Cheapskate chimney sweep whip

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

For the brotherhood and sisterhood of frugal wood heaters: I want to clean my own chimney liner, bottom up. I am set on the sooteater concept. My run is probably about 22' of liner, more or less straight up after the slight bend at the smoke shelf. The sooteater setup comes just short of the amount of rod that I need. But, of course, the last few feet are important ones. The fact that they only sell sets of additional rod irritates me just enough to make me want an alternative. So, I plan to just buy the sooteater head ($10), and fashion my own rods out of 1/2" PVC pipe. The $60 comes down to under $20. Once I have this done, I'll report on the results. I think I read here that others have used PVC pipe like this successfully. While the 40 clams saved is hardly worth the time it will take me to get this done, I guess the ethos that makes wood heat so appealing to me also makes me want to part with the fewest number of re$ource$ doing so.

 

[kevin j]

I use the snap together sections of roof snow rake. Made a thread adaptor to fit the brush
O dont know what a sooteater is. Flexible rods for corners?

 

[sportbikerider78]

I bought a $12 brush off amazon. Attached it to some pex tubing I had around. The other end of the brush a strong cord. Wife pulled on the cord, I pushed with the pex.

5 mins. 3 sweeps..done.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I bought a $12 brush off amazon. Attached it to some pex tubing I had around. The other end of the brush a strong cord. Wife pulled on the cord, I pushed with the pex.

5 mins. 3 sweeps..done.

I like your idea, now I just need to figure out how to get the Little Woman up on the roof to pull on the cord!

 

[bholler]

Just buy the extra set rods do break sometimes. how would you attach the pvc together?

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Just buy the extra set rods do break sometimes. how would you attach the pvc together?

I'm starting to lean in that direction.

I decided that the 1/2" PVC conduit is not flexible enough, but it would be easy enough to glue up 3' sections with male and female threaded adapters on each end, and the way I would avoid the problem of them getting too tight would have been addressed with a hole drilled through each assembled coupling, with a friction pin added. Would the coupling hold up? I don't know. Each joint would add $1 to the cost, I think 6 would be needed.

So, I have a roll of 1/2" pex that I think is definitely flexible enough, and while the male and female adapters are not as readably available, and cannot be glued like PVC, I think I can drill through the copper collar and barbed end of the adapter, and rivet it so it would not spin on the pex. Each complete coupling would be $2, perhaps I could get away with one every 5' because of the additional flex in the pex.

I know that this is not worth the time, but once I get something like this in my head, I will eventually see it through to either success or failure. Or, perhaps I will wise up and follow your advice @bholler.

I am also working on my template for my final block off plate, which turns out to be a real pain in the ass with the limited space above the stove and funky shape of the opening. No wonder so many installers balk at putting one in.

And then there are the insulation projects that I swore i would get done over the summer, after feeling how drafty the house was last winter. Then the warm weather kicked in last spring, and there was the garden to focus on...

It is not lost on me that reading about one's contemplation is pretty annoying, we want to read about people doing stuff, not thinking about it. So, hopefully that is to come (with pics).

 

[bholler]

So, I have a roll of 1/2" pex that I think is definitely flexible enough, and while the male and female adapters are not as readably available, and cannot be glued like PVC, I think I can drill through the copper collar and barbed end of the adapter, and rivet it so it would not spin on the pex. Each complete coupling would be $2, perhaps I could get away with one every 5' because of the additional flex in the pex.

I am pretty sure pex will just wrap up on itself and no i dont think pvc fittings would hold up either

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

So I finally got the chimney swept. Went bottom up with a Rutland 6" poly brush I found at the local hardware store on the end of a 25' roll of 1/2" pex like @sportbikerider78 mentioned. I stiffened the pex up by running some 3/16" fiberglass rod that is sold to fish wire. It was pretty floppy, but pushing just a little at a time on the way up the first time through got it done.

It was hard, dirty work and I banged my elbow and forearms up nicely. You chimney guys do really earn your pay.

All in, $11 for the brush, $9 for the roll of pex, $8 for the fiberglass fish tape/rod. It's in a bag ready to go for next time.

Oh, after all that, got maybe a cup or two of fluffy creosote at the bottom of stove, after about one season of burning. I'm excited that our setup is working so well, thanks to all the good Hearth.com tips.

 

[fire_man]

That's an interesting way to make a chimney brush. And I like the price.
Did you bang your elbows and forearms because the pex/fiberglass rod was so floppy?

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

That's an interesting way to make a chimney brush. And I like the price.
Did you bang your elbows and forearms because the pex/fiberglass rod was so floppy?

Perhaps, but mostly because the insert is on the floor of the fireplace and I have to stand on my head, and reach into the opening to feed the pex (rod) up the chimney liner. It couldn't be done sitting in front, pushing on the pex behind the bend, I had to push directly up from the inside of the insert box. I was also pretty dirty when I was done, but was pleased with the results!

 

[jetsam]

My rod is made of those $2 fiberglass poles you use to mark stuff before it snows. I have a rope tied to the brush so I can get it back if the rod breaks. (When it breaks, it will be because a coupling gave out, not because a rod broke.)

I'm surprised pex held up to that treatment without kinking.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

My rod is made of those $2 fiberglass poles you use to mark stuff before it snows. I have a rope tied to the brush so I can get it back if the rod breaks. (When it breaks, it will be because a coupling gave out, not because a rod broke.)

I'm surprised pex held up to that treatment without kinking.

