wrote:
Hi folks - I checked my chimney yesterday. It is an older, lined
chimney. We burn wood on the weekends during the weekends here in the
Northeast with a new fireplace insert. Probably a cord a year. I have
had the chimney cleaned every year or so. They never get much out of
it.

I looked down it yesterday with a flashlight. It had a very, very thin
coating of creosote on the liner (less than paperthin). I could scrape
it off with my fingertip). No blackages whatsoever.

Does this warrant cleaning? Pls dont give me the Chimny sweeps of
America usual line. Does it REALLY need sweeping?

Since the residue is a small one I think you are OK specially since you
have cleaned regularly in the past. You would never expect there to be
no residue at all with a wood burning flue. Just keep cleaning it on a
regular basis.