leaf blower trick?

check out you tube, great videos, leaf blower allows you to get all the extra stuff AFTER a good cleaning

Leaving the stove door ajar slightly, I've never hurt the vacuum switches .If truly afraid, disconnect their hoses...ESW offers free DVD for all models, covering installation and cleaning and maintenance here: http://www.englanderstoves.com/Pellet_Service_Video_04.html

I use the leaf blower trick instead of disassembly and cleaning. Just keep the blower suction on the stove exhaust until there is no sign of ash coming out of the leaf blower.
The leaf blower moves a lot of air, any ash inside the stove doesn't have a chance of staying.

I also leave the door ajar and don't bother pulling the hose off of the vacuum switch.

Dave

I do mine every ton. I don't even brush out the vent anymore - the LBT cleans the venting very well, and gets the bits of ash from the crevices in my stove. The whole thing takes me about 15 minutes, which includes getting and stowing the extension cord. I leave the stove door open, so no damage to the vacuum switch, and I get max airflow, instead of trying to draw a ton of air through the small OAK pipe.

The LBT is truly a great idea!

Chrisnow86 said:

ok so I have heard about this leaf blower trick? how do people do it? and I have heard people hurting the stove like vacuum switches and what not, is it worth it? now with Englander stoves is there any other things people so cleaning them to keep them running tip top shape? just wondering..

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Just the other day I was looking at a web site that actually sells premade adapters to attach your leaf blower to either 3 or 4 inch vent pipe. Haven't done it yet because I have the wrong leaf blower....but I would if I had the right one!

how do you hook up the leaf blower i looked at you tube just shows people using it not how LOL or am i missing something

Possibly a dumb question here but with a fireplace insert do people do the LBT from the roof? I'm picturing a very large cloud drifting off into the woods.

RKS130 said:

Just the other day I was looking at a web site that actually sells premade adapters to attach your leaf blower to either 3 or 4 inch vent pipe. Haven't done it yet because I have the wrong leaf blower....but I would if I had the right one!

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post the address for this please

My vent just sticks out horizontally from the house. The leaf blower intake tube fits over the pipe. I just hold it there until the dust clears - maybe 30-40 seconds. You don't need a perfect seal, since the blower moves so much air, more than can get through the stove and venting, in my case. I get a pretty good seal against the thimble, and holding the blower for less than a minute is easy enough.
It's pretty easy - don't overthink it. Just remember to use the SUCTION side of the blower. Imagine the results if you used the wrong end of the blower…

I have two pellet stoves, one exhausts through the roof, with that one, I climb up on the roof and take the vent cover off, this leaves a cover mounting plate that is bigger than the suction on my leaf blower, I just lay the leaf blower suction over the vent cover mounting plate and turn it on.

The other stove is direct vented, I take the vent cover off, leaving the 3" vent pipe, I made a cardboard adaptor for the leaf blower that covers the leaf blower suction, it has a three inch hole in the middle of the adaptor that I place over the exhaust vent outlet, both methods work great.

Dave

lagger said:

post the address for this please

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Here is one: http://www.eastcoasthearth.com/prod...pellet-pipe-exhast-vent-3inchadjtorubbertopvc

RKS130 said:

Just the other day I was looking at a web site that actually sells premade adapters to attach your leaf blower to either 3 or 4 inch vent pipe. Haven't done it yet because I have the wrong leaf blower....but I would if I had the right one!

Click to expand...

If your leaf blower has a suction end you can make it work pretty easily. You can just put a towel around to fill any gaps you have in your fit between the pipe and your exhaust.

rex66 said:

Here is one: http://www.eastcoasthearth.com/prod...pellet-pipe-exhast-vent-3inchadjtorubbertopvc

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Thanks!

I've been thinking about an adapter and have decided in going to try a Fernco plumbing adapter. They're in the plumbing dept. of any hardware store.

heat seeker said:

Just remember to use the SUCTION side of the blower. Imagine the results if you used the wrong end of the blower

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If anyone does do this please, please make sure your taking a video

JDenyer236 said:

If anyone does do this please, please make sure your taking a video

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IIRC, there is one somewhere on this site - someone used a shop vac in the wrong mode.

please don't spend $ 69.95 on that $ 5 dollar part
go to home depot and buy a 4 inch Fernco fitting and your all set

Chrisnow86 said:

ya i have watched the dvd and was wondering if there was any other tricks out there.. when you take the baffle plate out and there is those two holes now how do you clean out behind there? all i can imagine is those plug up with ash, and you cant get to it..

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I actually have a small section of flexible garden hose that I stick in the end of my ash vac and use my hand to create a temporary seal. I then fish the garden hose to the unseen areas behind the baffle plate. If you do this, be careful not to lose your section of garden hose back in the hole! I made sure my section of hose was long enough that this won't be possible. ESW also sells a little ash vac attachment kit on their website for $20 that seems to be designed for this very purpose (and it is probably safer than my method) I am thinking I'll buy that or rig something up myself before I do the garden hose method again... .

You also might be interested in this post: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/heat-exchanger-25-pdvc.101554/ where ESW Mike posted some rough pictures of the heat exchanger passage way on a 25-pdvc and further down the same thread a picture of where ash normally collects. I couldn't find if there were pictures of the 25-pdv heat exchanger anywhere, I imagine it is similar.

CTguy9230 said:

please don't spend $ 69.95 on that $ 5 dollar part
go to home depot and buy a 4 inch Fernco fitting and your all set

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Yeah, I was thinking that was a bit pricey for what it is and I could make my own. But at least I have a picture to go by. Plus, I don't even own a leaf blower yet. Perusing CL to see if I can get one cheap.

LOL, please make sure its on the vacuum side of the leaf blower. If you hook it up to the blower side and have your door cracked open, LOOK OUT, your in for a rude awakening when you go inside.

I just use what was supplied on this HD unit.
fit's nice and snug inside the pipe