I've been heating with wood for 27 years now, using a Vermont Castings "Resolute" stove. It has seen 80-90 cords pass though, and since it is rather efficient, creosote has not been a real issue. I've got a stainless liner inside a tile-lined chimney that I sweep myself.

Perhaps you've seen the advert for the Creosote Sweeping Log on TV. It claims that the 'minerals' in the product will reduce creosote build-up. I was a chemistry major in college a half-century ago, but I really can't see how this could be possible. Is this just the wood-burning equivalent of snake oil?