Should I Clean my 6" flue pipe myself?

davidmsem · Sep 2, 2015

I'm pretty much a do it yourself person. Not sure if I should attempt cleaning my flue.

Wondering if it is easy to clean a 30' flue from INSIDE the home.

I have a regency 3100, and used the "non-smooth" continuous flex type piping.

Since last season was my first, it is time to decide if I should purchase tools and do it myself, or hire someone.

Thoughts? Suggestions on tools?

Thank everyone for all they have done to help me !!!

!

David

begreen · Sep 2, 2015

For your first season it may be worth it to hire someone and watch how they do it. You will pick up a lot of small tips this way and will get an objective outside opinion on how cleanly you burned last season.

Nick Mystic · Sep 2, 2015

If you do go with a professional chimney sweep the first time you might consider asking him to clean it the way you anticipate doing it yourself, if you do. You mentioned cleaning from the bottom up and many sweeps work from the top down. Pay particular attention to how he cleans the cap if he goes from the bottom up since that is often the most creosote caked part of the system and hard to thoroughly clean without actually removing it and using a wire brush on it.

Hogwildz · Sep 2, 2015

Do a search on sooteater

davidmsem · Sep 3, 2015

Hogwildz said:
Do a search on sooteater

Hogwildz, you have been a great help over the past year. I will do the search.

Hogwildz · Sep 3, 2015

davidmsem said:
Hogwildz, you have been a great help over the past year. I will do the search.

Glad to be of help when I can. I don't own a sooteater, but have read many good things about them, and this should afford you to clean from inside.
Don't forget to get the cap good & top good, as this tends to be the problem area.

sksmass · Sep 3, 2015

First year get it professionally done and pepper the guy with questions, take notes. Then buy a sooteater.
I've used a sooteater from the bottom up on my 6" pipe for three years. I go up two stories plus an attic. Buy two complete sooteater kits (you'll need the extra rods anyway).
Then, every three or four years get the whole setup professionally done again.
Repeat cycle.

TheRambler · Sep 3, 2015

I use a sooteater to clean 26ft of 6in. Best thing i ever bought. Paid for itself the first season pretty much. It's really easy to do.

Smoked · Sep 3, 2015

Do either of you guys that use the Sooteater, do you have a tee? if the base of the tee is only 13 or 14 inches off of the floor, are the rods flexible enough to make that bend. Also, is there any chance the rods disconnect and leave you hanging? Only takes a few minutes to brush from the top but I hate getting up there :confused:

sksmass · Sep 3, 2015

I remove my T and connect straight to the liner. Removing the T also allows me clean out the T and a horizontal section a bit better.
After removing the T I have about 21" of space between the opening and the floor. 13" seems like it would be a tight radius.
The rods connect to each other pretty tightly. I've never worried about losing one up the pipe. Indeed, quite the opposite -- they'll come out, fast! Once I had 28 feet of sooteater rods up the liner, kind of spaced out for a second, and took my hand off the bottom rod. The weight of them caused the whole 28' to shoot out, quick as a snake, and slam into the wall across the room. Don't let go.

sksmass · Sep 3, 2015

Oh, another tip. Before you use the sooteater for the first time, duct tape a glow stick to the end of a SE rod and poke it all the way up until your wife standing outside at night calls you on her cell phone and tells you you've reached the top. Then mark (using duct tape) the lowest rod where it enters the flue, and count how many rods are above it. Write that down. Now you'll know how far you clean until you get to the chimney cap.

Smoked · Sep 4, 2015

sksmass said:
Oh, another tip. Before you use the sooteater for the first time, duct tape a glow stick to the end of a SE rod and poke it all the way up until your wife standing outside at night calls you on her cell phone and tells you you've reached the top. Then mark (using duct tape) the lowest rod where it enters the flue, and count how many rods are above it. Write that down. Now you'll know how far you clean until you get to the chimney cap.

That sounds pretty good but I don't think I can get my tees off very easily any more. Both of mine are free standing stoves in fireplaces with block-off plates so everything is very tight now. Guess I'll keep getting on the roof and stop whining

It is only once a year after all! Thanks for the reply!

davidmsem · Sep 4, 2015

sksmass said:
Oh, another tip. Before you use the sooteater for the first time, duct tape a glow stick to the end of a SE rod and poke it all the way up until your wife standing outside at night calls you on her cell phone and tells you you've reached the top. Then mark (using duct tape) the lowest rod where it enters the flue, and count how many rods are above it. Write that down. Now you'll know how far you clean until you get to the chimney cap.

