Cleaning the Progress Hybrid

[Berner]

Last week I finally got to cleaning my stove after the burning season and had a few questions on how you guys clean your PH. First off I took the bottom of my T off and taped a plastic container to the bottom of it. Getting to the top of the chimney is pretty easy so I'm able to run a chimney brush from the top down. I ran it up and down twice. The taped plastic container did a wonderful job of catching the creosote. Then I started cleaning the stove. I took all the ash out of the stove, cleaned the glass, then took the CAT out and cleaned that. I tried using my shop van to clean behind the CAT but it wouldn't fit. I did the best with the smallest nozzle I could find but it still is a mess back there, full of fly ash. Next I also noticed there was some creosote in the horizontal run of the T itself. I undid the plastic container and went at it with a dust pan brush. Of course this led to a mess with creosote everywhere. Also I was still unhappy with how clean the T was after using the dust pan brush so I tried to duct tape some paper towels to a section of the chimney sweeping brush. I fed that through the stove and tried to clean the T that way. Both ways proved to make a massive mess. Not that I'm anti mess but I'm always looking for better more efficient ways to do things.

My questions for you guys are:

1) How clean do you guys aim to get your chimney?

2) How do you clean your T?

3) How do you clean behind the CAT of the PH?

Thanks to all and hope you all enjoy your Independence Day.

 

[Air_cooled_driver]

I've only had mine one season, and haven't tired to clean it that thoroughly, but you could try hooking up your shop vac to the outlet, and blow the ash out of the horizontal pipe and out through the bottom of the tee. The potential for a mess is high but it'd probably work. Other than that, I'd maybe try to make a smaller tip for the vacuum hose with plastic pipe and duct tape.

 

[Stephen Schumaker]

I've only had mine one season, and haven't tired to clean it that thoroughly, but you could try hooking up your shop vac to the outlet, and blow the ash out of the horizontal pipe and out through the bottom of the tee. The potential for a mess is high but it'd probably work. Other than that, I'd maybe try to make a smaller tip for the vacuum hose with plastic pipe and duct tape.

 

[Stephen Schumaker]

My Progress is in the top vent configuration. The vents to the back of the stove are 1 to 1 1/2" high. I went to Lowe's and looked at foam pipe insulation sleeves that were approximately that high. I picked the one with the largest interior opening. They are about 4' long and very flexible. I have several small vacuums (one an ash vac). The sleeves are slit on one side. You can spread one end to fit tightly over the vacuum.hose. You can then fit the sleeve down through the vents. The foam will compress but will maintain an opening to the back of the stove. Simply insert in each of the vents and you will vacuum most of the fly ash out. The sleeve may clog but just pull it out and either crush the creosote within the sleeve or pick it off the end. You may have to repeat the procedure a number of times and move the sleeve around in each vent. I kept repeating going down the line of vents until I could not hear any ash/creosote hitting the vacuum tube. It worked well. I think the sleeve cost was approximately $1.20. It was easier than taking the interior pipe apart to get to the back of the stove.

 

[Highbeam]

Some folks insist on removing the flue pipe to gain access to the internal parts of the stove for cleaning. In your case, that may be the best option. I am able to contort a shopvac hose to where all creo accumulates but don' be afraid to tape a smaller diameter hose onto the end of your shopvac hose to snake it into those small spots. Think something fairly rigid like automotive water heater hose. Even a spare chunk of garden hose. As stoves become more complicated with more passages and chamber, the manufacturers must remember to make them serviceable.