Help! How do you clean a Jotul F500 chimney from bottom up? Sweep is here right now.
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Sorry thought you were talking about the owners, and to tag onto bholler, I’ve seen some who don’t have a lift or rigging etc, and don’t feel safe climbing up with only a ladder and “no slip” boots, especially on metal roofs or anything caked with snow/ice. Maybe it’s my job but I don’t blame them. Not saying that’s what happened in this case though.
Most I can. But we still have slate roofs. No way am I setting foot on them. And now everyone is putting standing seam on that is just a pita.
They could probably do it from the roof. My husband nor myself will be getting on any roof. I think the sweep that came wanted easy. He said he wasn't planning on getting on the roof. You can see the chimney through the trees. I believe the roof pitch is 7/12. If done from the roof how do you get the pipes apart and down or do you need to do it from the top of that pipe?
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Looks like a cake walk! Your sweep was either very very lazy or very inexperienced! Sweep it down, take the oval off and sweep out the debris. 40 minute job tops!
Agreed there’s no reason he couldn’t have gotten on the roof and done it; pull the cap off and shove a brush down it. I’d be giving that place a call back, or giving my business else where. In future I’d do it myself, as everyone said you should have a telescoping piece (I’m under impression it’s usually the piece connected to stove but not always) pop that off and run a soot eater up there, or as you mentioned you could remove the stove top and baffle system and access that way etc
There is absolutely no excuse for this one! Definitely call the business and ask why he refused to do it. Even if he didn’t know how to pull the oval, he should be plenty comfortable pulling the pipe up to access the flue collar.
Lazy! He wanted the quick through the stove, up the chimney and then vacuum out whatever comes down. The sweep company has been around for 30 years. You would think they would know how to do this.
We are going to call the only other chimney sweep place and pay the extra travel fee. Hopefully they know what they are doing.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Totally unprofessional. Even if I sweep from inside I always go up on a new customers roof to inspect things
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Sounds to me like the OP got lucky...I wouldn't want that lazy bonehead to touch my stove or chimney!
Can you image that mess and mayhem he could have cause if he would have just torn into it? "Cleaned it", then put it back together, probably just well enough to get paid of course, then scrammed!
Can you image that mess and mayhem he could have cause if he would have just torn into it? "Cleaned it", then put it back together, probably just well enough to get paid of course, then scrammed!
xman23
Minister of Fire
The older Oslo like mine has 2 cast burn plates above the tubes. They lift and slide out. With flexible pro rods and a flat brush you can go up from inside. I don't know how you move yourd or get around the burn plate. The problem I had was cleaning the cap screen, that was plunged. The screen is gone now
I now have a setup to get on the roof. like yours. from the deck. And then from a ladder on the roof, take 1 top section of chimney off. It's a bit of a high wire act. Sliding ladders, that just this year I figured out how to tie off.
Best to figure out how to do this yourself. It's not that hard. you will then know it's clean and safe.
I now have a setup to get on the roof. like yours. from the deck. And then from a ladder on the roof, take 1 top section of chimney off. It's a bit of a high wire act. Sliding ladders, that just this year I figured out how to tie off.
Best to figure out how to do this yourself. It's not that hard. you will then know it's clean and safe.
I have an Oslo 500 and here is a solution to your problem. You have a large enough hearth. so I would move the stove forward and install a rear vent. Using a standard T vent with a removable clean out bottom, eliminates the problem of access. Mine is vented into a fireplace and it is easier to move the stove, clean from the bottom or top and then vacuum. I am of the opinion all stoves manufacturers should be required to have at least one rear or reversible vent model.
I got a bad feeling soon as he started looking in the stove. He looked and looked and looked and I thought Oh Boy. Then he asked if we had the manual for the stove. We couldn’t find it but I pulled up the online version. I knew it wasn‘t going to tell him anything because I have looked through it before and at this point there was no way I was letting him take the stove apart. I mentioned to him that I thought normally you take the pipe apart and go up that way or you do it from the roof. He said you can but you would need to some how catch the debris coming down and it would make a big mess. That he had no plans to go on the roof. After that I left and let my husband deal with him. I was getting aggravated.
The ladder on the roof is why we called a company who does this stuff. We could get on the roof but having to use a ladder on the roof to get the chimney section down is not something we want to do. We thought we would watch how the sweep cleaned it from the bottom and then do it ourselves. We usually prefer to do things ourselves if we are able.
trx250r87
Burning Hunk
How I clean my 27' flue from below:
-remove all stove pipe between stove and ceiling support, take outside and sweep it with a poly brush.
-take 2 or 3 plastic bags (the type from grocery store with handles, I like to use Menards bags as they are a little thicker than most).
-put poly brush on 1st piece of cleaning rod and poke it down through plastic bags, try to offset the holes in bags so dirty soot does not have an easy path out the bottom hole.
-push poly brush into pipe and tape handle section of plastic bags onto ceiling support, use tape that does not leave residue.
-push the first rod up, thread on the next and repeat until you reach the top. Use short up and down strokes on the way up and down the pipe.
-remove in reverse order, throw away bags and soot and reassemble pipe between stove and ceiling support
-vacuum the small mess you made on the floor
This whole process should only take about half an hour once you get the hang of it and can be done by 1 person.
Eric
-remove all stove pipe between stove and ceiling support, take outside and sweep it with a poly brush.
-take 2 or 3 plastic bags (the type from grocery store with handles, I like to use Menards bags as they are a little thicker than most).
-put poly brush on 1st piece of cleaning rod and poke it down through plastic bags, try to offset the holes in bags so dirty soot does not have an easy path out the bottom hole.
-push poly brush into pipe and tape handle section of plastic bags onto ceiling support, use tape that does not leave residue.
-push the first rod up, thread on the next and repeat until you reach the top. Use short up and down strokes on the way up and down the pipe.
-remove in reverse order, throw away bags and soot and reassemble pipe between stove and ceiling support
-vacuum the small mess you made on the floor
This whole process should only take about half an hour once you get the hang of it and can be done by 1 person.
Eric
Thank you Eric. This is very helpful. This seems like something we could handle. I ordered a Sooteater with 30 ft of flexible white rods. I think we are going to give it a shot. Will the chimney cap get cleaned too? There is no screen on the cap.
Ann
