Flue cleaning on Hearthstone Castleton 8030 (Pre 2020)

[mrmr]

Hello. I'm new here and have a few questions about cleaning my new soapstone stove. Hearthstone won't answer the phone or reply to my emails.

I want to clean from the bottom up because of the steep pitch of my roof. My understanding is I have to remove the baffle first. This will give me access to the bottom of the pipe. Then squeeze the the cleaning brush between the secondary burn tubes and clean. Is this correct?

Will I be able to squeeze the brush between the tubes to clean the pipe without removing the secondary burn tubes?

Removing the baffle looks simple with removing the cotter pins. However, re-installing these cotter pins through the tiny holes looks impossible without the top stones removed. Replacement baffles come with wire to twist around the tubes. What gauge stainless wire should I buy to secure the baffle?

If the stove was only uses for the equivalent of 3 to 4 weeks max last winter do I really need to clean the stove pipe before using again this coming winter. The stove and pipe were installed new in November 2020. It has a straight pipe with no bends and an excellent draw.

Thanks for all your help and advice!

 

[nortcan]

The space between the top of the stove and the baffle and the tubes is quite small. so probably best to remove the baffle and the air tubes. Your right, the holes for the cotter pins are very small. On my Castleton and Heritage , I enlarged the holes with a *good** drill bit. Not easy to drill in the St-St holes but much easier to put the cotter pins back. The end sections of the c. pins doesn't need to be bended too much to stay in place and make the dis-assembly and re-assembly much easier. Hope it can help.

 

[mrmr]

I will probably try to use stainless steel wire if I can find the right gauge. That's what all the replacement baffles use. Removing the tubes looks like a problem. Do you know if a cleaning brush will squeeze in between them so I can clean the flue from the bottom?
Thanks for your response.

 

[nortcan]

I will probably try to use stainless steel wire if I can find the right gauge. That's what all the replacement baffles use. Removing the tubes looks like a problem. Do you know if a cleaning brush will squeeze in between them so I can clean the flue from the bottom?
Thanks for your response.

Usually the baffles stay down by itself and I don't know if attaching it with st-st wire is an obligation ? To remove the tube you have to remove the cotter pins on the right side of each tube. Once the tubes removed, it's the best time to enlarge the holes for the cotter pins.

 

[bholler]

Is this one of the hearthstones with a bolt in the back top center? If so just pull that bolt and the whole air manifold baffle etc will come down at once

 

[bholler]

I will probably try to use stainless steel wire if I can find the right gauge. That's what all the replacement baffles use. Removing the tubes looks like a problem. Do you know if a cleaning brush will squeeze in between them so I can clean the flue from the bottom?
Thanks for your response.

I just looked at the manual and I am pretty sure you can easily drop the whole maifold

 

[mrmr]

Don't see a bolt on the exterior of the stove at all. Dropping the baffle is not a problem at all. I'm just wondering if I can clean from the bottom. Cleaning from the top is not an option.

 

[nortcan]

I just looked at the manual and I am pretty sure you can easily drop the whole maifold

Do you mean that the No. 8 on the photo ? If so is it the Secondary Manifold Top Casting you can remove with all the parts in one step? If so do you have to change some gasket or is it just metal on metal?

 

[bholler]

Do you mean that the No. 8 on the photo ? If so is it the Secondary Manifold Top Casting you can remove with all the parts in one step? If so do you have to change some gasket or is it just metal on metal?

There were no gaskets in any of them I have done. And I don't see any in the diagram. I find it much easier and less chance of damaging the baffle than messing around with the cotter pins and pulling the tubes.

 

[nortcan]

There were no gaskets in any of them I have done. And I don't see any in the diagram. I find it much easier and less chance of damaging the baffle than messing around with the cotter pins and pulling the tubes.

Yes for what you said , seems to be a very good idea. Is it heavy to remove or do you need to put some **blocks** ?? under it to help ?

 

[mrmr]

I'm truly a novice at this. I won't chance dissembling anything based on how my luck goes. From what I was told by my dealer, once I remove the baffle, which is easy, I would have access to bottom of the pipe, and I could run my cleaning brush up the pipe from there. He thought the bristles of the brush(plastic bristles) would flex to get between the tubes. Does anyone know if this is correct?

