chimney sweep soot catcher

[vixster]

Hey Everyone!

First time in here in years! Nice to be back!

I just swept my chimney via the sooteater which I love and have used it for the last 12 years. I clean from bottom up. I was wondering if anyone has come up with a way to catch the soot. I have tried plastic bags, and other contraptions to collect but nothing ever really worked. Today the soot flew all over, however I really want to catch it so I can analyze the catch. I know I'm generally I have very fine soot, but I do want to collect it. So, let me know if you have a solid hack for doing such.

Thanks!

 

[barnaclebob]

I have a 1 gallon bucket that I tape to the thimble. on the bottom of the bucket is a hole the same diameter as the soot eater shafts. There are 4 slits radiating out from the hole to allow the couplers to pass through.

Then I have a hole drilled the same size as a shop vac hose and I hook the shop vac up to the bucket. Very little mess this way but I've also got a cyclone separator so the dust doesn't clog up the shop vac. You probably don't need to inspect the dust too much if you can see that the chimney looks ok from the bottom before cleaning.

 

[PaulOinMA]

I have an insert and clean through it. Tape a clear plastic sheet as a curtain over the door opening. Vacuum on with a fine particulate filter just outside the curtain. Stuff falls in the insert, which I scoop up and discard.

 

[Todd]

Plastic bag with hole taped to stove pipe always work good for me but I don’t have a sooteater just a poly brush.

 

[stoveliker]

Same for me: bag.
But I stick gte soot eater in a horizontal thimble (and vacuum out the elbow in the chimney when I'm done), so no collection at the feed thru of the rod.

I do make sure I have some draft going (i.e. the basement where the stove is is warm enough) before starting, so that any dust floats up the fluebrather than down.

 

[JRHAWK9]

I use an old windshield washer gallon jug. Cut the very bottom off and this slides tightly over my pipe. I tape in place to make sure it stays. I then stick the vacuum hose in the pour spout, which fits tight. I then just poke a hole in the jug near the handle on the side of the jug for the soot eater poles. I do it on the side as the soot will fall to the lowest point, which is the inlet to the vacuum. I turn the vacuum on while I am using the soot eater and it catches the majority of everything.

 

[kborndale]

I clean thru the thimble with a soot eater and just turn on the shop vac and stick it in the thimble too. Been doing it this way for years with no mess.

 

[vbu]

I just lay my shop vac hose in my insert. When I did it the first time I did tape the opening off but I found that to be unnecessary. Pick a chilly day, and the draft will pull the dust up

 

[vixster]

Hey Everyone!

First time in here in years! Nice to be back!

I just swept my chimney via the sooteater which I love and have used it for the last 12 years. I clean from bottom up. I was wondering if anyone has come up with a way to catch the soot. I have tried plastic bags, and other contraptions to collect but nothing ever really worked. Today the soot flew all over, however I really want to catch it so I can analyze the catch. I know I'm generally I have very fine soot, but I do want to collect it. So, let me know if you have a solid hack for doing such.

Thanks!

Sorry, I should have clarified, I am cleaning from the "clear out" on the outside of the double wall pipe, bottom up. with the soot eater.. plastic bags get twisted with the rotation of the drill..

 

[vixster]

I have a 1 gallon bucket that I tape to the thimble. on the bottom of the bucket is a hole the same diameter as the soot eater shafts. There are 4 slits radiating out from the hole to allow the couplers to pass through.

Then I have a hole drilled the same size as a shop vac hose and I hook the shop vac up to the bucket. Very little mess this way but I've also got a cyclone separator so the dust doesn't clog up the shop vac. You probably don't need to inspect the dust too much if you can see that the chimney looks ok from the bottom before cleaning.

I like the bucket idea. because the clear out of the pipe is about 9 foot high, not sure if the vacuum part would work. though I will ponder this.

 

[vixster]

Same for me: bag.
But I stick gte soot eater in a horizontal thimble (and vacuum out the elbow in the chimney when I'm done), so no collection at the feed thru of the rod.

I do make sure I have some draft going (i.e. the basement where the stove is is warm enough) before starting, so that any dust floats up the fluebrather than down.

Thank you, good idea about the draft, I hope to remember this for next time. I am not sure what you mean by "thimble"

 

[stoveliker]

A thimble is the "feed through" of the flue through a wall.

 

[vixster]

I clean thru the thimble with a soot eater and just turn on the shop vac and stick it in the thimble too. Been doing it this way for years with no mess.

I have never thought of going through the thimble, my clear out is just on the other side. I guess it's easy moving the 6-7 rods up and down through the thimble?

 

[vixster]

all these year been cleaning via clear out outside, straight shot up.. next time I'll try through the thimble with with vacuum.

 

[stoveliker]

if you're able to stick the soot eater in *outside the walls of your home*, I would never change that. Zero chance of a mess inside your home.
Just let it drop where it comes out, and wear a mask so you don't breath anything.

 

[barnaclebob]

I like the bucket idea. because the clear out of the pipe is about 9 foot high, not sure if the vacuum part would work. though I will ponder this.

I didnt use a vacuum until this year and just put more tape around the slits. Not much soot fell out but you need to be gentle with it when passing a coupler through the hole. I did cover the area with plastic drop cloth to contain the small mess, soot sucks to clean up.

Somebody's window fluid jug idea gave me another idea though. Cut an 18" section of PVC pipe thats the same diameter of the opening. Put a plug on one end and 6" from the top drill a hole at an upward angle that can pass a coupler. That way you arent trying to pass the couplers through the pile of soot. I may try this next year.

 

[vixster]

I use an old windshield washer gallon jug. Cut the very bottom off and this slides tightly over my pipe. I tape in place to make sure it stays. I then stick the vacuum hose in the pour spout, which fits tight. I then just poke a hole in the jug near the handle on the side of the jug for the soot eater poles. I do it on the side as the soot will fall to the lowest point, which is the inlet to the vacuum. I turn the vacuum on while I am using the soot eater and it catches the majority of everything.

are you going through the thimble or the clear out?

 

[JRHAWK9]

are you going through the thimble or the clear out?

I have a wood furnace in the basement, so I am gong through the support box at the basement ceiling.

 

[Wood1Dennis]

I use an old windshield washer gallon jug. Cut the very bottom off and this slides tightly over my pipe. I tape in place to make sure it stays. I then stick the vacuum hose in the pour spout, which fits tight. I then just poke a hole in the jug near the handle on the side of the jug for the soot eater poles. I do it on the side as the soot will fall to the lowest point, which is the inlet to the vacuum. I turn the vacuum on while I am using the soot eater and it catches the majority of everything.

Very similar to my solution. I made a contraption out of strove pipe reducers that goes into the pipe at the stove pipe support box at the basement ceiling. The vacuum cleaner pipe goes on the lowest point at the bottom. The soot eater rods go through the hole in the side. This is about my 3rd version and it works well! I found the key is to get the outlet for the soot at the lowest point. Early version had the rods going in at the bottom, that was a failure!

 

[JRHAWK9]

I found the key is to get the outlet for the soot at the lowest point. Early version had the rods going in at the bottom, that was a failure!

I agree! I found that out as well.