Direct vent and exhaust cleaning

[DemonGT]

do direct vent exhaust systems get less dirty? i ask because i looked at the exhaust on the back of my stove recently
and it wasn't all that dirty considering it had not been serviced for four seasons. previous owner never had it serviced
or got behind the stove(its a insert). he burned around two ton a season. i know he never had it serviced because there
was mortar around the shroud of the insert i had to remove in order to pull the stove out.

just curious on others opinions of direct vent systems.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Short vents give less time for the soot to get deposited and a lot less space for it.

The places you need to be concerned about is the combustion blower and the cavity it sits in and all of the pluming from the firebox to the combustion blower cavity.

You can have a lot of crud stuck in there, eventually it will plug and the stove will not burn well at all.

 

[DAKSY]

First of all I don't think you have the terminology right.
Pellet stoves use PELLET VENT. DIRECT VENT is an Intake
& Exhaust system, either co-linear or co-axial, mostly used
for gas-burning appliances. If you have a pellet insert, you
can either run a liner vertically into the chimney & terminate
it in the first flue tile, run it all the way to the top & attach a
cap, or punch a hole in the back of the fireplace & exhaust
thru rigid pellet vent, & terminate horizontally.
Which do you have?

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Bob,

IIRC, the OP vents straight out the back.

 

[DexterDay]

Horizontal sections can accumulate more fly ash, but horizontal and vertical systems should be cleaned at least yearly. IMO. Some have gone longer.

I cleaned a Forun members insert this past Fall. This was there 3rd season with the Santa Fe. Never had the 15 ft liner swept. I should have video taped that leafblower job....

 

[DemonGT]

how exactly do you use a leaf blower to clean?

as for the venting i have no chimney, just goes right out the wall with a wall thimble

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

how exactly do you use a leaf blower to clean?

as for the venting i have no chimney, just goes right out the wall with a wall thimble

A leaf blower that has vacuum ability is needed.

The vacuum tube is placed over the end of the exhaust vent (termination cap removed) then the leaf blower is activated.

Do a search of youtube you'll find plenty of examples.

 

[DexterDay]

You need an electric leafblower with the "vacuum" option (suck up leaves). Then modify the end to go on the end of your vent outside. The leafblower, then "sucks" all the ash out of your vent and some hidden crevices of your stove. Best to do this after your regular cleaning and a vent brush ran through prioir to "sucking" also

Its not a replacement to cleaning. But it sure makes it quick and easy. Here is an example... It works the same way on horizontal vent as it does vertical. The pics are of my leafblower and the 3" to 4" PVC adapter on the end. The video is just an example of the results you may see....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WDGm9QuaUI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[MacP]

Short vents give less time for the soot to get deposited and a lot less space for it.

The places you need to be concerned about is the combustion blower and the cavity it sits in and all of the pluming from the firebox to the combustion blower cavity.

You can have a lot of crud stuck in there, eventually it will plug and the stove will not burn well at all.

How would I remove the combustion blower blade in my Harman p61a to remove the build up? I use a toothbrush to brush off the buildup on the blades, but I can't get behind it.

I still can't figure out where the vacuum tube is located in my stove. When I use the leafblower trick, I leave the stove doors open.

 

[DemonGT]

is it possible to use a shop vac instead of a leaf blower? is there anything that needs to be disconnected on the stove to do the leaf blower?

 

[smoke show]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WDGm9QuaUI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I miss that old dog.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

is it possible to use a shop vac instead of a leaf blower? is there anything that needs to be disconnected on the stove to do the leaf blower?

You can use a shop vacuum provided it is a good strong one and you can get a good seal between the vent and the vacuums hose. The thing with a leaf vacuum is it has a very high air flow rate.

I don't know what the vacuum switch inside your stove can tolerate, but if you are concerned locate the vacuum tube connection that goes to the stove, remove it at the stove end and seal the end of the tube.

I've been hitting my stove with a leaf blower for almost four years (about every half to 1 ton, which means my stove has seen the leaf blower treatment about 25 times or so) without removing anything except the termination cap on the venting. I also have my door closed when I use it.

You can also leave your door open if you want too.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Short vents give less time for the soot to get deposited and a lot less space for it.

The places you need to be concerned about is the combustion blower and the cavity it sits in and all of the pluming from the firebox to the combustion blower cavity.

You can have a lot of crud stuck in there, eventually it will plug and the stove will not burn well at all.

How would I remove the combustion blower blade in my Harman p61a to remove the build up? I use a toothbrush to brush off the buildup on the blades, but I can't get behind it.

I still can't figure out where the vacuum tube is located in my stove. When I use the leafblower trick, I leave the stove doors open.

I'd start by looking in a Harman manual (exploded parts diagram) while you have the stove opened up. You first locate the vacuum switch and go from there.

You can get to the impeller by removing the combustion blower from the stove.

Remember to make sure the stove is off, cold, and unplugged before opening things up.

 

[rwthomas1]

how exactly do you use a leaf blower to clean?

as for the venting i have no chimney, just goes right out the wall with a wall thimble

I doubt you need the leaf blower. I have my Lopi Pioneer straight out the wall, 24" horizontal run with a thimble at the end. I cleaned it once after a 1/2ton just to see how bad it was. Maybe 1/4" of ash at the bottom of the pipe. Thats it. Just stuck the shopvac hose into the vent pipe, the shopvac I have the hose will fit inside the vent pipe, pushed all the way in to the stove outlet. It got 99% of the ash this way. If you feel you need it you could use a Lint Eater first to loosen things up but I didn't need it. The leaf blower trick is better left to those folks with long vent runs and one or more elbows. RT

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

how exactly do you use a leaf blower to clean?

as for the venting i have no chimney, just goes right out the wall with a wall thimble

I doubt you need the leaf blower. I have my Lopi Pioneer straight out the wall, 24" horizontal run with a thimble at the end. I cleaned it once after a 1/2ton just to see how bad it was. Maybe 1/4" of ash at the bottom of the pipe. Thats it. Just stuck the shopvac hose into the vent pipe, the shopvac I have the hose will fit inside the vent pipe, pushed all the way in to the stove outlet. It got 99% of the ash this way. If you feel you need it you could use a Lint Eater first to loosen things up but I didn't need it. The leaf blower trick is better left to those folks with long vent runs and one or more elbows. RT

It is for more than the venting. I can clean my ash traps out with it two less things to open up. Done frequently enough and the combustion blower cavity and from that cavity to the ash traps is also cleaned.

 

[DemonGT]

how exactly do you use a leaf blower to clean?

as for the venting i have no chimney, just goes right out the wall with a wall thimble

I doubt you need the leaf blower. I have my Lopi Pioneer straight out the wall, 24" horizontal run with a thimble at the end. I cleaned it once after a 1/2ton just to see how bad it was. Maybe 1/4" of ash at the bottom of the pipe. Thats it. Just stuck the shopvac hose into the vent pipe, the shopvac I have the hose will fit inside the vent pipe, pushed all the way in to the stove outlet. It got 99% of the ash this way. If you feel you need it you could use a Lint Eater first to loosen things up but I didn't need it. The leaf blower trick is better left to those folks with long vent runs and one or more elbows. RT

what thinking i might not. have not lived in this house a year yet. will still have a pro come out and clean and service the stove this spring
just to make sure it gets cleaned good. ill make sure to take notes so i can do it myself next time.

to be clear here is a pic of the exhaust inside and outside...

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e90/DemonGT410/IMG_6153.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e90/DemonGT410/IMG_5371.jpg