Expert: James Ball - 10/1/2011

Question
Hi, I have a Napoleon 1101 fireplace insert and was about to perform a chimney sweep, the insert went in tight and I was wondering... Do you sweep down the chimney and is there a way to get to the debris from the inside of the firebox, opening the door and removing some material at the top inside the box ? Any advice would be appreciated, I was trying to avoid pulling the unit out. Thanks. Joe

Answer
Hello Joe, it is code that all units be piped to at least the first flue tile and if yours is then you have to pull it out and clean and inspect every thing, then put it back together, if it is not piped then that is what we in the industry call "a slammed unit" and is one of the biggest fire hazards you can have, the right way to install that unit is to follow the manufacturers install manual and it will need to be lined to the top with an insulated liner (then future cleanings will be from the top down or the bottom up (if you can access the flue from inside the unit) you can buy kits on line and contact your local building department for your local codes.
I would have a local Certified Chimney Sweep www.csia.org, (there you can look up by zip code to find one near you) take a first hand look at what you have, they should be able to help.
Hope this helps
James