Finally figured out why I can't get my brush through the liner

[bsa0021]

I have an insert with a ss liner that is ovalized as it passes through the fireplace damper before returning to 6" round. I have not been able to get the oval section cleaned. The brush would get stuck and nothing I did could change that. Tried rope on the end, chain on the end, I even went to a 5" poly brush with no luck but this brush did go a little further down the pipe allowing me to put my hand (arm) up the pipe from the stove. What I realised is the stem of the brush was getting stuck in the "S" bend oval section. The stem is 11.5" long with an adapter. So now I need to buy or make a brush with a shorter stem. I just hope I didn't hurt the liner by tring to force it through.
If I could find an adapter for the 5" pellet brush I bought I would be able to put this to bed.

 

[pen]

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah I hope you didn't poke a hole in that liner. Best way to clean that oval section is to get a round brush like they use for cleaning smoke chambers and just scrub it. Frankly a toilet bowl brush vigorously applied will get that few inches done just fine. That close to the flue collar it is just going to be fine ash anyway.

 

[bsa0021]

I never saw this issue on the board before. I thought the brush was too stiff to pull through the bend. A toilet brush is too short or my arm is too short to reach up that far. If I could find an adapter to go from 1/4-20 thread to 1/4 npt I could use the pellet brush like a toilet brush.

Do the rental places have those video cameras to check my liner for damage? I've seen them at HD but $250 is too much for me.

 

[Valhalla]

I use the SootEater 3X a year. It works great!

 

[bsa0021]

I use the SootEater 3X a year. It works great!

How long is the stem on the SootEater?

 

[Valhalla]

BSA0021,

Each extension rod is 36".

There is an adapter that you put in the chuck of your own drill to turn the Sooteater rods and head, as it goes up/down the flue. See the photo that pen posted on the first note of this thread.

Each rod has an integral lock to couple it to the next. It sure beats climbing on a snow/ice covered roof. I speak from experience!

It works great! Simple and safe!

 

[DanCorcoran]

It's available on Amazon.com.

 

[raybonz]

Yeah I hope you didn't poke a hole in that liner. Best way to clean that oval section is to get a round brush like they use for cleaning smoke chambers and just scrub it. Frankly a toilet bowl brush vigorously applied will get that few inches done just fine. That close to the flue collar it is just going to be fine ash anyway.

That should get all the sh*t out of there

Ray