Cleaning the Stove Pipe

[user 122190]

I've improved on the burning of Aluminum Cans idea. With the soft woods in my area, it was difficult to completely burn the cans. I've since incorporated Tri-Sodium Phosphate into the ingredients. I remove the top of the can, add about a 1/4 cup of the powder, add water till it is paste like, fold the top of the can to seal it all and place it atop the stoves hot coals.

Stove burns with greater efficiency, hotter with less ash. I can't get up on the roof and look down the pipe, but all indications are my stove pipe is being kept clean.

 

[quotejso2]

Is that good for the flue

 

[user 122190]

Is that good for the flue

Does it hurt it? Some steam from the water might last a minute or less as the temperature is extreme.

 

[quotejso2]

Never heard of that trick the aluminum thing just thought chemicals are bad for the pipes

 

[user 122190]

There has been discussion here about Aluminum Cans, and the TSP was mentioned as a benefit. TSP is a useful cleaner for smoke stains and ash. My thought with the steam is that it might help the interaction with the buildup that is in the pipe. It will be interesting to look down my pipe this spring and see the results of my experiments.

 

[stihlguy]

I've improved on the burning of Aluminum Cans idea. With the soft woods in my area, it was difficult to completely burn the cans. I've since incorporated Tri-Sodium Phosphate into the ingredients. I remove the top of the can, add about a 1/4 cup of the powder, add water till it is paste like, fold the top of the can to seal it all and place it atop the stoves hot coals.

Stove burns with greater efficiency, hotter with less ash. I can't get up on the roof and look down the pipe, but all indications are my stove pipe is being kept clean.

Why don't you get a mirror and check the chimney from your clean out door?

 

[user 122190]

Why don't you get a mirror and check the chimney from your clean out door?

Don't have a clean out door.

 

[Vibes]

Don't have a clean out door.

Never heard of that. Sounds like you have more concerns than burning cans. How do you get the dirt out when you run a brush through the chimney?

 

[user 122190]

Never heard of that. Sounds like you have more concerns than burning cans. How do you get the dirt out when you run a brush through the chimney?

Only had the pipe brushed once. There was very little Creosote and it burned up upon making a fire.

Installers said that if there is ever a lot of build up to disconnect the pipe from the stove, and bag to pipe's end before brushing. A good size job and potentially very messy. For this reason, I do as much as I can to prevent Creosote. Cleaning any build up is a job and a half and in the winter time not something easily done.

 

[Vibes]

Only had the pipe brushed once. There was very little Creosote and it burned up upon making a fire.

Installers said that if there is ever a lot of build up to disconnect the pipe from the stove, and bag to pipe's end before brushing. A good size job and potentially very messy. For this reason, I do as much as I can to prevent Creosote. Cleaning any build up is a job and a half and in the winter time not something easily done.

Sounds like your installer is full of s#it. Did you even check the building code for your area or with your homeowners insurance. I've done my share of work on stacks, and have never seen one that didn't have an access door.

 

[olyman]

Only had the pipe brushed once. There was very little Creosote and it burned up upon making a fire.

Installers said that if there is ever a lot of build up to disconnect the pipe from the stove, and bag to pipe's end before brushing. A good size job and potentially very messy. For this reason, I do as much as I can to prevent Creosote. Cleaning any build up is a job and a half and in the winter time not something easily done.

do it right away in the am,,before more wood in stove...coals give off near zero cough spasms.....

 

[user 122190]

Sounds like your installer is full of s#it. Did you even check the building code for your area or with your homeowners insurance. I've done my share of work on stacks, and have never seen one that didn't have an access door.

Well you are wrong. What more can I say, or needs to be said.

 

[nathon918]

Sounds like your installer is full of s#it. Did you even check the building code for your area or with your homeowners insurance. I've done my share of work on stacks, and have never seen one that didn't have an access door.

seems like you haven seen much then
looking at my two stoves right now...no cleanout... both are double wall stainless chimneys with single wall from ceiling flange to stove , brush right into the stove...no clean out needed

 

[nathon918]

do it right away in the am,,before more wood in stove...coals give off near zero cough spasms.....

yup, I don't shut it down when I do mine, so when I'm done just throw the wood in and its going again

 

[user 122190]

seems like you haven seen much then
looking at my two stoves right now...no cleanout... both are double wall stainless chimneys with single wall from ceiling flange to stove , brush right into the stove...no clean out needed

Yup, mine is a Hearthstone woodstove. Even in the manual for maintenance it says only to run a hot fire to burn out the Creosote. Baring that it's remove the pipe from the stove and bag the end and sweep. That's something I never want to do, and I take all measures to keep my stove running hot and minimize any creosote development.

My first winter I did burn some not fully seasoned wood, and had some Creosote. A Creasote Sweeping Log, purchased at Walmart fixed the problem, and after the burn season was when I had someone sweep the pipe and he said it was spotless (very clean).

 

[Vibes]

Then may be I'm wrong. But I've installed stacks as high as 9 stories that were used to exhaust gases, grain dust, waste ash, grease and yes, more than my share of double and triple wall for wood burners. I may have overlooked some of the fine print on the instructions. But I could care less about them.

I always went with what my insurance binders required, and what the architecs specs were for his drawings. And I've never seen a exhaust stack that didn't have access. May be that's just a law in Pennsylvania.

 

[tla100]

My brother wood st0ve goes straight up thru 10' basement, 10 ' main level then thru roof, no clean out. have to unhook stove pipe from stove and use a bag. No cleanout or access door....

 

[Wisneaky]

There is no clean out on mine. I pull the pipe off and run a brush attached to a drill up it. Use a shopvac to suck up everything that comes out. Back in the day my neighbor used to do the soda can trick on his and swore by it.

 

[ETpilot]

Not having a clean out door is a pet peeve with my installation. My stove pipe make a right angle into the wall and into the air box. Chimney goes up from there with a slight crook in it. The only way to clean it is from the top down. The topside presents it own problem. It is all brick with a non removable cap. So to clean I have to work thru the small opening on the side. I have to use a pulley assembly I made with a weight for the brush. Once I sweep the chimney, I remove the stove pipe and vacuum out. A real pain.

I would like to try a Sooteater but don't know if rods are flexible enough to go thru the chimney opening then curve down the chimney. All the rods I have seen are too stiff to make that curve

 

[Vibes]

Not having a clean out door is a pet peeve with my installation. My stove pipe make a right angle into the wall and into the air box. Chimney goes up from there with a slight crook in it. The only way to clean it is from the top down. The topside presents it own problem. It is all brick with a non removable cap. So to clean I have to work thru the small opening on the side. I have to use a pulley assembly I made with a weight for the brush. Once I sweep the chimney, I remove the stove pipe and vacuum out. A real pain.

I would like to try a Sooteater but don't know if rods are flexible enough to go thru the chimney opening then curve down the chimney. All the rods I have seen are too stiff to make that curve

Try this. Get along enough piece of chain. Something like would be on an old kids swing set. Weld a piece of 1/4 round on one end. Lower it down your chimey from the top and put the 1/4 round in your cordless drill. Let er rip. Do it again in reverse. If your chimney isn't lined , (you didn't say) you may want to attach shorter pieces of chain to the sides at different lengths. May be even just pieces of wire may work for that. You will be amazed how much crap gets beat out of your chimney. Be creative with what you attach to the chain but you don't want to be beating out mortar or anything. Make sure the end doesn't get snagged on a damper or a grate.

Don't drop the chain if you don't have a cleanout.