Just had a problem cleaning my chimney.

[ATVriderINmass]

Hey guys,I have a 12 ft chimney straight shot off the top of the stove. 6 ft of double wall and 6 ft of stove pipe. I have a 6" round poly brush and 3 5ft sections of fiberglass rod..I was up on the roof and put the brush down the chimney got it down about 6 ft then it got really hard to push and i had a really hard time getting it out...I think it is getting stuck on the stove pipe screws or the sliding sleeve in the stove pipe section..could i just get a 5" round poly brush so it will pass by the screws? I dont want to take the stove pipes apart ..they were a pain to put in. any ideas would be great...thanks alot guys
Frank

 

[dvellone]

If you got the brush about halfway down it sounds like the id of your two different types of pipe may be different. Is this your first cleaning and first problem like this?
Years ago I had installed a section of telescoping pipe between my stove and the insulated chimney. Even though they fit together well and were both 6 inch flue I couldn't get my brush through the telescoping pipe. I purchased a fiberglass brush and trimmed it down so that it would fit in the telescoping pipe and clean it well, and I used the standard 6 inch brush to clean the rest (taking off the telescoping pipe of course so I could insert the brush into the metalbestos) If your cleaning from above you could do the same but in reverse and without having to take the pipe apart.

 

[snydley]

Hey guys,I have a 12 ft chimney straight shot off the top of the stove. 6 ft of double wall and 6 ft of stove pipe. I have a 6" round poly brush and 3 5ft sections of fiberglass rod..I was up on the roof and put the brush down the chimney got it down about 6 ft then it got really hard to push and i had a really hard time getting it out...I think it is getting stuck on the stove pipe screws or the sliding sleeve in the stove pipe section..could i just get a 5" round poly brush so it will pass by the screws? I dont want to take the stove pipes apart ..they were a pain to put in. any ideas would be great...thanks alot guys
Frank

I just cleaned mine early last week. I have just about the same setup as you, 6' of double walled stovepipe connected to 2- 3' sections of Simpson DuraPlus triple wall chimney, run straight up from the stove through the ceiling. I got so far down the chimney and couldn't go any farther. I pulled the brush out, looked down with my flashlight and didn't see anything in the way, so I went inside and looked up the pipe from the stove end and also didn't see anything. I went back on the roof and tried again. This time I applied more pressure and it went through a ways, and then it got easier, where the bigger diameter of the double wall stovepipe starts, I guess. I figure the diameter is a little smaller where the support box is, and since I used a poly brush I didn't think I would do any damage,(famous last words). :-S so I forced it through. I had a fire that night and everything looked ok to me,(more of those words). :roll:
I built a nice fire for about 5 or 6 hours, the night before, after talking to one of the Simpson techs about what to use, a wire or poly brush, then swept the pipe the next day.
There was a little black ash that came out, not much, but I expected that since I've only been running it since Jan. 08, and pretty much shut it down in April, except for a really cold, 44 degree night we had a few nights ago.
I would think you'd be ok forcing it through, though I'm not an expert at ANYTHING. :coolhmm: Maybe some more knowledgable folks will chime in and give us a definitive answer.
Good luck!

 

[JPapiPE]

I have the same setup that you have, 6' of 6" telescoping duravent DVL stove pipe and 6' of HT duravent 6" chimney pipe. Also a straight shot with the pipe. I did have the fiberglass rods from a previous stove but did buy a 6" premium round steel chimney brush. I haven't tried to run the brush down the chimney yet as it is a new installation. I also do have an Englander 13Nc and wonder if I will run into the same problem when trying to clean my chimney. One wouldn't think that a screw or screws could hold up and stop a brush from going down the chimney. Perhaps the DVL pipe is smaller than 6" in which case you might want to buy another 6" brush and clip it to fit your lower section of pipe. What brand of stove pipe do you have?

 

[elmoleaf]

Don't put TSP in a fire! It doesn't burn and it will give off toxic gases:
Per the MSDS
"Fire Hazard Summary:
Trisodium phosphate and its solutions do not burn or support combustion. Solutions can react with metals such as aluminum, zinc and galvanized iron to produce highly flammable hydrogen gas, that may explode if ignited. During a fire, irritating/toxic phosphorus oxides may be generated. Closed containers may explode in the heat of a fire."

