First time using Soot Eater

[zmender]

Happy long weekend everyone -

Figured this rainy weekend is as good as any to try out the new soot eater and clean out the chimney. This will be the first time I ever clean a stove pipe myself and will be on a VC Montiplier.

Seems straightforward? Would you mind doing a sanity check on what I'm about to do?

1) Remove all secondary burn tubes (do I have to remove all nuts + pins to do this?)
2) Remove baffle plate
3) Use ladder, remove top of chimney cover
4) Using super long extension cord, with oven door closed, work the soot eater top down?

 

[begreen]

This looks like the older style Montpelier. I think the baffle will come out with just the front tube removed. Be careful, the baffle will be brittle. Then you should be able to clean the flue from the bottom up, The Sooteater head will fit between the rear tubes. It will also need to be snaked past the bar in the flue outlet. After that, clean away. Bottom-up is a lot easier and should do a good job.

 

[zmender]

First 2ndary tube came off easily without any tools - not enough for the baffle plates. Second tube is stuck in there pretty good - gentle twists with plier had no result; and gentle turns with screw driver had no results on the screw.

just checking - is there a "catch" of some kind with the secondary tubes? or just the tubes stuck in there and require a stronger twist from the hand tools

 

[davidmsem]

Glad you're having good luck. I will never use a set either ever again. Mine broke this year about 10 ft up. Rod just broke right in the middle. Took me about three or four hours to get it out even after chimney sweeps done by and could not sweep it out.

I'm retiring from chimney sweeping and will use a service from now on.

 

[begreen]

First 2ndary tube came off easily without any tools - not enough for the baffle plates. Second tube is stuck in there pretty good - gentle twists with plier had no result; and gentle turns with screw driver had no results on the screw.

just checking - is there a "catch" of some kind with the secondary tubes? or just the tubes stuck in there and require a stronger twist from the hand tools

I thought the tubes were held in with cotter pins.

spring cleaning

can you guys help me understand how i will clean out my pipe on my VC Montpelier when the time comes? i dont know how i will be able to access the pipe from inside to clean out the creosote . thx in advance

www.hearth.com

Looks like the left edge of the baffle has already been knickered. Might be a good idea to replace and keep the old one as a spare.