Cleaning a stainless liner

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recppd

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Aug 30, 2006
124
North Shore, MA
I want to clean my stainless liner before the burning season begins and I wanted to verify what I think I already know...

I have a stove insert with a 6" stainless liner. Should I be using a poly brush to clean the liner? Is a wire brush a no-no? If a poly brush should be used, can anyone recommend a quality one. I also need about 20' of rod to attach. All recommendations are welcome!

Thanks
 
For the stainless liner you need a poly brush. Craig posted info last season that the steel brushes leave particles of the brush in the corrugations of a flex liner that set up corrosion.

As to where to get the stuff, ACE Hardware sells the great quality Rutland poly brushes for $12.99 online and no shipping if you have them delivered to your local store. Four foot rods are five bucks apiece in the plumbing section at Lowes.

Now, that said if your local hearth store isn't way over that on them you should buy them there. I pay more for a lot of stuff at the local hearth store because they take care of me on the stuff you can't get anywhere else. Example: I needed a cast iron adapter for my liner to my insert. All of the on-line places were asking ninety-eight bucks. I just stopped by and asked Chase if he could get me one and didn't say anything about price. When it came in he charged me $84 for it. Same Homesaver adapter the online guys sell.

Take care of your local dealer and they will take care of you. If they are a jerks, buy it on-line.
 
BrotherBart said:
For the stainless liner you need a poly brush. Craig posted info last season that the steel brushes leave particles of the brush in the corrugations of a flex liner that set up corrosion.

As to where to get the stuff, ACE Hardware sells the great quality Rutland poly brushes for $12.99 online and no shipping if you have them delivered to your local store. Four foot rods are five bucks apiece in the plumbing section at Lowes.

Now, that said if your local hearth store isn't way over that on them you should buy them there. I pay more for a lot of stuff at the local hearth store because they take care of me on the stuff you can't get anywhere else. Example: I needed a cast iron adapter for my liner to my insert. All of the on-line places were asking ninety-eight bucks. I just stopped by and asked Chase if he could get me one and didn't say anything about price. When it came in he charged me $84 for it. Same Homesaver adapter the online guys sell.

Take care of your local dealer and they will take care of you. If they are a jerks, buy it on-line.

Thanks for the info! I refuse to spend another dime at my local dealer. I bought my original Heatilator fireplace from them a few years ago and they acted like I was "bothering" them by asking for an approx. delivery date. When it didn't arrive 4 weeks after promised they told me "It's not our problem, take it up with the factory". This is after they charged me FULL RETAIL. I bought my Jotul insert from another dealer, in an adjoining state. Well worth the ride!

Thanks again for the info.
 
Ford dealertold my wife something like that back in the 70s. Her brakes failed three times on the car and he told her "We didn't build it.". Her response was a classic. "No but you took the money for it. I think I can get up to forty miles an hour in that lot before I get to the show room windows and the pedal goes to the floor. I bet you won't care who built it then."

Fixed and never failed again.
 
BrotherBart said:
For the stainless liner you need a poly brush. Craig posted info last season that the steel brushes leave particles of the brush in the corrugations of a flex liner that set up corrosion.

As to where to get the stuff, ACE Hardware sells the great quality Rutland poly brushes for $12.99 online and no shipping if you have them delivered to your local store. Four foot rods are five bucks apiece in the plumbing section at Lowes.

Now, that said if your local hearth store isn't way over that on them you should buy them there. I pay more for a lot of stuff at the local hearth store because they take care of me on the stuff you can't get anywhere else. Example: I needed a cast iron adapter for my liner to my insert. All of the on-line places were asking ninety-eight bucks. I just stopped by and asked Chase if he could get me one and didn't say anything about price. When it came in he charged me $84 for it. Same Homesaver adapter the online guys sell.

Take care of your local dealer and they will take care of you. If they are a jerks, buy it on-line.

BB and others- I am interested in trying the rope method with a polybrush. I remember my dad back in the days using a wirebrush, rope on one end and 10 lb dive weight on the other.

This may go in the silly quetion column: I am noticing the brushes sold have a ring on one end (that can certainly be used for a rope) and the other end is the female for the rods. How do you attach the rope to the end made to take the flexrods?

Thanks.
 
Go to the hardware store and buy a loop bolt with the same thread size and screw it in and tie on a rope
 
ACE has the screw on eyelet for the threaded end of the brush in their Rutland stuff.
 
great- thanks gents!
 
The brush I purchased had a wooden core. One side had a brass threaded insert screwed into it. In the bottom of the brass fitting there was a small metal bar that I presume was used by the insert tool to screw the brass insert into the wood. I threaded a large zip tie through the metal rod and used that to attach the rope to. On the other side of the wooden core, there was a small hole that I screwed an eyehook into. Again I attached the rope with a zip tie.
 
thanks warren- another good option-
 
Hi -

I use steel electrical conduit (tubing) for rods. It is light, doesn't rust easily, comes in 10' sections and it is cheap! I drill and fasten with a small bolt and wingnut.

ATB,
Mike P
 
BrotherBart said:
For the stainless liner you need a poly brush. Craig posted info last season that the steel brushes leave particles of the brush in the corrugations of a flex liner that set up corrosion.

As to where to get the stuff, ACE Hardware sells the great quality Rutland poly brushes for $12.99 online and no shipping if you have them delivered to your local store. Four foot rods are five bucks apiece in the plumbing section at Lowes.

Now, that said if your local hearth store isn't way over that on them you should buy them there. I pay more for a lot of stuff at the local hearth store because they take care of me on the stuff you can't get anywhere else. Example: I needed a cast iron adapter for my liner to my insert. All of the on-line places were asking ninety-eight bucks. I just stopped by and asked Chase if he could get me one and didn't say anything about price. When it came in he charged me $84 for it. Same Homesaver adapter the online guys sell.

Take care of your local dealer and they will take care of you. If they are a jerks, buy it on-line.

Hey BB,
Do you have a 5.5" brush for your liner? If so where did you get it? Or did you modify a 6"?
 
Todd:

"Hey BB,
Do you have a 5.5” brush for your liner? If so where did you get it? Or did you modify a 6”?"

Interesting that you should ask. I was going to PM you the other day to see what you used. I took a new six inch poly one and trimmed it.

I don't think there are 5.5 ones in captivity.
 
BrotherBart said:
Todd:

"Hey BB,
Do you have a 5.5” brush for your liner? If so where did you get it? Or did you modify a 6”?"

Interesting that you should ask. I was going to PM you the other day to see what you used. I took a new six inch poly one and trimmed it.

I don't think there are 5.5 ones in captivity.

Yep, thats what I did, but I kind of butchered it.
 
If you have a short straight shot liner a light weight pipe or a length of wood with the brush lashed to the end works. I used a round stairway hand rail with a brush lashed to one end for years.

I brushed a cold SS Metalbestos chimney into a brown paper bag, taped to the T clean out, with no dust and no mess. I stored the brush assembled and hooked to the rafters in the carport when not in use.
 
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