open because of soot & debris. Up in back of your damper is what's called a smoke shelf. If the soot is not cleaned off this shelf & is allowed to keep building up this can also affect the operation of your damper. Another thing we see quite often is that someone has done some masonry work on top of the chimney at some point and in the process dropped enough mortar down onto that smoke shelf that it cements the damper into place. As far as $ saving ideas you asked about..... you could get a mirror & a bright flashlight & try to see up behind the back side (& the ends of the damper) to see if there's anything holding it in place. Or try to take it out & check all around where it sits on the damper casing to see what's making it get stuck. But I'm guessing that if your damper is getting stuck like that then you have not had the fireplace cleaned in quite a while or else it has not been cleaned properly. So my recommendation would be to have a professional chimney sweep take a look at it and clean it if necessary. Then at that point the damper could be removed & inspected as well. Note: there are some fireplace dampers that are NOT removable, (Usually the dampers in heatilator fireplaces are not removable) but every fireplace is usually built a little different than the next, so without getting in there personally I really can't tell you if yours is removable or not.

[@mattsmith2563]

Ask your chimney sweep about a lock top damper, after you go through all the steps the previous guy commented. and it is determined your damper plate is no good. the lock top may be the cheaper route.