Do Coal Stove Flues Require Chimney Sweep?

I know that wood burning chimneys/flues require annual chimney sweeping due to creosote buildup but what about coal flues? From what I have read coal burning does not produce creosote like wood burning does. Usually around once a month I shut down my coal stove and use a shop vac to clean all the ash inside the stove. I also vacuum the section of the flue where there is a bend as this seems to be the only place where ash builds up a little bit. Do I also need to hire a chimney sweep to clean the entire flue? I have an Alaska Channing III stove with a non-powered direct flue.

I sweep the vertical section in mine at the end of the burn season to get the little bit of fly ash off the SS chimney for the summer. The amount I get off is very small. If I had a masonry chimney I wouldn't bother to do it.

I do inspect the chimney in the fall before lighting up to make sure no critters made a home during the summer.

I vac out the horizontal run of flue pipe a couple times through the season to get rid of the fly ash that accumulates there.

Does anyone else have any input on this? I'm ready to start my stove for the season but not sure if using a shop vac is sufficient or if I need a complete sweep of the flue?

Ditto on what T said---bottom line is whatever YOU feel comfortable with, it's your set-up!

Haven't done mine since the switch to coal. About twenty years. Stovepipe, yes. Chimney, no.

shredder_54 wrote:Does anyone else have any input on this? I'm ready to start my stove for the season but not sure if using a shop vac is sufficient or if I need a complete sweep of the flue?

Other than the horizontal run to the chimney, Does the chimney have any bends in it or is it completely vertical?

I had mine swept two years ago...all that came out was old creosote from the vacated wood boiler. I don't plan to have it swept again for a long time.

After 3 years my living room flue still shines! I have been on my roof and the 2 flues with a coal stove look brand new (56 yrs old). Horizontal pipes twice a season or whenever the draft suffers!

I see no reason to sweep the chimney tiles personally, even if my boiler didn't blow it all out when it takes a liking to it. "BOOM"

I did my masonry chimney about 6 years ago because at one time there was a wood stove connected to it and I didn't know the condition. Haven't done it since and don't much plan on it.

I used to take the vent piping apart to clean it out but now I just use an inspection mirror through the barometric damper to see what the horizontal section looks like.

Other than that, I might pill the vent at the stove outlet as fly ash tends to collect in "drifts" on either side that can reduce my already poor draft.

Over time that fly ash can harden into cement. Many years ago I ran into one chimney in a commercial building that had about a 3 inch hole down the middle, the rest was hardened fly ash. Smacking it with a length of 1 1/4 black pipe did nothing, was like chipping cement.

So inspect from time to time to see if there is any build up. A steel chimney of course should be brushed every season.

I guess my point is--apparently you're not all that familiar w/ the chimney. If it were me, I'd sweep it & then I'd know it's good & clean & not worry about it again for a few yrs. Of course that could be done at any time w/stove hooked up or not. BUT, I would do it.