I think you have a great idea with the fiberglass rods. What did you use for the couplings?

I pushed this up through the pex to give it some additional stiffness. Currently $6.99 at Harbor Freight

 

[sportbikerider78]

That's an interesting way to make a chimney brush. And I like the price.
Did you bang your elbows and forearms because the pex/fiberglass rod was so floppy?

Honestly, it never would have worked if my wife wasn't pulling on the other end. The brush I bought on amazon has a super tight fit. But 2-3 passes is all you need.

My cousin used the attachment they sell that spins like a weed wacker. I might fabricate one of those out of some grey pvc for next year. A simple aluminum rod turned down on a lathe...one OD to fit the ID of the pipe, the other end to fit the drill. Simple fastener to keep it all together.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Honestly, it never would have worked if my wife wasn't pulling on the other end. The brush I bought on amazon has a super tight fit. But 2-3 passes is all you need.

My cousin used the attachment they sell that spins like a weed wacker. I might fabricate one of those out of some grey pvc for next year. A simple aluminum rod turned down on a lathe...one OD to fit the ID of the pipe, the other end to fit the drill. Simple fastener to keep it all together.

My brush was really tight, too. I trimmed a bit from the first few rows to give it a little taper, then it went in better (but still very tight). I'm still trying to figure out how you get your wife up on the roof?

 

[jetsam]

I think you have a great idea with the fiberglass rods. What did you use for the couplings?

Machine thread coupling nuts. My original idea was to tap threads on there and then glue it, but it turns out that doesn't work at all on fiberglass. I ended up drilling a small hole through the nut on both ends and through the rod, filling the nut with polyurethane glue to reinforce the end of the rod with the hole in it, and using two wire brads per coupler for pins to hold the rods to the couplers.

It kind of sounds like a dumb idea, but it was very cheap ($2 per section for the rods, a little less for the nuts), and it's lasted about a year so far.

Don't forget to tie a rope to the brush head so you can haul it back up if the rod breaks! Haven't needed it yet, but because I know how the rod is held together, I am not taking it off.

I'll try to remember to post a photo tonight when I get home.

 

[sportbikerider78]

My brush was really tight, too. I trimmed a bit from the first few rows to give it a little taper, then it went in better (but still very tight). I'm still trying to figure out how you get your wife up on the roof?

She was in the stove pulling it down with a rope. Family effort.

 

[jetsam]

Thar she blows. Coupler nut with two holes drilled in it. I picked the hole size based on the diameter of the pins I had handy. (The pins are wire brads.)

As you can see, the coupler nut is incorrectly sized for this application, and would be doing better if the rods fit completely inside them- as mentioned above, they were sized based on the stupid theory that I could tap threads onto a fiberglass rod. (Not sure what I was drinking that day.)

When it breaks I will probably drill out the coupler nuts to the correct internal size, which should make the weakest point about 5x stronger when I put it back together.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Thar she blows. Coupler nut with two holes drilled in it. I picked the hole size based on the diameter of the pins I had handy. (The pins are wire brads.)

View attachment 189768

As you can see, the coupler nut is incorrectly sized for this application, and would be doing better if the rods fit completely inside them- as mentioned above, they were sized based on the stupid theory that I could tap threads onto a fiberglass rod. (Not sure what I was drinking that day.)

When it breaks I will probably drill out the coupler nuts to the correct internal size, which should make the weakest point about 5x stronger when I put it back together.

I like your style, jetsam. I entertained your idea myself, but never got there before I came up with the solution that worked for me (thanks to sportsbikerider). How would you know that you couldn't thread a fiberglass rod if you didn't try? I think all great inventors try lots of things before they find what works best. Now you can cross that one off your list. And, thank you for posting the pictures.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Fiberglass splinters like a thin split with 0% moisture. Fiver rods are long strand fiber with...doesnt seem like a whole lot of resin.

 

[maple1]

Heating with wood doesn't necessarily = frugal.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Heating with wood doesn't necessarily = frugal.

Right you are, Maple1. One of our good friends has a beautiful insert (Lopi Cape Cod) that is at the extreme opposite end of the spectrum from our little utilitarian heater that I installed myself last year. They bought from a dealer, had a professional install and annual cleaning, buy their wood, and have a wonderful, first class dinner party every New Years Eve for a group of frends, where I get to enjoy their wood heater and chat with them about our adventures in wood heat (among other things). They drive luxury cars and dress in expensive clothes, and for the kids, nothing but the best.

I am the exact opposite, but the wood heat is one strong area of common ground, and it really bridges the gap.

I also think that they get a kick out of our homesteading lifestyle. I do have a fancy office job, by the way, in the same line of work as our friends. We just choose to live very differently. And we get along very well despite that.

If I weren't as frugal, I'd still be doing things exactly like I'm doing, with the chainsaws, splitters, woodstacks, etc. I might have bought the Cape Cod, as it is a beauty and pumps out the heat, but I'd have still installed it myself.

I guess my point is, for me, saving the money and using the resources that I have available to me for nothing more than my effort, is really satisfying. The fact that it ends up as beautiful radiant heat in my living room is a huge bonus. I'd probably do it even if I didn't save a dime, and I find that the people who do it, for whatever reason, seem to get along with one another pretty well!

 

[jetsam]

I'm apparently bipolar. I make my own tools and handles, split mostly by hand, and scavenge only free wood from the woods or Craigslist.

And then I haul the wood around with a $5000 tractor and burn the wood in a $3000 stove.... Hmm. :/