Flue cleaning. From stove up. Vermont Castings Encore

[Kylekibbe]

Hi, I have a Vermont Castings Encore Wood stove purchased in the spring of 2021. I have burned 1.5 to 2 chords of seasoned hard wood. I would like to clean the flue for the first time this fall. The stove is placed in a fireplace and is vented up the chimney with a 5.5 inch diameter stainless steel liner. The chimney is approximately 23 feet tall. Due to the slate roof, I need to clean the flue from the stove up. Here is my plan. Detach the rear heat shield to gain access to the flue collar. Detach the flue collar. Pull the detached stove forward 2 feet. Insert Xedragony Chimney Cleaning Brush Fireplace Flue Sweep Whip Cleaner and go to work. I have used the Chimney cleaning brush on a fireplace chimney with satisfactory results.
The stove works wonderfully. The draft in the chimney is terrific. I’m hesitant to go forward because I’m afraid of screwing up. I am not looking forward to detaching the flue collar and moving the stove, but I see no alternative. Going through the stove’s open damper is not an option as far as I can tell.
I do plan on cleaning the catalytic combustor at the same time. I’m attaching several pictures with captions. You can see that the placement of the stove so close to the chimney necessitates that I move the stove forward to get access to the flue.
Thanks to all in advance for your help.

 

[bholler]

Hi, I have a Vermont Castings Encore Wood stove purchased in the spring of 2021. I have burned 1.5 to 2 chords of seasoned hard wood. I would like to clean the flue for the first time this fall. The stove is placed in a fireplace and is vented up the chimney with a 5.5 inch diameter stainless steel liner. The chimney is approximately 23 feet tall. Due to the slate roof, I need to clean the flue from the stove up. Here is my plan. Detach the rear heat shield to gain access to the flue collar. Detach the flue collar. Pull the detached stove forward 2 feet. Insert Xedragony Chimney Cleaning Brush Fireplace Flue Sweep Whip Cleaner and go to work. I have used the Chimney cleaning brush on a fireplace chimney with satisfactory results.
The stove works wonderfully. The draft in the chimney is terrific. I’m hesitant to go forward because I’m afraid of screwing up. I am not looking forward to detaching the flue collar and moving the stove, but I see no alternative. Going through the stove’s open damper is not an option as far as I can tell.
I do plan on cleaning the catalytic combustor at the same time. I’m attaching several pictures with captions. You can see that the placement of the stove so close to the chimney necessitates that I move the stove forward to get access to the flue.
Thanks to all in advance for your help.

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Why not just clean through the bypass?

 

[Kylekibbe]

Sorry ....where is the "bypass"?

 

[bholler]

Sorry ....where is the "bypass"?

The bypass damper at the top of the firebox in the back. It opens right in front of the flue outlet

 

[Kylekibbe]

Thanks. I can't get a brush up there, the opening is too small and the curvature of the connecting to the flue is too much of a right angle for the bend flexibility of my rods.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I can’t offer real technical advice, but maybe take one of the Rod sections and test out how flexible it really is. It may break but then you’d know how much you can bend them. Are they Sooteater brand?
If that’s a no-go, maybe there are more flexible rods out there.. I say that bc as @bholler mentioned, there may be an easier way to clean the flue. It would stink to have to do it the hard way year after year.
My sweeping process is easier but I still try to think of ways to make it more efficient. It’s a pain in the ass No matter what but I’d do whatever needed to make it easier.

 

[Diabel]

I used to clean my VC Encore via the bypass door using Sooteater. It takes a bit of wiggle and patience but the head of the Sooteater will go through. I know more people here with these stoves clean the pipes this way. Thanks @bholler 😉.

 

[bholler]

I used to clean my VC Encore via the bypass door using Sooteater. It takes a bit of wiggle and patience but the head of the Sooteater will go through. I know more people here with these stoves clean the pipes this way. Thanks @bholler 😉.

Yeah I have cleaned many through the bypass

 

[Hoytman]

I used to clean my VC Encore via the bypass door using Sooteater. It takes a bit of wiggle and patience but the head of the Sooteater will go through. I know more people here with these stoves clean the pipes this way. Thanks @bholler 😉.

But do they have the bends in their liner above the baffle that this person does? That could make a big difference with rods that are different from SootEater brand rods. I don’t know. It’s just a thought.

I will assume since BHoller replied he thinks it’s still possible to clean from the stove by-pass. All you can do is try it and see.

 

[Hoytman]

Yeah I have cleaned many through the bypass

Ha…I hadn’t even read this reply yet before my post.👍

EDIT:
No wonder…both of is typing at the same time.