Thank you sks. Do you attach the drill after all the rods are in the flue and clean as the brush lowers (top down?) Also, I have two 45 degree angles near the block off plate. I'm reading that for some people, the rods will rub and break when going through these angles. Any thoughts on this?

Ash · Sep 4, 2015

davidmsem said:
Thank you sks. Do you attach the drill after all the rods are in the flue and clean as the brush lowers (top down?) Also, I have two 45 degree angles near the block off plate. I'm reading that for some people, the rods will rub and break when going through these angles. Any thoughts on this?

I have two 45's on my stove pipe and the sooteater goes through there no problem.

sksmass · Sep 5, 2015

I clean on the up stroke mostly, but I also spin it on the way down. It goes pretty quickly once you set up. Most of the time for me is spent spreading out old sheets around the work area.

Oh, another tip, you know those transluscent woven fabric bags that sometimes come as packaging for stuff like pillows? Kind of hard to explain, but they are made of something like the fabric on the back of boxsprings. Anyway, I save those whenever I find them. Zip tie one of those around the bottom of the pipe, then I cut a small hole in the side through which to insert my rods. The bag acts as an ash catcher (for most of the stuff).

My run is pretty straight. Going around 45s I imagine the rods would rub a bit, but it'll probably work.

DanCorcoran · Sep 5, 2015

Here's a link to my documentation of using a Soot Eater to clean my chimney. I don't see the height of your chimney as a concern, nor the possibility of the rods coming disconnected (they have a secure snap mechanism connecting them). From what you said, my only concern would be your inability to remove the tee. The rods bend, but not in a tight 90-degree angle. The closer to vertical you can insert them, the better.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cleaning-the-flue-on-a-hearthstone-shelburne.87644/#post-1134032

sksmass · Sep 5, 2015

... and my write up too:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/using-sooteater-to-clean-chimney-first-time-tips.90981/

Batman · Sep 5, 2015

You didn't describe what kind of adventure it would be to clean from the top down. Is your roof 'walkable?' If so, cleaning with a brush and rods isn't all that hard. I use a poly brush (when I top down, see below). There are raging debates on the site about poly vs. steel brushes, but we'll leave that for others. Being at the top of the chimney lets you get an up close look at the cap, the weather sealing and the masonry of the chimney all at once. It also lets you get a face full of soot, so wear a mask (dust protecting, not gorilla). Cheaper than buying rods is using the rope method. It requires a helper or several trips up to the roof, and down to the stove. Brushes have a loop on one end, and a threaded stud on the other. A little adapter with an eye is available to wind on to the stud. Drop weighted rope down, shove brush into flue, and pull down and back two or three times. I started with this method, no helper, then I bought rods.about $8/ea I think.

Then I learned about the soot eater. Here's the reason I bought one (two actually):

That's right ladies and gentlemen, four ladders, a ridge hook, two roof brackets, and a plank. Lifting off the bluestone cap is a special treat. So the soot eater is, for me, much safer and far less strenuous. I still do that crazy setup once in a while to get a good look topside, and to confirm that the soot eater is doing its job. It is.

Smoked · Sep 5, 2015

Batman said:
You didn't describe what kind of adventure it would be to clean from the top down. Is your roof 'walkable?' If so, cleaning with a brush and rods isn't all that hard. I use a poly brush (when I top down, see below). There are raging debates on the site about poly vs. steel brushes, but we'll leave that for others. Being at the top of the chimney lets you get an up close look at the cap, the weather sealing and the masonry of the chimney all at once. It also lets you get a face full of soot, so wear a mask (dust protecting, not gorilla). Cheaper than buying rods is using the rope method. It requires a helper or several trips up to the roof, and down to the stove. Brushes have a loop on one end, and a threaded stud on the other. A little adapter with an eye is available to wind on to the stud. Drop weighted rope down, shove brush into flue, and pull down and back two or three times. I started with this method, no helper, then I bought rods.about $8/ea I think.

Then I learned about the soot eater. Here's the reason I bought one (two actually):

View attachment 161320

That's right ladies and gentlemen, four ladders, a ridge hook, two roof brackets, and a plank. Lifting off the bluestone cap is a special treat. So the soot eater is, for me, much safer and far less strenuous. I still do that crazy setup once in a while to get a good look topside, and to confirm that the soot eater is doing its job. It is.

