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Ray
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Chimney Sweeping Log
« Thread Started on Feb 18, 2008, 11:08pm »

Ever wonder if the Chimney Sweeping Log works. Here's latest news flash:

February 11, 2008

Imperial Manufacturing Group (manufacturer of Chimney Sweeping Log) was fined $25,000 and must change it's marketing promotions and labels.

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/02/11/firelogs-competitionbureau.html

Here is the full story or click link above.

Watchdog sends chimney-cleaning product claims up in smoke

The Competition Bureau on Monday ordered two companies to stop making unsupported marketing claims for its chimney logs and cleaning products.

The watchdog said the companies, which are part of the umbrella group Imperial Manufacturing Group, made performance claims that the fire logs and chimney-cleaning products would reduce creosote — oily deposits left in the chimney. The products were also touted as a method of preventing and eliminating chimney fires. These claims were not supported by adequate testing, the federal agency said.

The Competition Tribunal, the body that hears complaints and issues fines, rejected a challenge by IMG, arguing that the Competition Act's proper testing provision infringed on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The tribunal held that the provision helps protect consumers and boosts competition between businesses.

The company must change its marketing promotions and labels and was ordered to pay a penalty of $25,000.

"Advertisers have a legal obligation to ensure that consumers are not misled when making their purchasing decisions," said Andrea Rosen, Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Competition Bureau, in a release.

The products under review include:

The Supersweep Chimney Cleaning Log.
The Imperial Chimney Cleaning Log.
The Kel Kem Chimney Creosote Cleaner.
The Kel Kem Creosote Conditioner.
The Competition Tribunal said it also plans to review submissions regarding the terms of a public notice about these products, product recall or change in packaging and the awarding of costs in the near future.

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Ray
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Re: Chimney Sweeping Log
« Reply #1 on Feb 19, 2008, 5:45pm »

Another link from News Channel 3 Texas "Does it work?"

"Save your $16. Don't let it go up in smoke like we did. The Chimney Sweeping Log doesn't work!"

http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=2726251

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Ray
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Re: Chimney Sweeping Log
« Reply #2 on Feb 19, 2008, 5:50pm »

Here's a link for Channel 3 Sacramento California

"Fifteen days after burning the Chimney Sweeping Log in Ellis' fireplace, Amen was back to peer down the chimney from above and below.

So did it make a difference?

Nothing visual that I could see. No," Amen said.

full story below:

http://www.kcra.com/call3/1188805/detail.html

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Ray
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Re: Chimney Sweeping Log
« Reply #3 on Feb 19, 2008, 5:53pm »

Here's a link for www.chimneysweeponline.com

full story at:
http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hocslog.htm

From Washington Public Fire Educators

Chimney Sweeping Logs:
The use of chimney sweeping logs (and similar products) alone is not an adequate substitute for mechanical chimney cleaning and inspection because it does not provide for the same level of protection to the chimney system.
Vital Points:
Each time you burn wood in your fireplace or woodstove, tar and creosote are formed and over time, will build up on the inside of your chimney. This build-up is highly flammable and can ignite causing a chimney fire. To prevent chimney fires, the fire service has long recommended having your chimney cleaned and inspected annually by a licensed professional. But now, a new product called the “Chimney Sweeping Log” has many citizens wondering whether an annual mechanical cleaning remains necessary.
The manufacturer of the Chimney Sweeping Log claims that the product contains “specially developed minerals” that act to reduce deposits of tar and creosote thus reducing the risk of chimney fires. To use the product, you simply place the log in your fireplace or woodstove and allow it burn for roughly an hour and a half. The product’s website boasts that “the burning of a single Chimney Sweeping Log can reduce build-up by up to 60%”.
Washington Public Fire Educators (WPFE) is concerned about these claims. While we won’t dispute what these fire logs will do, we feel that it’s vital to address what they won’t do. If these logs manage to loosen creosote so it flakes off the flue walls as the advertisements claim, where does that creosote go? It either catches fire as it flakes off and increases the potential for a chimney fire through the intense burning, or it falls to the bottom and collects on the smoke shelf, thus causing a future hazard.
WPFE agrees with the Chimney Safety Institute of America’s statement: “The use of these products alone is not an adequate substitute for mechanical chimney cleaning and inspection because it does not provide for the same level of protection to the chimney system.” (The Chimney Safety Institute of America is a non-profit, educational institution focused on the prevention of chimney and venting hazards.)
WPFE believes that the safest and most effective chimney maintenance is achieved through annual inspections and mechanical sweeping.
The basic task of a chimney sweep is to clean chimneys. The cleaning process includes 1) removing the hazard of accumulated and highly combustible creosote produced by burning wood and wood products, 2) eliminating the build-up of soot in coal- and oil-fired systems and 3) removing bird and animal nests, leaves and other debris that may create a hazard by blocking the flow of emissions from a home heating appliance. In addition to the cleaning, chimney inspections often reveal hidden problems within the structure that could be potentially dangerous such as breaks or breaches in the flue.
Mechanical sweeping of chimneys not only removes layers of creosote from surfaces, it also eliminates the resulting debris from the chimney, fireplace, or woodstove. Many chimneys are not constructed in a straight path from the firebox to the outside. If chimney-cleaning products perform as claimed and cause debris in the chimney to fall, that debris must still be removed from the smoke shelf, baffle, catalytic combustor, or offset in order to ensure a safe and properly functioning chimney.

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Ray
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Re: Chimney Sweeping Log
« Reply #4 on Feb 19, 2008, 6:03pm »

CBC news performs 4 test at various viewers homes and lab tests.

Quote from results

"The four viewers who helped with our test were not at all impressed with the dressed up log."

Full story at:

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/home/csl/

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supersweeper
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Re: Chimney Sweeping Log
« Reply #5 on Feb 21, 2008, 11:35pm »

You know what the most horrible thing about those logs is? Most customers think it can substitute for a professional cleaning! I have seen chimney after people used them as well and notice absolutely no difference. What frustrates me the most is how misleading they are. One day someone is going to be killed in a chimney fire because of this scam!

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