"Corrosivity to Metals:
Corrosive to aluminum, zinc and tin. Not corrosive to cast iron, steel, stainless steel, nickel and its alloys at room temperature. Corrosive to gray cast iron at high temperatures. May be corrosive to mild steel or brass, if wet." --http://www.intox.org/databank/documents/chemical/trisodph/cie102.htm

I think phosphorus oxides are corrosive to metal...perhaps someone with chemical background can elaborate.
Also, if you have a catalytic stove, TSP is probably going to damage your cat.

 

[JPapiPE]

Is it considered bad practice to use a steel brush to clean one's chimney? Also isn't the majority of the creosote build-up in the upper half of the chimney?

 

[coreystaf]

I've never swept a metal chimney that didn't get pretty tight as the brush passed thru the drip free adaptor between the chimney and connector. Also never had it get stuck, just have to really push it sometimes, maybe get someone downstairs just to watch and make sure nothing comes apart or moves.

 

[RedRanger]

I have the same setup that you have, 6' of 6" telescoping duravent DVL stove pipe and 6' of HT duravent 6" chimney pipe. Also a straight shot with the pipe. I did have the fiberglass rods from a previous stove but did buy a 6" premium round steel chimney brush. I haven't tried to run the brush down the chimney yet as it is a new installation. I also do have an Englander 13Nc and wonder if I will run into the same problem when trying to clean my chimney. One wouldn't think that a screw or screws could hold up and stop a brush from going down the chimney. Perhaps the DVL pipe is smaller than 6" in which case you might want to buy another 6" brush and clip it to fit your lower section of pipe. What brand of stove pipe do you have?

Joe: I think you should be using a poly brush for your ss liner, the steel brush can damage you liner and wear it out prematurely. Just saying--that stuff ain`t cheap and you want to have it last as long as possible. :coolsmile:

 

[RedRanger]

Hey guys,I have a 12 ft chimney straight shot off the top of the stove. 6 ft of double wall and 6 ft of stove pipe. I have a 6" round poly brush and 3 5ft sections of fiberglass rod..I was up on the roof and put the brush down the chimney got it down about 6 ft then it got really hard to push and i had a really hard time getting it out...I think it is getting stuck on the stove pipe screws or the sliding sleeve in the stove pipe section..could i just get a 5" round poly brush so it will pass by the screws? I dont want to take the stove pipes apart ..they were a pain to put in. any ideas would be great...thanks alot guys
Frank

Before you rush out and buy a smaller brush, you can trim the one you have. Maybe just take a quarter inch off to start,scissors will do the trick. Don`t cut too much off the first go around-you can`t put the poly back on. :cheese:

I usually have the sweep do my chimney but last winter did a chimney clean myself and it is tough to get the brush alway down to the bottom-lots of grunting and groaning, but I did it.

 

[JPapiPE]

Thanks for the tip Sonny...I haven't seen a fiberglass brush at the hardware stores i have been in lately, but perhaps i haven't been paying attention. I was wondering if it is possible to clean ones chimney without dissembling the stove pipe...especially like my chimney ....It is a 12' long straight stove pipe and Ht chimney combination. Seems it would make less of a mess and one could just vacuum the soot up from the top of the baffle plate when the stove was fairly cool.

 

[RedRanger]

Thanks for the tip Sonny...I haven't seen a fiberglass brush at the hardware stores i have been in lately, but perhaps i haven't been paying attention. I was wondering if it is possible to clean ones chimney without dissembling the stove pipe...especially like my chimney ....It is a 12' long straight stove pipe and Ht chimney combination. Seems it would make less of a mess and one could just vacuum the soot up from the top of the baffle plate when the stove was fairly cool.

That`s the way I clean my insert, cept I remove the ceramic baffle and the secondary burn tubes first and then put all back in after cleaning.

 

[BrotherBart]

Best way to clean a straight chimney with and Englander 13 or 30 NC:

1. Go buy two ropes long enough to reach down your chimney into the stove.

2. Buy a 6" chimney brush and the extra screw on ring for attaching a rope at both ends of the brush. If your chimney is smoothwall metal either a steel or poly brush will be fine.

