Econoburn cleaning

[SIERRADMAX]

I knew I had to clean the boiler but i wasn't expecting to remove the top and rear panels and see this....
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Previous owner must have burned unseasoned wood and/or rarely cleaned it. Turbulators were a BEAR to remove. There's ALOT of build up in the tubes.

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I used the 2" wire brush method but it doesn't get it 100% clean. Any ideas?

 

[salecker]

Hi
That looks awfull
I checked mine this fall ,after a full season of burning last year,there wasn't anything in mine to warrent cleaning.I burnt only very dry spruce,there was some ash but no build up.
I remember reading something about placing some raw potatoes under the nozzle in the lower chamber to loosen the build up,so far i havn't had to try it.
Thomas

 

[SIERRADMAX]

It really needs a 2-1/8" pipe cleaner. Tough to find.

 

[mikefrommaine]

Search the threads. I remember someone making a custom cleaning tool. I think it was a metal disc cut to the right diameter and bolted on to a flexible rod. Then spun with a drill. It basically cut the crap out.

 

[maple1]

Can you use a hole saw the right size with a long shaft?

 

[SIERRADMAX]

I'll look into a hole saw. what are you guys using to re-seal the upper and flue plates?

 

[maple1]

My dad uses a hole saw on his smoke dragon Kerr - although I think he's had a couple of bad sessions when the hole saw unexpectedly came off the shaft/extension. I think I'd be doing some welding on it, maybe.

 

[SIERRADMAX]

Hole saw didn't cut it. Anything 2" cannot clean the tubes perfectly. Here's how I did it: I purchased a 2" wire wheel brush to do an initial "reaming". I welded a 3' piece of 3/16" rod. Some people on here recommended using wire rope clamps and clamp the wire wheel to the rod. However, I felt hesitant to do so and have the wire wheel stuck inside the tube. I repeated the process with a 2" wire cup brush similar to this one.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_323652-16878-323652_0__?productId=3195515&Ntt=wire+wheel
This does a good job at cleaning. I use a short piece of 2" I.D. pipe to help sleeve the brush into the tubes.

 

[Fred61]

This is something I would do if I had build-up in the tubes. In fact I've wanted to build one but haven't had the need because I don't get any build-up.
Weld a disc, maybe a fender washer to a long shaft and on oposite sides screw steel square or rectangular rod so that they pivot when disc is spun. Like a fly ball governor on the old one lunger. Depending on the length of ths rectangular rod, you could scrub varying diameter tubing.

 

[SIERRADMAX]

I'll keep that in mind next time.. Hopefully, It won't be as bad as this cleaning has been!

 

[maple1]

That looks like one of those weed whacker things with blades on it.

 

[Fred61]

If you want to get real serious, save the next carbide saw blade you remove from your skil saw, slice it up so the teeth are on the OD of the flails. You might want to keep that contraption moving.

 

[Grovenburg]

I bought mine used and it was about that dirty. I got a long 3/8 steel rod and a 2 inch wire brush for a drill at Menards. I used a wire clamp and attached the round wire brush to the rod. I then put the other end of the rod in my drill. I cleaned the heck out of my tubes and they were spotless in just a couple of minutes. It's now leaning against the wall next to the stove waiting for my next clean out.