Chimney Sweeping Brush/System

[gtilflm]

I there! Just got done with our first season of burning (probably did a couple cords of Ponderosa Pine) and I'd like to sweep the chimney. It seems easy enough to do, but I want to get the right thing for our situation.

• We've got a straight run of 6" pipe. About 12 ft. inside, 3 ft. through the trusses, then 5-6 ft. out the top of the roof.
• Roof is 4/12 pitch so it's easy enough to walk on and I'm fine with getting up there.
• Our stove: https://www.lopistoves.com/product/liberty-nexgen-fyre/
• I've considered a system like this: https://www.rockfordchimneysupply.c...ry-chimney-cleaning-system-for-chimney-liners
• The guy that did the install said "The rotary ones they are quite inconvenient to click lock each of the pieces together and then disconnect them as you pull them out, most of the inconvenience is because they typically require some sort of other tool to push the button that locks them together in on order to disconnect them and they pinch your latex gloves into the connection when connecting them." He likes using rods that screw together. He thinks they're easier to deal with.

I've seen other people mention that something like Soot Eater is easy to use in a bottom/up method. Wanted to get a couple more opinions before buying something.

Thanks!

 

[Eman85]

I clean top down with a brush and fiberglass rods that screw together. I have been using these rods for decades, had to change brushes when I changed houses for the different size chimney. I don't wear latex gloves, I wear Mechanix gloves and screw my rods together first.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I have used screw together and wire brush. I like the sooteater better. The tool to push the button in can be an awl or screwdriver. Your house key would probably work fine. Don’t over think it.

Pay attention to any creosote you have, watch for glaze.

 

[Bobbob]

I like the sooteater better just for the fact that I can clean without getting on the roof. Plus, I don't have to remove my chimney cap. I do have to remove one secondary burn tube and baffles, but this also would need done to sweep my stove out after cleaning from top down anyways. And there is no chance my liner could be damaged from the nylon bristles

 

[begreen]

I use the Sooteater. The push button release is a bit of a pita sometimes, but we're talking seconds delay for separation, not minutes. It takes a few seconds to screw together rods too. I use an allen key as my release tool. Works well. The other nice thing about the sooteater it that I can clean bottom up through the stove door. The rods are quite flexible and easily make it through the 45º offset in the stovepipe.

 

[stoveliker]

I have a sooteater. Old (bad) screwdriver or old (bad) Allen key. 5 seconds per connection.
Beats climbing on the roof by far.

Disadvantage: I do see the benefit of having a look up there (including cap) to see how everything is doing.

 

[Max W]

If you choose to clean top down with a brush make sure that you can get your arms high enough above that 5 or 6 feet to work against the friction of the bush, especially pulling up. I have both a soot eater and reqular fiber brush with screw together rods. Despite the roof pitch, a valley allows me to get up to the chimney, I use the brush. If I could use the sooteater through the stove I would use that. Taping a trash bag to the open pipe at the ceiling and adding sections of rod through a hole in the bag turned much out messier than I wanted so I stuck with the brush. I have the stiffer soot eater rod. If I knew their more flexible rod would bend 90 degrees in a six inch curve I would most likely get and use that.

I can chuckle now at a screwup I made cleaning from the roof. When the rod suddenly went light with the brush most of the way down I wasn’t laughing. I got the rods ok but didn’t tighten the brush. Manageda rig to catch it and haul it up. Don’t want to do that. It’s easy enough to add and tighten brush and rods as you go. Afterwards taking the rods apart is easier for me on the ground.

 

[30WCF]

If you’re going to do it once or twice a year, it doesn’t really matter if you save a few minutes on a coupler or not getting a ladder. You should be checking your baffle, tubes, blanket, cat or whatever all your stove has. I’d also recommend checking the cap once a year at a minimum, especially if you are totally capable of getting on the roof. So if you are going to do all that once a year or so, don’t get in a rush.

I have both. The Rutland brushed I have had over the years vary in size a little. One will be real tight, one will be a little loose in the pipe. Right now I’m trying out one of the fiberglass brushes from Tractor Supply. It seems ok. Even with the variance in size, none of the brushes have actually fit well inside my double wall stove pipe. They are snug in the class A, but bounce around in the stove pipe sections. The soot eater because of how it works, cleans both the stove pipe and the class A uniformly.

 

[gtilflm]

@30WCF: I ended up going with one of the drill powered nylon brush systems and will see how it goes. Did you cut your "weed whacker lines" down to size for the diameter of the pipe, or just leave them long?

 

[bholler]

@30WCF: I ended up going with one of the drill powered nylon brush systems and will see how it goes. Did you cut your "weed whacker lines" down to size for the diameter of the pipe, or just leave them long?

Just leave them long.

 

[30WCF]

This is my original thread. I haven’t updated it, yet I have changed the lines a few times trying different lengths.
I’ll have to look, but if bholler says leave them alone, leave them alone. I don’t know what the length of mine are vs the factory made soot eater is.

Or sound as though I’m disappointed in the link. Since , I have become to like it.

DIY Soot Eater

I’ve been using a set of rods and round brush for years to clean my own chimney. I’ve just recently stumbled on some of your conversations about soot eaters. They seem reasonably priced, but I just couldn’t help myself from taking a stab at it. I grabbed an old hole saw out of the coffee can...

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