Cleaning the Stove Pipe

[Wisneaky]

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

I use a sooteater. It goes into my 90 degree tee with no problems.

 

[ETpilot]

Vibes n Wisneaky thanks for the info. My chimney is 11x11 clay lined. I am going to see if I can find a Sooteater locally. That seems like it may be a good tool for me. I will also keep in mind the chain method. I still would need to work from the top. Access at the stove is via the 6" hole in the brick to the air box. The chimney exit is about 12-14" in. To inspect I use a large mirror on a long stick. I then shine a spotlight on the mirror and check all I can. I do the same topside. I can look down the chimney but it is a tight fit for my head along with the spotlight.



This is the smaller opening. The wooden blocks support the pulley I use. This was a test setup. I have a better support now. The work opening is on the side not visible. Opening is same height but a bit wider. About the length of 1 Brick plus 3/4 brick. Or the left side of the pictured opening extending to the right corner of the brick chimeny. Not much of a work space.

 

[Vibes]

What is a Sooteater?

 

[Wisneaky]

What is a Sooteater?

http://www.amazon.com/Gardus-RCH205...UTF8&qid=1424316689&sr=8-1&keywords=sooteater

 

[OnTheRoad]

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).

What did the creosote log do to solve your problem?

 

[OnTheRoad]

Vibes n Wisneaky thanks for the info. My chimney is 11x11 clay lined. I am going to see if I can find a Sooteater locally. That seems like it may be a good tool for me. I will also keep in mind the chain method. I still would need to work from the top. Access at the stove is via the 6" hole in the brick to the air box. The chimney exit is about 12-14" in. To inspect I use a large mirror on a long stick. I then shine a spotlight on the mirror and check all I can. I do the same topside. I can look down the chimney but it is a tight fit for my head along with the spotlight.

View attachment 404786

This is the smaller opening. The wooden blocks support the pulley I use. This was a test setup. I have a better support now. The work opening is on the side not visible. Opening is same height but a bit wider. About the length of 1 Brick plus 3/4 brick. Or the left side of the pictured opening extending to the right corner of the brick chimeny. Not much of a work space.

Am I seeing this right? Your chimney exhaust comes to the top and then hits a 90* turn to get to atmosphere? I'm no physicist but having that 90 at the end seems like a creosote collector.

 

[Fubar]

burning a few pieces of coal ever so often works great and its cheap too , there won't be nothing but some grayish ash in there after that .

 

[flotek]

I use a sooteater as well .. Awesome product!

 

[ETpilot]

Am I seeing this right? Your chimney exhaust comes to the top and then hits a 90* turn to get to atmosphere? I'm no physicist but having that 90 at the end seems like a creosote collector.

There are four openings for the exhaust. You are correct, all goes up hits the cap then exits out the openings. There are many chimneys like this in my area. Creosote has not been a problem. It stays pretty clean. Being a newbie around wood stoves I never cleaned it for years. After reading this forum I figured I had better get with the program. So I purchased the cleaning brush and have been cleaning each year. During my newbie years, I had some chimney swifts that occupied the chimney each summer. I believe they helped keep the chimeny clean. Sadly, about 2 years ago they failed to return. I really miss them as it was fun to hear then carry on as momma brought some food home. Each year I would clean and vacuum the nest in the air box.

The link for the sooteater shows a picture of the rod being bent in a u shape. So it looks like it will work for me. I will get one for the next cleaning and see how it works for me.

 

[Wisneaky]

The link for the sooteater shows a picture of the rod being bent in a u shape. So it looks like it will work for me. I will get one for the next cleaning and see how it works for me.

It's heavy duty and works very good. It should work for you.

 

[OnTheRoad]

There are four openings for the exhaust. You are correct, all goes up hits the cap then exits out the openings. There are many chimneys like this in my area. Creosote has not been a problem. It stays pretty clean. Being a newbie around wood stoves I never cleaned it for years. After reading this forum I figured I had better get with the program. So I purchased the cleaning brush and have been cleaning each year. During my newbie years, I had some chimney swifts that occupied the chimney each summer. I believe they helped keep the chimeny clean. Sadly, about 2 years ago they failed to return. I really miss them as it was fun to hear then carry on as momma brought some food home. Each year I would clean and vacuum the nest in the air box.

The link for the sooteater shows a picture of the rod being bent in a u shape. So it looks like it will work for me. I will get one for the next cleaning and see how it works for me.

I have a sooteater and it will go down that vent. I've never seen a chimney like that but it looks very well built.