I've never cleaned my chimney, but I went overkill when I built. I had my mason build the chimney with 13" flue liners, and with a 6" stove pipe feeding it, it just crusts, breaks free, repeat. I haven't looked down it in several years, but it's never come close to building up much at all. Every year I rake a good pile of gunk out of the clean-out at the bottom.
Place is still full of miscreants I see!
... The front has a few welds needed, but that's it.
Right on. So that brings me to my next question on the Vigilants where do you set the secondary burn "keyhole" flapper wide open or? I have been running it about 1/4 position open and the damper in the vertical position.Depends on flue Temps , once a year I run a brush through both Chimneys without big buildup as I try to burn clean , probably pull the connector upstairs into to the Masonry two or three times a Winter and shop vac the pipe and thimble just to be sure.
Looks like serviceable unit ! Where does the water coil reside ?