Sooteater without a vacuum

[Fod01]

Any of you folks use the sooteater without a vacuum running to the stove?

That seems to be the biggest hassle for me. I keep the Craftsman shopvac outside, and run an old pool hose to the stove.
I get the stove/ liner clean, but now I've got a vacuum and hose that need cleaning as well.

Gabe

 

[James02]

I'm interesting in the response to this from anybody that chimes in...I just got my soot eater and was just planning on scooping out whatever fell from my liner...

 

[Fod01]

I think some vacs may be better than others for this task. My dad's vac has a dustbag availalable that would contain all the soot. I dont think I have that option, so its a PITA to remove the paper filter, brush the insides of the vac etc. I'm hoping to hear how dusty the job is with just the plastic in place.

 

[Grisu]

Cleaned my chimney bottom-up once with the sooteater. Just taped the plastic to my PE Super insert and left a narrow gap for the sooteater. Even without a Shopvac running most of the creosote just fell straight down into the stove. Mostly black, powdery stuff; maybe a cup full. My wife wanted to mop the living room anyway afterwards but there was very little dirt outside the stove. Pulling out the poles and the sooteater certainly left a bigger mess.

 

[maxed_out]

I wouldnt do mine WITHOUT the vac. Way too much dust falling-especially in a cold chimney. If you can, put the vac outside and run a long hose. You'll be happier in the end.

Use a tarp for the poles. I used a wet rag and a bucked as I pulled out the poles. really helped with the cleanup.

 

[fishingpol]

I cleaned mine from the roof last fall on a windy day. I stood upwind and all the soot was blown away from me. I did use a shop vac to clean the inside and snout. Vac was outside on the front porch with two sections of hose through the window to the stove. Just a little brown soot in the cleanout cap.

 

[argus66]

i do it without the vac ijust let it fall then scoop it up. i really dont get a lot so not to bad.

 

[pastera]

No vac - just slow down if I see a soot cloud. This may not work for you as I have a 32' interior chinmey that drafts in all weather

Aaron

 

[Milton Findley]

Seventy bucks buys a Ridgid vac with a drywall filter at Home Depot with enough suction to pull a golf ball through a garden hose. It stops soot too.

 

[flyingpig]

Never use vac with sooteater. Only plastic sheet in cover the stove, and another sheet on the floor in front of stove. It's not that messy.

Cheers.....Som

 

[scojen]

Sooteater bottom up with just the plastic no vacuum. It doesn't make that big of a mess.

 

[Fod01]

Thanks all... I'll give it a try without the vac and let you know.

Gabe

 

[Retired Guy]

I'm interesting in the response to this from anybody that chimes in...I just got my soot eater and was just planning on scooping out whatever fell from my liner...

I have a 6" flue straight from the stove to the cap. I take off the pipe from the stove to the class a termination and clean it outdoors with no vacuum. I found a 1 gal. non-tox antifreeze bottle that, with the bottom cut off, perfectly fits the class a to stove pipe adapter. I tape the bottle to the adapter and feed the sooteater through the neck hole. My wife holds the Meile with a HEPA filter to the neck hole and collects about 98% of the soot in the Meile bag. I pour a gallon of water on the bag and set it in the yard for a couple of days before putting it in the trash. Vacuum never gets dirty inside.

 

[remkel]

Basement iunstall for me- no plastic, no vacuum. Just let her rip up the flue and go. Never see very much dust.