 

[Kylekibbe]

Thanks all! I am going to try the SootEater Rotary Chimney Liner Cleaning System. It is indeed more flexible and comes with a considerably smaller cleaning head and thinner rods. Thank you, I would not have found that on my own. I imagine I will remove the fallen creosote at the base of the flue with a vacuum seeing as there is no room to get any type of tool or utensil in there.

​

 

[Diabel]

Cleaning the sides of the refractory box behind the fireback is another story. Shopvac with hose reducer to 3/4 “ hose (very flexible) will do the job

 

[Eman85]

I clean from the top down and no matter how you clean with your stove the trash goes around the sides of the catalyst chamber and needs to be cleaned out.

 

[bholler]

I clean from the top down and no matter how you clean with your stove the trash goes around the sides of the catalyst chamber and needs to be cleaned out.

Yes it does

 

[nagrod]

I have the same stove. I tried the sooteater but the brush head detached itself and got stuck in the flue pipe. Much cursing before I finally retrieved it. I'm not using it again! My next purchase is going to be the Wohler Viper S, with hopefully better results!

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I have the same stove. I tried the sooteater but the brush head detached itself and got stuck in the flue pipe. Much cursing before I finally retrieved it. I'm not using it again! My next purchase is going to be the Wohler Viper S, with hopefully better results!

I clean twice a year with mine.. not sure how yours just fell apart like that.. mine is a real bugger to take apart and add sections

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Im liking top down..

To make cleaning up easier I make a big tin foil cup like the size of the catalyst and put it down in the stove. when I sweep all the material.. or most of it anyway. falls in the foil and theres less clean up.

 

[bholler]

I have the same stove. I tried the sooteater but the brush head detached itself and got stuck in the flue pipe. Much cursing before I finally retrieved it. I'm not using it again! My next purchase is going to be the Wohler Viper S, with hopefully better results!

Don't bother with the viper. All of us pros have abandoned them in favor of rotary long ago

 

[Eman85]

Im liking top down..

To make cleaning up easier I make a big tin foil cup like the size of the catalyst and put it down in the stove. when I sweep all the material.. or most of it anyway. falls in the foil and theres less clean up.

I used a piece of aluminum coil that they cover fascia board with. Made a cardboard template and the cut and bent it to fit. Sweep down and it's easier to clean up.

 

[ajayabb]

When I sweep my Encore I remove the lower fireback and refractory and clean the combustor. I then can easily access the chimney with sooteater at the same time

 

[nagrod]

Don't bother with the viper. All of us pros have abandoned them in favor of rotary long ago

Not sure what you mean by rotary. But I am curious! I did some looking online and the Gardus sooteater comes in two versions, one for "open chimneys" and one for "flu liners." The flu liner version has thinner rods, 16mm vs 12mm. My chimney is 6" to 8" round double wall pipe with a 45 degree offset to increase wall clearance. I'm wondering if the 12 mm version would work in my situation. My stove is the VC Encore 2040, cleaning through the bypass. Thanks.

 

[bholler]

Not sure what you mean by rotary. But I am curious! I did some looking online and the Gardus sooteater comes in two versions, one for "open chimneys" and one for "flu liners." The flu liner version has thinner rods, 16mm vs 12mm. My chimney is 6" to 8" round double wall pipe with a 45 degree offset to increase wall clearance. I'm wondering if the 12 mm version would work in my situation. My stove is the VC Encore 2040, cleaning through the bypass. Thanks.

The sooteater is a homeowner version of the stuff I use and I clean through the bypass of these all the time

 

[Hbob]

Im liking top down..

To make cleaning up easier I make a big tin foil cup like the size of the catalyst and put it down in the stove. when I sweep all the material.. or most of it anyway. falls in the foil and theres less clean up.

Do you have any photos of your cleaning method for the Encore?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Do you have any photos of your cleaning method for the Encore?

Dont take this the wrong way..
no.. im on the roof.. by myself.. with 2 hands on a sooteater.. so no extra hands for selfie ... there are pictures of what the stovepipe looks like when im done.. and what I got out.. but no action shots

 

[Hbob]

Dont take this the wrong way..
no.. im on the roof.. by myself.. with 2 hands on a sooteater.. so no extra hands for selfie ... there are pictures of what the stovepipe looks like when im done.. and what I got out.. but no action shots

I am wondering about the bottom end....I believe you do it through the stove and do not disconnect the pipe. I am trying to picture that.