SootEater/Chimney Cleaning....A Quick Question (or 2)

[BurnIt13]

I'm about to purchase a Soot Eater from NorthlineExpress. I'm wondering if there is a way to just buy the spinning "head" and attach it to my existing flexible rods for my brush. If so, it would just be $15 or so instead of $60 for the SootEater product and then another $24 for the rod extensions. Does the SootEater head thread onto thier rods or does it use the "push connect"feature like how the rods connect to one another.

Also, I have a few genral questions regarding chimney cleaning. I'll be cleaning from the bottom up.
1. How messy is it? When I read some directions from chimney cleaning product manufacturers...they make it seem like a black cloud of dust/soot/radioactive haze is going to come out of the pipe. Is that so? Or is it more heavier particles that will just make a pile inside of a bucket?

2. I know with the SootEater you can remove the baffle and go right up the flue through the stove itself....I have a straight up and out install. Can you also do the same with a Poly Brush? That would be great if so, that way I wouldn't have to take apart my stove pipe.

Thanks!

 

[jharkin]

Unfortunately for your situation, the head does attach with the push buttons.

#1 - I never used anything else to compare to but its not that messy. I go up though the cleanout tee and put some plastic over the bottom to catch the soot. I put the shop vac hose into the stove flue connector for good measure, that catches most of the airborne dust. Its never made a mess of the room and my wife would notice even the most microscopic spec.....

#2 - I have no experience.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Like Jeremy posted, I don't think the spinning head will match up with your current rods, but I could be wrong. (Was clever of those sooteater folks to use a design that would make you use their rods as well)
Basically, there is a quick connector that goes into your drill...looks sorta like a socket...they also give you a little key to disconnect the rods from the connector. Perhaps if you could find a place that was selling them locally, you could bring your rods down and see if they match up....but I am guessing 99.9% that they wont. The connecter is not threaded, so its basically a quick connect that use use the key to push down the connector pin. (If you have ever put up one of those EZ up tent type structures, its similar to pressing in the lock pin to raise/lower the legs)
For the cleanup, really not that messy of an operation. Basically, I just removed the burn tubes and fire bricks from my insert, and just went straight up the liner.
They do give you some plastic, so I would suggest taping this around the door opening of your stove, and then make a msall hole in the middle of the plastic. This will allow you to run the rods through the plastic and make the mess minimal. Also, might help if you have a shop vac with a decent filter. I basically just laid the vac hose right in the bottom of the firebox and this helped get rid of the mess.
I would think that you could use the same approach with your flexible rods and poly brush...have heard some folks say that they sometimes have to trim the poly brush a bit to get it to fit in the liner. (I bought one Rutland 6" poly and have no use for it... you want it...just PM me)

 

[BurnIt13]

It sounds like some of you guys have converted 100% to the SootEater. Let me ask you this.....is the SootEater an adequate replacement for a poly brush? I was planning to do both, but if one is better than the other I may just stick with the single method.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

No expereince using a poly brush as mine would not fit into my liner without cutting....but from most of the folks here I have read that the soot eater works just as well as a poly brush...probably only need one or the other, not both.
If had a single story with easy roof access, I would have just gone top down with rods and brush from Aubuchon Hardware or something...but my liner is about 27 feet, and the roof has a good pitch to it, so I am hooked on the bottom cleaning.

 

[remkel]

It sounds like some of you guys have converted 100% to the SootEater. Let me ask you this.....is the SootEater an adequate replacement for a poly brush? I was planning to do both, but if one is better than the other I may just stick with the single method.

well, i was using a metal brush and went to the sooteater- I will never go back.

 

[pastera]

I have two soot eater kits as my chimney is 32' from cap to insert - was cheaper than buying the extension rods individually.
Only had a sweep use a standard brush and rods - the dancing he had to do on my 40' peak was enough that the soot eater earns its place on the tool shelf!

You could make one from wood as a test if you have some basic tools but would probably not be happy as the spinning would tighten the rods enough to need wrenches, slowlying down the process considerably

 

[Joey]

Sooteater is all ya need, use it once,,,and u will be a believer.

 

[James02]

I've only burned a few times, but I know eventually I am going to need to clean my flex liner. I've got a PE insert and am not sure the Soot eater can be used in there due to the ease of reaching the liner. I hope I'm wrong....thoughts?

