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  1. nate379 Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 21, 2010
    4,055 posts
    Palmer, Alaska
    What is the easiest way to clean the chimney cap if it can't be reached from the roof without having to tear the chimney apart?
    #1

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  2. Highbeam Minister of Fire

    You talking about cleaning it from below from inside the pipe?
  3. Joful Minister of Fire

    joined: Mar 7, 2012
    2,866 posts
    Philadelphia
    If you can't reach it, this should do the job of knocking off the creosote. No word on whether it will tear your chimney apart.

    id_m101_105_usmctaps_700.jpg
  4. jharkin Minister of Fire

    joined: Oct 21, 2009
    2,105 posts
    Holliston, MA USA
    You could use a sooteater and get a second head leaving the whips long so they scrub out the inside of the cap.
    daveswoodhauler likes this.
  5. daveswoodhauler Minister of Fire

    joined: May 20, 2008
    1,837 posts
    Massachusetts
    I also use this approach. I usually have wife go outside with the binoculars to tell me when I reach the cap area. I think this year I am going to paint the head of the soot eater a florescent orange/bright color, so its a little easier to see when the head reaches the cap area.
  6. charly Minister of Fire

    joined: Apr 2, 2008
    1,795 posts
    Schoharie, NY
    I agree ,, my soot eater cleans my cap as well... Before attaching the last section to my drill I feel for the cap top, then I have an idea of how much rod distance to reach the cap... once there I just spin the drill in both directions,, not too fast or you'll start tearing off lines... works great..
  7. nate379 Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 21, 2010
    4,055 posts
    Palmer, Alaska
    I have a soot eater, but the strings are cut to fit the pipe. Should I have left them long??
  8. nate379 Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 21, 2010
    4,055 posts
    Palmer, Alaska
    My pipe is about 9 ish feet from the roof on a 6/12 pitch. I broke my back a few years ago after falling off a roof while roofing, so I'm a bit gunshy about rigging up ladders to get to the cap.
    Rather nit spend 100$ or whatever to have it done.
  9. charly Minister of Fire

    joined: Apr 2, 2008
    1,795 posts
    Schoharie, NY
    I left my lines the correct size for the pipe and it worked fine a week ago,, and they had already been previously used... That head oscillates back and forth once the strings pop up out of the pipe and are in the cap area.. I also rotate the drill in both directions once at the cap.
  10. nate379 Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 21, 2010
    4,055 posts
    Palmer, Alaska
    Ok. I wasn't sure how well it was actually cleaning it being that I can't really see the inside of it.

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