Ok, I won't complain about my climb any more, I promise...

davidmsem · Sep 5, 2015

Batman said:
You didn't describe what kind of adventure it would be to clean from the top down. Is your roof 'walkable?' If so, cleaning with a brush and rods isn't all that hard. I use a poly brush (when I top down, see below). There are raging debates on the site about poly vs. steel brushes, but we'll leave that for others. Being at the top of the chimney lets you get an up close look at the cap, the weather sealing and the masonry of the chimney all at once. It also lets you get a face full of soot, so wear a mask (dust protecting, not gorilla). Cheaper than buying rods is using the rope method. It requires a helper or several trips up to the roof, and down to the stove. Brushes have a loop on one end, and a threaded stud on the other. A little adapter with an eye is available to wind on to the stud. Drop weighted rope down, shove brush into flue, and pull down and back two or three times. I started with this method, no helper, then I bought rods.about $8/ea I think.

Then I learned about the soot eater. Here's the reason I bought one (two actually):

View attachment 161320

That's right ladies and gentlemen, four ladders, a ridge hook, two roof brackets, and a plank. Lifting off the bluestone cap is a special treat. So the soot eater is, for me, much safer and far less strenuous. I still do that crazy setup once in a while to get a good look topside, and to confirm that the soot eater is doing its job. It is.

06484

Batman · Sep 5, 2015

Well, could be worse. Still kinda involved. Whether or nor to go up there depend on your comfort level. I climb ladders and scurry around on roofs a fair amount, but it's not without risk. I suppose that's why chimney sweeps make the big bucks.

Hard to be sure, but i'd bet that a 28' ladder would get you to the roof on the upslope side of the chimney, and a 32' would reach the chimney top. A bit scary for some, but arguably to not step off the ladder.

Just measured my tee clean out, behind a freestanding stove partly in a fireplace like yours. I have 18" from the floor, and the soot eater rods have no trouble bending up into the flue. if you have 14" or so, it should work.

davidmsem · Sep 6, 2015

Batman said:
Well, could be worse. Still kinda involved. Whether or nor to go up there depend on your comfort level. I climb ladders and scurry around on roofs a fair amount, but it's not without risk. I suppose that's why chimney sweeps make the big bucks.

Hard to be sure, but i'd bet that a 28' ladder would get you to the roof on the upslope side of the chimney, and a 32' would reach the chimney top. A bit scary for some, but arguably to not step off the ladder.

Just measured my tee clean out, behind a freestanding stove partly in a fireplace like yours. I have 18" from the floor, and the soot eater rods have no trouble bending up into the flue. if you have 14" or so, it should work.

Thank you.....I'm trying to reduce and eliminate my time on ladders, and I'm getting more cautious with age.

Batman, what happens if I push up from the bottom on the cap too hard? Can the cap off that easily? Many offering caution about not pushing up too hard on the cap. Thoughts?

Batman · Sep 6, 2015

Cap certainly could be dislodged if it's not well fastened, or if you're really jabbing at it. I have done it. The cap needs to be removed for top down cleaning obviously, and its a PITA in my case to get my cap tightened down. It's kinda snug where it sits, so I took to mostly wedging it in. Tension fit. Of course the first time i I used the soot eater, i got all excited and pushed the cap up up and away. I have since put the cap on a shelf in the barn, to no ill effect.

One way to avoid flying caps it to run the soot eater head and however many rods up until you 'feel' the cap. Then and only then do you start spinning it. Other soot eater users might chime in on this issue, and how well it cleans the cap. In your shoes, I would look at the cap with binoculars before and after. My first year burning, the cap looked like it came from the Le Brea tar pits. I had to chip off a thick crust of creosote more than once. As the wood supply got ahead that problem diminished. Burn dry wood.This is year two for you right?

NJ_Burner08002 · Sep 6, 2015

Hogwildz said:
Glad to be of help when I can. I don't own a sooteater, but have read many good things about them, and this should afford you to clean from inside.
Don't forget to get the cap good & top good, as this tends to be the problem area.

I own one. Works great.

Niko · Sep 6, 2015

I don't know how much a sweep costs but you can rent a bucket lift for cheap.

Should I Clean my 6" flue pipe myself?

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