Another satisified "leaf blower trick" stove owner

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mark d fellows

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Hearth Supporter
I tried the leaf blower trick today after only one season of burning mostly lignetics and Hamers and was blown away by all the ash and soot that came shooting out of the vent pipe via the leaf blower!

When I took the end cap off, there was over a quarter inch of ash laying in the last vertical section of pipe before I used the leaf vac.

I bought the following leaf blower/vac off of Amazon for 48.99. It is a consumer reports best buy and the second best on their list of tested leaf blowers

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O27BM4

a purchase I am glad to have made.

Mark :)
 
Another satisfied pellet stove user moves over to "the dark side".... congrats... glad it worked for you.
 
Thanks again for the original post!
 
Cool! My local Lowes has that modal yellow tagged to clear stock so I picked one up last week for 2 bucks less than their 7 amp version.
 
I did the leaf blower (Toro) clean out trick today for the first time on my NPS40. I dismantled the outside verticle pipe with cleanout tee and docked the leaf blower to the pipe stub male end that was left protruding. I used a Fernco (Plumb Qwik) 4" to 3" as an adapter to attach the leaf blower to the stove pipe. It works great! Thanks Krooser.
 
I have a question on cleaning out the pipes this way, but also intend to try it too. The fan obviously doesn't turn as fast as the vacuum caused by the leaf blower so if the fan damaged when it spins up that fast??

I was thinking of taking the fan out the stove and then just covering the hole. I figure the suction will hold something in place which would then pass the vacuum passed on so that the stove door needs to be opened.

I would also love to see some other pics too of this being done. I'm thinking of trying to get some and post them.


Thanks
 
STallau said:
I have a question on cleaning out the pipes this way, but also intend to try it too. The fan obviously doesn't turn as fast as the vacuum caused by the leaf blower so if the fan damaged when it spins up that fast??

I was thinking of taking the fan out the stove and then just covering the hole. I figure the suction will hold something in place which would then pass the vacuum passed on so that the stove door needs to be opened.

I would also love to see some other pics too of this being done. I'm thinking of trying to get some and post them.


Thanks

Never had a problem with the fans...
 
Klinkerfines said:
Be aware a leaf blower will not get the creosote out...
I dont think using the leaf blower was intended to replace a regular cleaning of the vent system, just supplement it, I personaly clean the vent first with the brush and then use the leaf blower.Works great IMHO. ;-)
 
mnkywrnch said:
Klinkerfines said:
Be aware a leaf blower will not get the creosote out...
I dont think using the leaf blower was intended to replace a regular cleaning of the vent system, just supplement it, I personaly clean the vent first with the brush and then use the leaf blower.Works great IMHO. ;-)

Good Idea.
 
What 'creosote'? If your stove is operating correctly, you should not have creosote.....
 
GotzTheHotz said:
What 'creosote'? If your stove is operating correctly, you should not have creosote.....
Ive never seen it in my stove,I just use the brush for the baked on ash in the pipe.
 
I saw creosote once when I bought some bags of pellets at the end of the year that didn't have the pellet fuels institute logo on it. I am just not going to worry about it in that detail. I will make sure I burn good pellets.

Mark :)
 
mnkywrnch said:
GotzTheHotz said:
What 'creosote'? If your stove is operating correctly, you should not have creosote.....
Ive never seen it in my stove,I just use the brush for the baked on ash in the pipe.

That "baked on ash" is creosote... I always get a little from burning my stove on "low" during the early and late seasons... but not much.
 
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