leaf blower and quadrafire insert

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bartly

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Dec 2, 2013
16
Reno
So, I have seen a few videos on using a leaf blower to blow out the up pipe. From what I see on youtube, the leaf blower is usually connected on the outside of the house on the up pipe. My up pipe is inside my brick chimney because I have an insert. Sorry if up pipe is not the correct term, but hoping you get what I mean. I am thinking bringing a leaf blower in my house would be a mistake as I'd have to somehow make sure and gasket off the head of the blower with towels or something to keep all the soot from back blowing in my face and into my living room. Am I way off base and missing something here. Course this question pertains to my Quadrafire 1200i insert, guessing it might be applicable to any insert that uses and existing brick fireplace with brick chimney.
Thanks to anyone who has any suggestions and especially if its with the 1200i model let me know. I appreciate it. Have had the stove for maybe 7 years and have never pulled the insert to clean any of the blowers or stuff other than the combustion area.
Thank you hopefully.
 
The leaf blower trick (LBT) is to be used at the end of full cleaning. You really should pull the insert and properly clean blowers, replace gaskets, etc. Clean it from top to bottom, and THEN use the LBT to finish the job.
 
The LBT uses the SUCTION side of the blower to PULL the ash out. You would get up on your roof to do the LBT in the usual way.
 
I use the leaf blower trick instead of a full cleaning. Why would you do it if the stove was clean!?

Dave
 
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Because even a good cleaning will miss some ash in hidden spots. I do a thorough cleaning on my stove, and the LBT gets a bit more ash from hidden places.The LBT will not remove ash that's stuck on, or packed in, places.
 
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Why can't you blow from the bottom and out? I may try this first and then vacuum from the top to see if anything else comes out.
 
bartly said:
So, I have seen a few videos on using a leaf blower to blow out the up pipe. From what I see on youtube, the leaf blower is usually connected on the outside of the house on the up pipe. My up pipe is inside my brick chimney because I have an insert. Sorry if up pipe is not the correct term, but hoping you get what I mean. I am thinking bringing a leaf blower in my house would be a mistake as I'd have to somehow make sure and gasket off the head of the blower with towels or something to keep all the soot from back blowing in my face and into my living room. Am I way off base and missing something here. Course this question pertains to my Quadrafire 1200i insert, guessing it might be applicable to any insert that uses and existing brick fireplace with brick chimney.
Thanks to anyone who has any suggestions and especially if its with the 1200i model let me know. I appreciate it. Have had the stove for maybe 7 years and have never pulled the insert to clean any of the blowers or stuff other than the combustion area.
Thank you hopefully.
Click to expand...
The leaf blower trick is meant to suck the ash out, not to blow it out. Is there no way to attach the leaf blower onto the top of your vent? It would mean getting on top of your roof, which is not always easy for some.
 
DneprDave said:
I use the leaf blower trick instead of a full cleaning. Why would you do it if the stove was clean!?

Dave
Click to expand...
Your idea of replacing the cleaning isn't bad, but I do the cleaning because I really don't want 10x as much ash blowing all over the place. Actually, I don't want to blow a cloud of ash over my neighbor's house!
 
Much of the fun of the leaf blower trick is the big cloud of ash that comes out, just don't do it when the wind is blowing where you don't want it to go,

Dave
 
If you blow into the pipe, you may blow air (and ash) back into the stove. If the stove door was open, you'd have something of a disaster with ash all over the room. It has happened.
 
Thanks for all the comments. I planned on cleaning the combustion chamber as usual as well as pulling the insert out to get to the pan area on the left side as well. Also plan on giving it my best to clean the blower motor and other things. Mostly wanted to learn about the LBT. I wasn't aware that you use it in suction mode. I would have to do this on the roof and that is something I hate doing, don't like heights especially when trying to hold a LB and connecting the end to the output tube. Would definately not want to try to put the collection bag on and suck from inside in the living room, can only imagine the bag is not made to catch the fine powder. Was mostly wondering if anyone has attempted to blow from the inside and somehow connect the LB tip to the tube in one of these inserts and not have it leak and blow soot back into the living room. Again thanks for the comments, sounds like it means climbing on the roof and being a balancing act as reaching the top of the chimney means I need a ladder on top of the roof as well, yikes.
 
