How do I clean this?

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bmarleyzq8

New Member
Jan 28, 2017
16
Michigan
[Hearth.com] How do I clean this?
[Hearth.com] How do I clean this?
So when the tie comes, how will I clean this? Seems to me the clean out tee should have been installed outside rather than in?
 
Yup, someone didn't think ahead on this one.

I have a corner install with my stove with the clean out T inside, but I have a lot of room between the walls and stove to get to it.

Without seeing the stove from the inside and how much room you have to work with, I will say this.

You have two options.

1. If you have the room and willing to do the work, make the hearth pad larger and move the stove away from the walls so that you can easily get to the clean out T. This option will take some work but you will still be able to use the existing holes in the wall for the exhaust, you will just have to extend the exhaust and FAK pipe.

2. You will have to rework the wall thimble so that the exhaust goes straight out and put the clean out T outside.

I prefer mine inside so that when it is below 0 I don't have to worry about fighting the cold to clean it out. To each their own, but if you have the room I would really try and keep it inside and just extend the pipe.

Good luck, stay warm and let us know how it works for ya.
 
ok... here is my setup and this is what I do... Can't see it but the exhaust drops down about 6" then into stove.
from the outside, i use my 3" pipe brush and push the ash or residue in towards the stove..that's right.. towards the stove..
all the ash will drop down into the elbow inside..[Looks like u can disconnect your outside silver pipe.]
then i go from the inside with my shop vac and go thru the exhaust tunnel and get all the crud that i just pushed in..
i Use a small 2 gallon shop vac and use the flexible hose.[NOT a stiff exstention] so the hose will bend a bit at that tee..
small shop vac will have a smaller diameter hose that's perfect for going thru the exhaust tunnel.
BTW: Not my brainstorm.;)
read this tip couple years ago here..
 

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My Mother never touches the cleanout anymore but puts the leaf blower on the outside and lets the blower do the work of sucking out the trap. If done every week or so there seems to never be anything left in the cup on my inspections.
 
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With that short of an exhaust piping,I cant believe there would be anything to clean out of there. The exhaust fan should have no issues pushing light weight ash out of such a short system.

I have 6' vertical outside, and I run my stoves on the lowest settings, yet each time i try to clean, there is only ash in the ash pan within the stove, nothing but a dusty colored micro layer on the piping.

But I would give Tonyray's idea a try if it were mine.
 
I use the leaf blower trick also, It cleans the vent and stove as well as disassembly and manual cleaning.
 
[Hearth.com] How do I clean this? Link Removed Link Removed
With that short of an exhaust piping,I cant believe there would be anything to clean out of there. The exhaust fan should have no issues pushing light weight ash out of such a short system.

I have 6' vertical outside, and I run my stoves on the lowest settings, yet each time i try to clean, there is only ash in the ash pan within the stove, nothing but a dusty colored micro layer on the piping.

But I would give Tonyray's idea a try if it were mine.
deezl,
your pretty much on about the powdery colored layer in the pipe.i used " crud" but.yes it's the same stuff that is in the tunnel...I run my P61A 24/7 when cold weather stays.
i have used the leaf blower trick in the past also..but,
I get a lot of Lake wind on my exhaust pipe side which would include wind driven rain/snow etc With no houses or barriers on that side.. ...
and it seems to stick to the inside[ the powdery stuff]. .. could be due to having the OAK and cold damp air coming in..
anyways, after using the leaf blower i still can push lot of that crud OFF of the inside pipe so i just skip it
and use my 3" brush for all of the pipe including straight up to the top and pulling the brush downwards...only take a few minutes.. it's not alot but i like it 100% clean..

Pix above is my exhaust with the OAK .flap opening behind the cleanout cap.
 
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I think similar to what Tonyray said, I usually brush from the outside and go through the stove with a flexible hose to vacuum out.
My tee is installed on the inside similar to yours (see below) but because I did not need a hearth pad and opted out of the leg extensions my T is there but to close to the floor to actually open.
PowerSmith sells a pretty cheap assessory pack for vacuums that comes with a flexible hose attachment. I think I got mine from HD for $15.
I have always wanted to try the leaf blower trick but haven't got the courage to yet haha.
 

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I have a similar piep system as I didn't want to move things around after a stove change. I use the Leaf Blower Trick (LBT) most of the time. And when I'm feeling like the stove should be pampered (usually at spring cleaning), I use a dryer vent cleaner first (from the outside), then the LBT. I don't get nearly the ash from that short run as I do from the basement stove's 6' run (simpler so one would think it stays cleaner). BTW, the reason for the cleanout inside is the fit and that at the 90* elbow, ash may drop out.

[Hearth.com] How do I clean this?