How often should I have my chimney cleaned?   

1. In our opinion, if you use your wood appliance over the heating season it requires a minimum of once a year and sometime two or three times depending on how and what you burn.
    
2. If you use your fireplace every now and again (meaning one or twice a month), you can let it go for a period of two years, but no more than two.
    
3. Best option is to have it swept and inspected once a year due to birds, animals, deterioration and for the unknown factors. Creosote left in the flue pipes and appliance can mix with humid air in the summer to form a very corrosive mixture. You can avoid off season corrosion problems by thoroughly cleaning the system after the last fire of the heating season.
    
4. Every wood burning system has a different rate of creosote build up. Some need cleaning once a month; others only need cleaning once a year. Inspect frequently and clean when necessary.