Can I use soot eater?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

chazcarr

Minister of Fire
Jan 22, 2012
574
Southbury, CT
Thinking of getting one. It looks like I have a 6 inch SS flexible liner and can't find any info if it is OK to use their product.

Thank You.
 
Haha, I guess no one knows! It seems it is just for solid liners or ceramic. Guess I'll try emailing the company.
 
It really depends on how you plan to get to your liner. The liners by nature are more flexible and prone to denting. If you jam the sooteater through the stove at an angle into the liner and expect it to straighten out on its own you may bash it into the liner and dent it. If it is a straight shot with no real way for the head of the sooteater to bang into things, I don't see a problem.

How is your stove installed? Are you cleaning from the bottom up or top down?
 
It really depends on how you plan to get to your liner. The liners by nature are more flexible and prone to denting. If you jam the sooteater through the stove at an angle into the liner and expect it to straighten out on its own you may bash it into the liner and dent it. If it is a straight shot with no real way for the head of the sooteater to bang into things, I don't see a problem.

How is your stove installed? Are you cleaning from the bottom up or top down?

Bottom up, there shouldn't be any turns except for getting into the tube in the first place.
 
Thinking of getting one. It looks like I have a 6 inch SS flexible liner and can't find any info if it is OK to use their product.

Thank You.

Sure you can. I have a flexible liner I use the sooteater on frequently. Also have a couple 30 degree bends (I think) and it navigates them fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chazcarr
I used a sooteater trimmed to about 9" on both an 8" and 6" flue with no problem. The 8" was horizontal feed and connecting/disconnecting was easy. The 6" flue was straight vertical, and after 5 connects and 4 disconnects, I finally had the technique down for connect/disconnect.

I didn't use the included plastic for either stove. Used blue tape to tape a t-shirt over the 8", and reused the t-shirt on the insert upstairs. Get a drywall bag for your shop vac. I had the wife point it at the insert and there was virtually no mess since she caught it coming out the door.
 
If you are worried about mess.....just point a hair dryer into the base of the flue for a couple of minutes. Establishes enough of a draft that it sucks the real fine stuff right up the flue! I do this before I shovel out the ashes on a cold stove. All the mess goes right up the flue instead of coating the room where the stove is in.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.