 

[James02]

I've only burned a few times, but I know eventually I am going to need to clean my flex liner. I've got a PE insert and am not sure the Soot eater can be used in there due to the ease of reaching the liner. I hope I'm wrong....thoughts?

Nevermind...just got home and moved the cats and founf the flex above it....squished my finger and blinded myself....ugh, noobs....

 

[argus66]

ya i found sooteater to be as good if not better then a brush. not really that messy but all depends on how dirty your pipe is it can be a little dusty. not a big deal. takes about 20 mins to do i put newspaper down in front of stove and open windows. i do bottom up as well.

 

[RSNovi]

Can you use a soot eater on a 32' chimney from the bottom up?

 

[Joey]

Yes Novi,you can...my chimney is 35 ft. and I have no problems at all reaching the cap. U will need to buy the extra extention rods, or a second sooteater kit to have enough rods to get to the top.

 

[pastera]

Can you use a soot eater on a 32' chimney from the bottom up?

two full kits (minus the second white flex rod) up through my HI200 - when the drill goes into the insert, the head hits the cap (firebox is only 12" deep :-S )

No problem at all

 

[RSNovi]

Thanks. I think I will go this route instead if paying $150 again to have it done next year.

 

[joecool85]

Does the sooteater clean the cap too? Everyone keeps saying to make sure to clean the cap and I plan on cleaning bottom up since my roof is very steep and I don't want to get on it.

 

[isuphipsi1052]

Does the sooteater clean the cap too? Everyone keeps saying to make sure to clean the cap and I plan on cleaning bottom up since my roof is very steep and I don't want to get on it.

Yes. You'll know when you're at the top of the cap, because you'll feel the resistance. My cap get clogged easily, and my Sooteater takes care of the job. Highly recommend

 

[BurnIt13]

Anyone ever buy thier SootEater locally? Or is it an internet only type thing?

 

[joecool85]

Does the sooteater clean the cap too? Everyone keeps saying to make sure to clean the cap and I plan on cleaning bottom up since my roof is very steep and I don't want to get on it.

Yes. You'll know when you're at the top of the cap, because you'll feel the resistance. My cap get clogged easily, and my Sooteater takes care of the job. Highly recommend

Sweet! That's what I was hoping to hear!

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Does the sooteater clean the cap too? Everyone keeps saying to make sure to clean the cap and I plan on cleaning bottom up since my roof is very steep and I don't want to get on it.

I was a little leery about the cap area, so I just had my wife go outside with a pair of binoculars to let me know when I reached the cap.

 

[James02]

Anyone ever buy thier SootEater locally? Or is it an internet only type thing?

I've seen it at Sears, and Ace hardware....At least on their websites...I know that makes no sense, but it's what I found so far.

 

[BurnIt13]

Anyone ever buy thier SootEater locally? Or is it an internet only type thing?

I've seen it at Sears, and Ace hardware....At least on their websites...I know that makes no sense, but it's what I found so far.

I've seen that too...the problem is that the Sear's website shows thier "online marketplace", basically other companies selling through sears.com, kinda like Amazon. So it still has to get shipped to me. The Ace Hardware websites are local Ace franchises, not the Ace Hardare mothership. Still would have to be shipped. I'm just going to order it from one of the hearth.com vendors...

 

[joecool85]

I've seen that too...the problem is that the Sear's website shows thier "online marketplace", basically other companies selling through sears.com, kinda like Amazon. So it still has to get shipped to me. The Ace Hardware websites are local Ace franchises, not the Ace Hardare mothership. Still would have to be shipped. I'm just going to order it from one of the hearth.com vendors...

They are on eBay too. Which hearth.com vendors have them? I need to buy one and I just assume by it from a sponsor of the site.

 

[BurnIt13]

I've seen it at Northlineexpress but they don't have the best prices on it. The best price I've found is Smarthome.com. Maybe Northline will price match?

 

[joecool85]

I've seen it at Northlineexpress but they don't have the best prices on it. The best price I've found is Smarthome.com. Maybe Northline will price match?

Are these both hearth.com sponsors? Is there a page where you can access links to all sponsors?