Cleaning outside pipe

[NYLumberjack914]

If I wanted to clean the flue outside after burning some wood , how long should I wait ? Is it ok to clean if the coals are still hot

 

[firefighterjake]

If you're talking about going outside and running a brush down the chimney to sweep it out . . . yeah . . . it is fine to do it when the coals are hot . . . especially if you have a chimney with a T connection and cap that you can open and let the creosote and fly ash drop down. I do this all the time . . . generally in the morning before a relight. I wouldn't attempt to sweep my chimney with a roaring fire in the stove, but hot coals are fine.

 

[lukem]

If you are using a poly brush it is best to wait a while to make sure the flue is cool enough that it doesn't melt your brush.

 

[BobUrban]

I like to clean/sweep my chimney while it is still warm but not hot. like mentioned, this is typically in the morning on a "nicer" day during the burning season and I clean from the inside. With a small, low coal bed there is no smoke getting into the house when I remove the telescopic pipe with enough warmth left in the chimney to pull some of the light dusty stuff up. This keeps mess to a minimum because only the heavier stuff is falling into the box taped to the bottom of my chimney.

 

[Paulywalnut]

What is this brush you speak of? I only burn well seasoned wood.

 

[MrWhoopee]

I like to clean/sweep my chimney while it is still warm but not hot. like mentioned, this is typically in the morning on a "nicer" day during the burning season and I clean from the inside. With a small, low coal bed there is no smoke getting into the house when I remove the telescopic pipe with enough warmth left in the chimney to pull some of the light dusty stuff up. This keeps mess to a minimum because only the heavier stuff is falling into the box taped to the bottom of my chimney.

This is exactly what I do, except I put a big plastic bin on top of the stove to catch the debris.

 

[begreen]

If I wanted to clean the flue outside after burning some wood , how long should I wait ? Is it ok to clean if the coals are still hot

Even if this is an outside pipe with an outside tee, in most cases it's better to let the stove cool down. Working with a 250F + pipe can be hazardous and disastrous if the brush is not metal. Besides, you still need to let the stove cool down to clean out the connector. In some setups that is where a lot of accumulation occurs.

 

[bag of hammers]

Being a weekend burner, and seeing over the past few years that I get very little accumulation ( I'm pretty confident I can go all season without a mid-year sweep) I have the luxury of waiting for the perfect calm sunny day, no worries about having to drop the baffle or run the poly brush, etc in a warm stove. But that's just my own setup / circumstances. If I get out to my place a bit early and it's a nice afternoon, mid-season (give or take), I'll take advantage and jump up on the roof with the brush and give it a quick sweep before I even light the stove. Crappy weather? Get it next time around. Probably not much help to the OP since full time burn doesn't leave lots of cold stove opportunities.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If I wanted to clean the flue outside after burning some wood , how long should I wait ? Is it ok to clean if the coals are still hot

Usually when the stove is down to coals the chimney will be fairly cooled off. As for the poly brush, we've cleaned our chimney only one time with the poly and the stove did have some coals (not a big coal bed but coals for sure). We had no problems. We did wonder about the poly brush because in the past we'd always used the steel wire brush. Turned out to work just fine though and it is best to use poly in a SS chimney.

 

[NYLumberjack914]

Ok thanks

 

[NYLumberjack914]

I only purchased the poly brush. My set up is thru the wall. Should I unscrew the pipe that's connected to the wall and clean that also

 

[begreen]

What stove is this? Some cleanings can be done through the stove depending on the model.

 

[NYLumberjack914]

Jo

What stove is this? Some cleanings can be done through the stove depending on the model.

jotul f55

 

[firefighterjake]

Usually when the stove is down to coals the chimney will be fairly cooled off. As for the poly brush, we've cleaned our chimney only one time with the poly and the stove did have some coals (not a big coal bed but coals for sure). We had no problems. We did wonder about the poly brush because in the past we'd always used the steel wire brush. Turned out to work just fine though and it is best to use poly in a SS chimney.

This is my same experience . . . minus the fact that I am a bit obsessive compulsive and sweep the chimney every month regardless of whether it needs it or not. No issues with the poly brush.

 

[Nick Mystic]

I'd be cautious trying to clean your flue if the coals in the stove are still hot enough to cause combustion. I don't know all the particulars of your situation, but if there is any chance that the creosote/ash you are brushing loose can find its way into the stove you could risk an explosion. Dust provides so much surface area that it is extremely dangerous when it ignites. Think about silo explosions or grain elevator explosions. Seemingly non-combustible materials like flour can produce a tremendous explosion when conditions are right.