3. Go home and attach a rope to both ends of the brush.

4. Take the burn tubes and baffle board/boards out of the top of the firebox. The tubes are held in with a stainless screw screwed into the secondary manifold on each tube.

5. Go up on the roof and insert one rope in the pipe and feed it down into the stove. Push the brush a little way into the top of the pipe. Coil a little of the second rope on top of the brush.

6. Go down and pull the brush down the pipe into the stove. Yes you will get dirty. But the crap will stay in the stove. Well, and on your hands.

7. Push the brush back up a little bit into the pipe from inside the stove.

8. Go back up top and pull the brush back up the chimney. Pull the rope out of the pipe and put the cap back on.

9. Go back down and put the baffle board/boards and tubes back in EXACTLY in the order they came out.

10. Wash your hands and have a beer.

 

[RedRanger]

Amen to number 10 BB ;-P Um, did you mean "real beer?" or that lite pretend stuff?

 

[JPapiPE]

Thanks Bart....I appreciate your reply and will make a copy of it

 

[JPapiPE]

Just a thought here. There are two thicknesses of fiberglass rods and two thicknesses of chimney cleaning brushes on the market. One is a home owner version and sells for much less than the pro version. The home -owner version is 1/4" fiberglass rod and a brush that has an N.P.T. of 1/4"( althought these measure larger if one was to measure them) and the professional model which is a 50% stronger fiberglass rod and a chimney brush of 3/8' N.P.T measurement which will give one added advantage to push through the smaller diameter pipe. Personally I have an old set of 4-6'.... 3/8" fiberglass rods and when I tested them to the recently purchased chimney brush i bought at trustworthy ...my rods were much too big to fit the homeowners 1/4" brush. I think only stove shops and online will have the bigger professional series if N.P.T. 3/8" fittings.

 

[JPapiPE]

I think it may be prudent given the afore mentioned post to invest in professional 3/8" fiberglass rods for cleaning chimneys, especially with a tight taper toward the DVL stove pipe. These rods are almost like iron and don't flex much during hard pressure. And if you have a 1/4" brush...you can buy an adapter at a hardware store for $2 that will allow your 1/4" brush to be connected to a pro 3/8" rod. Just found this out myself. I only have a 1/4" metal premium chimney brush, but I did order a poly " brush in case I need it to clean the DVL portion of my chimney.and the metal brush will not fit. I shall trim it to fit. These 3/8"X 6' rods are pricey though.
Thanks, hope it helps some people in the market for chimney cleaning supplies.
Joe

 

[Hogwildz]

The 1/4" rods are for cleaning pellet venting. The 3/8" are for wood burning venting.
The poly & steel brush debate will go on as long as the cat/no cat debate.
Bottom line for anyone using Simpson Dura Vent or Dura liner, I called Dale at Simpson, he advised me either is fine.
I have been using steel and no problems. The poly might make for easier passage, but also may or may not clean as well. Yet another debate to be ongoing.

 

[Henz]

I ahve a triple wall SS chimney too. My installer told me that using a steel brush over a poly brush is fine and thats the way they do it too.

 

[velvetfoot]

I got a poly brush a couple of years ago to clean the chimney from below. Barely got it through. It would not be good if it got stuck or maybe the thing suddenly gives way any you fall off the roof or something. I used the steel brush I had and it got through with no problem. That's what I will be using.

 

[JPapiPE]

I got a poly brush a couple of years ago to clean the chimney from below. Barely got it through. It would not be good if it got stuck or maybe the thing suddenly gives way any you fall off the roof or something. I used the steel brush I had and it got through with no problem. That's what I will be using.

OK all you new listening stove operators... You have a benchmark.... Follow it if you can!, but if not be a member of the next generation of wood burners....
Your Joe in all fights

 

[velvetfoot]

?????

 

[JPapiPE]

I do understand all portions of this message, and did not authorize all subsequet post(s) to this message.....All members of this forum who want to see the exact wording of this post do email me and I shall without due remorse label and dislose all pertinent information , inclusive of all heretofor secret memo's
Again, your humble curator of the 2ndBat....Lt. Col.... Joe