Chimney -- oil furnace

Mike,

IME, never. Not a bad idea to have chimney inspected every x years to see that the liner, joints, etc. are in good condition; some of this you can DIY.

The furnace is another story. For efficient operation, annual cleaning and tune-up are, in the opinion of many, mandatory.

Having worked at an institution with a dozen oil-burners, which were serviced annually, I can tell you that the flues never required cleaning.

on 7/10/2007 9:22 AM hobbes said the following:

I just cleaned mine two years ago, after living in the house for 20 years. Got a half garbage bag full of soot out of a 24' chimney. I bought my own chimney cleaning kit.