Roofers tied their harness ropes off to my opposing fir trees when they replaced roof a couple months back. I have gotten up there with a long ladder in the past but I don't like it.
What I like best about the sooteater is that I can leave the door closed and just let the stuff drop into the firebox without getting soot in the room. I'm sure the brush cleans just about as well, though. I don't think the sooteater would be very good with difficult creosote anyway.Yeah I set up both pipes to do it that way. I go up and open the megabucks caps and drop both ropes and push the brushes into the pipes. Close the caps and go down and pull the brushes through. No it isn't a squeaky clean cleaning but squat is left and it ain't gonna play in a chimney fire.
Bart, how do you like big ladders? Planning any trips north, say... January?
Unfortunately, the way it's currently set up, I'd have to pull the flagstone on the big chimney to remove the squirrel cage. The chimney guy does this each spring, when he does his top-down cleaning.
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No big deal, until you consider where you're working from (I don't think I need to re-post THAT picture ).
I am probably the only Sooteater naysayer. The drill started smoking halfway up the 35 foot liner. And in the 21 footer I hated hearing the joints in that flopping rod beat the crap of the liner.
I went back to the rope and brush.
I used my cheapo HF 18v cordless and it worked fine. My chimney is a straight shot up and only 18'. I inserted all the rods before I started spinning it and cleaned from the top down. Not sure which of those factors contributed to the survival of the drill, but I'd guess probably the chimney height, since that would greatly affect the friction and therefore the strain on the motor.
Our sooteater arrived Thursday. Looks like I will be doing a run with it next weekend.
I am really curious to hear what you think. Keep us posted.
Thanks!
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