Does the flue need sweeping?

[wedgie]

Hello fellow wood fired oven owners.

Wish I had discovered this site before building my oven, but there you go.  Have had the oven fully functioning in the garden now since 2014 and it performs beautifully.  You well seasoned oven users will probably think me daft but here goes - does the chimney need sweeping as an ordinary household chimney does?  I know that the clearing of the dome and the heat generated keeps the inside of the oven clean but what about the flue?

Hope you can help

Wedgie

[devontiger]

wedgie, I would think not.
But that is an easy answer, I would think it "wood" burn off.

What sort of chimney have you got?
Picture would be good.

[oblertone]

I dismount my flue after every firing to store it away; never more than a few mm's of soot build up so my answer would be no.

[wedgie]

Thanks folks for the fast responses

The flue is 1.5 metres in length and is 8" diameter and twin walled. The oven itself is a kit and the flue exit from the oven is long and relatively narrow (unfortunately out of the front of the oven itself rather than the tunnel door entrance - didn't understand the importance at the time). This funnels into a home fabricated gather space before a rudimentary attachment to the flue pipe. It was well sealed when built. To close the oven at the top of the chimney a cap with a heat resistant insert is used so that the warmth is retained. I have attached a photo but not sure it will help much as the oven is finished with the 'dog kennel' style of weather proofing given our exposed location.

[Bandit]

My flue is about 2.3m tall single skin stainless steel, from time to time i do sweep it purely to stop flakes of soot falling in to the food I am cooking when I pull food out to check or turn it over in the throat of the oven where the flue is.