Installing a chimney cleanout.

[bill.mackinnon]

I have a wood/oil combo furnace. The chimney is on the outside of the house, and is square block with a square tile liner. I've been cleaning the chimney from the roof, but I just installed a metal roof and it's very slippery. I would like to install a cleanout so I can clean the chimney from the ground. Is it as simple as cutting a square hole in the block and tile, and installing a door? I'm thinking I'll put the cleanout about chest high, so I can use the brush to go up to the top of the chimney and also down into the cellar. Am I missing something?

Thanks

 

[mike van]

I think your plan sounds fine Bill - As long as you can get to the bottom to clean out whats going to fall. Masonry supply places have the doors w/ frame.

 

[bill.mackinnon]

I think your plan sounds fine Bill - As long as you can get to the bottom to clean out whats going to fall. Masonry supply places have the doors w/ frame.

Thanks. As for cutting, I'm thinking masonry wheel on my angle grinder?

 

[maple1]

Shouldn't the chimney have a cleanout somewhere at the bottom anyway?

When you were cleaning the chimney before from the top, how did you deal with the stuff that fell to the bottom?

I put a new steel roof on too, about 6 years ago. That put the writing on the wall about my chimney cleaning days - which I'm kind of glad for now looking back. But the guys who put the roof on also offered to mount a ladder up there for me to use to clean my chimney. Might be a possible solution - but avoiding the roof all together is likely still safer.

 

[bholler]

I have a wood/oil combo furnace. The chimney is on the outside of the house, and is square block with a square tile liner. I've been cleaning the chimney from the roof, but I just installed a metal roof and it's very slippery. I would like to install a cleanout so I can clean the chimney from the ground. Is it as simple as cutting a square hole in the block and tile, and installing a door? I'm thinking I'll put the cleanout about chest high, so I can use the brush to go up to the top of the chimney and also down into the cellar. Am I missing something?

yes it is that simple but your clean out needs to be below the crock you also need to make sure the block cores and the space around the liner are all sealed up and the clean out door seals well also

 

[bill.mackinnon]

No, oddly there was no cleanout. I have to dismantle the stovepipe between the stove and the cellar wall and pull the stuff that fell down that way.

The blocks are 16 inches square and the tile is 8 inch square. If I put an 8 inch door in, will I be able to get a brush in there and push up to the top with the flexible poles? It won't be too tight an angle?

I don't know what the crock is.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[bholler]

I don't know what the crock is.

Where the stove pipe comes in to the chimney your clean out cannot be above that.

 

[bill.mackinnon]

Where the stove pipe comes in to the chimney your clean out cannot be above that.

Why? The stovepipe goes into the chimney below ground. I was planning on cleaning upward, then downward, then dismantling the stovepipe again and pulling the debris out.

 

[bholler]

Why? The stovepipe goes into the chimney below ground. I was planning on cleaning upward, then downward, then dismantling the stovepipe again and pulling the debris out.

because it is against code to have the clean out above the crock. If you have a chimney fire that cleanout above the crock could be a very bad thing. If you use an aluminum one it will melt a cast iron one will warp and probably crack. Either way you can let the fire out and or a massive amount of air in. Can you get a clean out below the crock inside?

 

[bill.mackinnon]

because it is against code to have the clean out above the crock. If you have a chimney fire that cleanout above the crock could be a very bad thing. If you use an aluminum one it will melt a cast iron one will warp and probably crack. Either way you can let the fire out and or a massive amount of air in. Can you get a clean out below the crock inside?

No, I'm afraid I can't. It is a solid concrete wall. And the chimney is a good 3 feet horizontally from where the stovepipe enters the wall, so I can't just feed the brush up through that way.

 

[bholler]

No, I'm afraid I can't. It is a solid concrete wall. And the chimney is a good 3 feet horizontally from where the stovepipe enters the wall, so I can't just feed the brush up through that way.

then I think you are out of luck