Or If you know you’re burning a “bit” of green wood you should run a sweep down the pipe at some point on a nice day.
I’ve found that when I see the black tar running out of the connection between the flu and the box that the wood I’m burning could be better purposed for next year. Of course I still burn more green wood than I would like but I always have it in my mind to have a look at the flu at about the halfway mark of winter.
I find that “Getting to know/ Connecting with the stove, potbelly, fire pit, fire bucket or a massive bonfire on a rural property is more important than the actual warmth that the beast produces. I know I’m a bit crazy but I’ve found a plethora of people who would tell me I thought to much about it in a minute and then spend a hour telling me how I could improve my “system”