 

[bholler]

Yes for what you said , seems to be a very good idea. Is it heavy to remove or do you need to put some **blocks** ?? under it to help ?

It isn't light but not heavy enough to need blocks. You take the bolt out then lift the back up remove the rectangle tube under it in the back and it drops. One model I think the insert has soap stone panels that need removed as well

 

[nortcan]

If you don't want to remove the complete support bracket, then remove the baffle and check if there is the brush stopper in the flue collar. The stopper is precisely there to stop the sweep brush to enter in the stove from upside when cleaning the chimney or stove pipe. But it will do the same stopping job if you want to go from downside to upside . Not the best English but hope you see the idea.

 

[begreen]

Another alternative is to put a slip section of stovepipe on the bottom section that can be lifted up and taped in place while sweeping.

 

[webby3650]

It isn't light but not heavy enough to need blocks. You take the bolt out then lift the back up remove the rectangle tube under it in the back and it drops. One model I think the insert has soap stone panels that need removed as well

Correct, all the stones had to come out of the Clydesdale. I was just glad the baffle was removable. They’ve improved a little bit in that department. Most hearthstones have been a huge pain in the ass compared to every other stove we sell. Not to mention all the cracked stones and slow slow heat..

 

[nortcan]

Correct, all the stones had to come out of the Clydesdale. I was just glad the baffle was removable. They’ve improved a little bit in that department. Most hearthstones have been a huge pain in the ass compared to every other stove we sell. Not to mention all the cracked stones and slow slow heat..

Yes, Hearthstone have some weak sides but about the slow-slow heat, if heating 24/24 it's not so bad but if not 24/24 it can be very disappointing to buy a stove that price and have to wait a so long time to be warm. But in some other situations it can be an advantage to get the heat slowly and not roasted in a few minutes , specialy in smaller spaces. About soapstone your right about the fragility, plus cooking or warming plates on top of a soapstone is not the best idea.
So some + and some.....-

 

[mrmr]

I appreciate the responses but does anyone know if a cleaning brush will fit between the tubes? I would hate to buy a cleaning kit and not be able to use it, or return it, because I got ti dirty trying to find out?

 

[mrmr]

These are the questions I am hoping to get an answer to:

1. Will I be able to squeeze the brush between the tubes to clean the pipe without removing the secondary burn tubes?

2. What gauge stainless wire should I buy to secure the baffle?


3. If the stove was only uses for the equivalent of 3 to 4 weeks max last winter do I really need to clean the stove pipe before using again this coming winter?

Like I said I'm new to the free standing stove and am ignorant to a lot of these issues. My dealer assisted best as he could but I didn't really get definitive answers.

 

[nortcan]

I appreciate the responses but does anyone know if a cleaning brush will fit between the tubes? I would hate to buy a cleaning kit and not be able to use it, or return it, because I got ti dirty trying to find out?

First, did you cheked if there is a brush stopper in the flue collar of your stove? You can use a mirror and probably a flash light. If there is one you can't go that way without removing it.
Anyway you will need a cleaning brush to keep your chimney clean and safe.

 

[nortcan]

Not shure but the baffle probably doesn't need to be secured with the wire. They use the wire to be shure the baffle stay in place and doesn't break during the transport. If you do not use the wire, the baffle will move up if accidentally hurt with a log instead of cracking.
Can you send some photos showing your installation, it could help us to help you!

 

[bholler]

These are the questions I am hoping to get an answer to:

1. Will I be able to squeeze the brush between the tubes to clean the pipe without removing the secondary burn tubes?

2. What gauge stainless wire should I buy to secure the baffle?


3. If the stove was only uses for the equivalent of 3 to 4 weeks max last winter do I really need to clean the stove pipe before using again this coming winter?

Like I said I'm new to the free standing stove and am ignorant to a lot of these issues. My dealer assisted best as he could but I didn't really get definitive answers.

1 Just drop the manifold and get a rotary cleaner like a sooteater. I do this for a living and that is the easiest most effective way to do it with the least ammout of risk of breaking the baffle.

2 There is no need

3 Probably not but the only way to know is to check it out.