I did see a you tube video of someone who disconnected their fireplace insert and used the leaf blower to blow out the chimney flue. They still had to do the full regular cleaning of the stove, but at least their flue was clean...
 
The leaf blower trick doesn't replace cleaning the chimney/flue you still need to brush it regularly..the blower just helps remove the lose ash and help pull any other lose ash from the stove.
 
I don't have that much to use the leaf blower.
I can push down from the top down/ out to the bottom cleanout with a 4" fan brush. [4 foot].
Then push horizontal to the inside flue and vacuum that ash out from inside and done.
Always leary of sucking or breaking loose any exhaust pipe bonding or sealant gook.
Those leaf blowers got some crazy strong suction.
 

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Tonyray said:
I don't have that much to use the leaf blower.
I can push down from the top down/ out to the bottom cleanout with a 4" fan brush. [4 foot].
Then push horizontal to the inside flue and vacuum that ash out from inside and done.
Always leary of sucking or breaking loose any exhaust pipe bonding or sealant gook.
Those leaf blowers got some crazy strong suction.
Click to expand...

You are missing out on a very clean stove...
 
krooser said:
You are missing out on a very clean stove...
Click to expand...
well there's good clean and very clean..
don't know if it matters much if using good pellets but appreciate the comment.
.pretty much have grayish ash[powdery] in my exhaust.
.I'm just leary of breaking loose any bonding since I have such a short run.
spinning the blower wheel big time rpm's doesn't thrill me either..
gotta figure people learned to clean pretty well before the exhaust leaf blower trick came out.
I'm pretty OCD about my stove every day. scraping, heat exchanger brushing etc..
 
Tonyray said:
well there's good clean and very clean..
don't know if it matters much if using good pellets but appreciate the comment.
.pretty much have grayish ash[powdery] in my exhaust.
.I'm just leary of breaking loose any bonding since I have such a short run.
spinning the blower wheel big time rpm's doesn't thrill me either..
gotta figure people learned to clean pretty well before the exhaust leaf blower trick came out.
I'm pretty OCD about my stove every day. scraping, heat exchanger brushing etc..
Click to expand...

You fan won't spin millions of RPM's… your stove is not airtight and the leaf blower will not create so much of a vacuum as to cause it to spin out of control. Some folks disconnect the vacuum switch when doing the LBT but I see no need for it… put a vacuum gauge on the hose and you will likely see the needle stand still.

The vent needs to be disassembled cleaned periodically anyway… why not clean it the easiest and best way?

I introduced the LBT to this forum many years ago… the early responses were laughter and disbelief. The giggles and WTF? comments subsided after a few members here gave it a try.

I don't lay claim to inventing the procedure… I discovered it after I called my dealer to come out and fix my smoky, stinky, sticky, gooey stove… everything I tried to make my stove run good went for naught. It just wouldn't stay burning correctly. I had inadvertently left the ash pan fasteners loose creating an air leak and a lazy, sooty flame. Five minutes with a leaf blower and the service tech had it running like new… I've been a believer ever since.


Here's the early post about the technique…


https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cleaning-your-stove-with-a-leafblower-no-kidding.26540/
 
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krooser said:
You fan won't spin millions of RPM's… your stove is not airtight and the leaf blower will not create so much of a vacuum as to cause it to spin out of control. Some folks disconnect the vacuum switch when doing the LBT but I see no need for it… put a vacuum gauge on the hose and you will likely see the needle stand still.

The vent needs to be disassembled cleaned periodically anyway… why not clean it the easiest and best way?

I introduced the LBT to this forum many years ago… the early responses were laughter and disbelief. The giggles and WTF? comments subsided after a few members here gave it a try.

I don't lay claim to inventing the procedure… I discovered it after I called my dealer to come out and fix my smoky, stinky, sticky, gooey stove… everything I tried to make my stove run good went for naught. It just wouldn't stay burning correctly. I had inadvertently left the ash pan fasteners loose creating an air leak and a lazy, sooty flame. Five minutes with a leaf blower and the service tech had it running like new… I've been a believer ever since.


Here's the early post about the technique…


https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cleaning-your-stove-with-a-leafblower-no-kidding.26540/
Click to expand...
ok Krooser.. i'm sold.. will buy a cheapo at Walmart tommorow and do it..
btw: have a HarmanP61A.. SHOULD i have my stove door open when I do it?
don't have lot of pipe to clean [as shown in pix.] or maybe I do..
 

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