We burn wood all winter long with a 30 foot chimney, as our wood stove is our primary source of heating our home. A few years ago, we had a small chimney fire and fortunately we did not have severe damage. Chimney sweeping is a minimum of $300 locally, and is not guaranteed to prevent fire or build up. We now use creosote powder along with this sweeper. We are 100% happy with the results. Easy to assemble and use.