The Pros and Cons of a Chimney Sweeping Log

Keeping the chimney clean is one of the most common fireplace maintenance issues. You can buy many kinds of chimney cleaning kits. Sweeping logs are one of these cleaning methods. Read the following arguments to decide if a sweeping log is appropriate for your fireplace.

Sweeping Log Basics

Sweeping logs help remove debris deposited along the chimney walls. These sticky deposits are called creosote. Creosote deposited over a long period becomes highly flammable; it often causes chimney fires.

Thus creosote removal is vital to your safety. Sweeping logs are infused with special chemicals that release when the log burns in the fireplace. These chemicals react with the creosote layers and break them into smaller fragments. Eventually, the creosote deposits are reduced to ash that crumbles down into the fireplace.

Pros of Chimney Sweeping Logs

The reason for the popularity of sweeping logs is their ease of use. You unwrap the log from its package and place it in a lit fireplace.

Furthermore, most chimney cleaning logs are reasonably priced. They are easy to store and have a long shelf life.

Many chimney columns are rather lengthy, often with a slightly bent shape. Manual cleaning of such chimneys is rather difficult, since brooms cannot reach creosote deposited along hard-to-reach angles. However, the vaporized form of the sweeping log can penetrate creosote depositions across chimneys of any size or shape.

Other chimney-cleaning products cannot break down the creosote deposits into ash. In these cases, after you clean the chimney, you must manually handle the collected debris. This is not only a tedious task but can also prove a health hazard. The collected debris is loaded with tar-based dust that can cause allergic reactions.

Cons of Chimney Sweeping Logs

Manual cleaning of the chimney helps to remove soot deposits that are a serious problem with coal and oil-fueled fireplaces. The effectiveness of sweeping logs is limited to fireplaces that burn wood. Most sweeping logs cannot be used in propane fireplaces or those powered by natural gas.

Sweeping logs cannot remove bigger obstructions in the chimney, obstructions such as bird nests. And chimney-cleaning logs cannot guarantee the complete removal of all creosote deposits.

Some people have also raised concerns regarding the safety of sweeping logs. Along with weathered creosote, some fragments of unscathed creosote might also fall down. Being flammable, creosote can then cause flame spurts in the fireplace.

Conclusion

Sweeping logs are recommended for maintaining basic chimney cleanliness in wood-burning fireplaces. These logs aren't a replacement for thorough cleaning of your chimney. However, regular use of a sweeping log helps to lengthen the interval between manual cleanings of the chimney.