Tonyray
Minister of Fire
Not yet....
pipe is never really that dirty but I had to do the leaf blower thing for something to play with.
leaf blower trick?
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pipe is never really that dirty but I had to do the leaf blower thing for something to play with.
AccentraRRT
Burning Hunk
DneprDave
Minister of Fire
bf525
Member
OhioBurner©
Minister of Fire
Would the LBT still work well on top of a 5.5" lined chimney (15' tall)? Its a lot more volume but still I think the velocity would be enough to get all the ash up and out. Just a pain getting on the roof in winter but I can already tell this PAH needs some serious and frequent de-ashing.
Roger that, Drew ! What could be more fun than creating 'an ash dragon' ! Simple pleasures of pellet stove ownership and 'maintenance' !
RKS130
Minister of Fire
bf525
Member
bogieb
Minister of Fire
The ex volunteered his leaf blower for me to try. I spent $11 on a flexible adapter and let her rip. Got 20-30 seconds of ash plume then it died down. And yes, the plume was on the correct side of the house - LOL
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
Err, did you ever try that without that top open to the air because you likely were just sucking the air down the vertical section of that vent otherwise.
I've always had plenty of ash come out of the system using a leaf blower and you can bet that I use plenty of brush work before I use the leaf blower.
You can always ask geek what happens when you use the wrong end
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mustangwagz
Feeling the Heat
Here's my LBT video from earlier this year.....
http://photos.imageevent.com/shawnsef/pelletstove/IMG_5444_small.MOV
http://photos.imageevent.com/shawnsef/pelletstove/IMG_5444_small.MOV
mainegeek
Member
I have done this many seasons. I have a leaf blower retrofitted just for this purpose. I always disconnect the vacuum hoses. I also have my wife open and close the stove chamber door. ash pan. and hopper while I have the leaf blower running. It does a great job BUT you need to do a full cleaning BEFORE. This does NOT replace a proper cleaning. It just helps get the stuff that a brush and your shop vac could not!
EDIT: You also need to block the top part of the exhaust vent. I get on my ladder, remove the end cap, use a plastic cap on the end covered with a plastic bag and a rubber band. The idea is the system needs to be airtight.
EDIT: You also need to block the top part of the exhaust vent. I get on my ladder, remove the end cap, use a plastic cap on the end covered with a plastic bag and a rubber band. The idea is the system needs to be airtight.
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
I just shove a large rag up into the pipe past the 90" which allows all the suction to be pulled horizontal..
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krooser
Minister of Fire
Plenty of info on YouTube…
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=leaf+blower+trick+pellet+stove
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=leaf+blower+trick+pellet+stove
jintoreedwine
New Member
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SidecarFlip
Minister of Fire
Leave the stove door open and the unit shut down and cold.
I call the leaf blower trick the 'Al Jolson' procedure. If the wind is blowing the wrong way, you'll come out black as night.....
I did min today. I pulled the cap off the T and went up a ladder. I removed the end cap and placed the clean out cap on top of the pipe. I wrapped a towel around the clean out T and put my leaf blow to work.. Let me tell you I was glad the lady across the street was not home with her white car. Oh Mother of God what a cloud of gray came out.
gymrat0663
Member
Another easy (and cheap) way to get a good seal is to use an empty pellet bag taped to the suction side of your leaf blower and then taped to the exhaust . Great seal, tape removes easily and another use for an empty pellet bag.
Yes and Yes, I have an insert with 24 foot pipe and there is a BIG puff of smoke that drifts into the woods, and my neighbors yard... I haven't had any complaints...if they do complain I'll just tell them it's good for the grass
I have the $39 leaf blower from HD. There are lots of different versions, all made by the same OEM. I also use a 4" to 3" PVC rubber adapter that you can find in your plumbing dept. that has been mentioned in other posts. Having said that, ICC Excel venting is not quite the same size as other venting so it doesn't fit around the vent. The rubber adapter does sit nicely on the vent opening, which is enough to get a good suction. It doesn't take long to get all the ash out. Of course, I like to clean the stove first, because I don't really want to send more ash towards my neighbor's house than necessary!
SidecarFlip
Minister of Fire
I don't seal anything and my cheapo leaf blower's suction side fits right up tp the clean out tee bottom. I leave the stove door open and let it rip with the blower nozzle pointed out in the yard. While it's running I tap on the pipe (mine is a vertical almost 20 feet straight up, 4") to dislodge any clumps (which it does). I only do it in the spring prior to shutdown. It's a Weedeater electric blower from Home Despot, think it was 50 bucks. I've got over 11 years on this venting, and at least 4 years of corn burning.
Everything off the business end turns dark grey including me if the wind is right.....
Why I call it the 'Al Jolson' effect.
Everything off the business end turns dark grey including me if the wind is right.....
Why I call it the 'Al Jolson' effect.
OhioBurner©
Minister of Fire
I'm going to try this soon. Just dug my leaf blower out of the garage. Have to get the ladder out since mine is in a chimney through the roof. But willing to try anything to get this stove to run right.
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