Leaf Blower Trick - equipment

[DDJR]

Hmm... How would a vaccum produce a big black cloud of soot though?

 

[rich2500]

It sucks the ash out and through the leaf blower

 

[Bioburner]

It sucks the ash out and through the leaf blower

At 200mph

 

[OhioBurner©]

Hmm... How would a vaccum produce a big black cloud of soot though?

A vacuum on the exhaust side does the same thing as blowing in the intake side. It's the same principle as the combustion blower, which is creating a suction on the exhaust side of the stove and pulling the air through the burn pot and through the heat exchanger and exhaust ports. It's just way more powerful.

 

[DDJR]

Ah, got it. Thanks!

 

[pete7713]

guess its true, a picture is worth a thousand words

 

[Advisor]

A vacuum on the exhaust side does the same thing as blowing in the intake side. It's the same principle as the combustion blower, which is creating a suction on the exhaust side of the stove and pulling the air through the burn pot and through the heat exchanger and exhaust ports. It's just way more powerful.

View attachment 192633

Do you still pass a brush through it before you do this? Just curious

 

[Bioburner]

Passing a brush through will dislodge anything that may want to stick to liner as when one first starts a fire the water vapor may form and the particulates can stick. That's why short burns in shoulder season can form more crud in the venting than running long and hard in the main season

 

[OhioBurner©]

Do you still pass a brush through it before you do this? Just curious

I haven't been able to do it since I switched to 4" pipe. Still need to rig up an adapter and even then I worry about it being so high in the air since the intake pipe is kind of long on mine. But to answer your question, it depends. I'd do the LBT every couple weeks (my stove clogs up quickly, I'm sure most don't need that quick of an interval). I only swept the pipes once or twice a season. So most time no, it was just sucking up the loose ash that has accumulated in the stove and pipes. But after enough had accumulated on the walls of the pipe I would brush the pipe and the LBT was an easy way to get the brushed stuff out.

 

[R9R]

I am going to try to revisit doing the LBT if I can get an adapter to work with mine or maybe pick up the leaf blower Tony is using. I'm getting to my wits end this year keeping this thing clean burning. With my length of pipe it seems to reduce the leaf blowers effectiveness, I wonder is there a small brush on very flexible rod on can try feeding through the firebox to loosen the crud up while the leaf blower is then sucking up all the airborne stuff? Something like a lint brush for drying or drain snake kind of thing? I suppose each stove has different sized openings and chambers so this might not be universal.

My gun cleaning kit came with a long cable for long guns, maybe with a look?

 

[DDJR]

Is a leaf blower more powerful than my shopvac? If so, I'll get a leaf blower.

 

[Bioburner]

Is a leaf blower more powerful than my shopvac? If so, I'll get a leaf blower.

How many shop vacs have a 4 inch input and outlet? I have a couple large shop vacs and one has a removable power head that allows use as a blower and is nowhere the power of my $35 2 speed leaf grinder blower.

 

[DDJR]

Home depot, here I come!

 

[DDJR]

I got a 600 cfm leaf blower from home depot. I hope to blow through the intake and clean out everything. Can't wait until my next cleaning. Fireside ultras create a lot of thick black soot in my stove.

 

[Bioburner]

BIG word of caution, trying to blow through the stove is likely to be a MAJOR problem is the stove is inside has any leaks will put that soot into the surrounding room and not out the vent. Plus its not working as the stoves designed air flow is.

 

[DDJR]

Never thought about that... Thanks for the tip!

 

[Bioburner]

Never thought about that... Thanks for the tip!

Well don't need the next posting to be "man needs cleaning service" or "anyone recommend a good divorce lawyer?"

 

[AccentraRRT]

Still haven't tried this myself but have always wanted to.. may be a stupid question, but if I remember correctly from seeing these threads in the past, is it absolutely necessary to disconnect the vacuum switch in a harman and/or you open then door while running the leaf blower (now ash sucker).
The problem I have is... with my Accentra FS is installed on a tile floor without the legs. Exhaust comes out the back to a T, up 3ft, 90 and about 4 feet straight out through the wall thimble with OAK. problem is with my T... since there are no legs on the stove, unscrew the T and the cap hits the floor with out being able to remove it.

 

[tbear853]

Back on January 11th, I posted about my purchase that evening.

... etc ... Craftsman # 71.30376 ... 12 amp ... 2 speed (180 / 240 mph) leaf blower / vac with bag, tubes, etc .... and it has a metal impeller. $46.99 it was marked and so I scarfed it up.

Well, today I tried the fit of the 4" opening of the upper vacuum adapter for the blower/vac on the lower end of the TEE, found my TEE's outer shell was badly corroded, but the SS liner is solid. Tomorrow I'll pick up a new TEE (and look at prices on 3" sections straight pel-vent, may replace whole flue while at it) ... but anyway .... the 4" end was a loose fit, but awkwards. Then I slipped a 90 degree black plastic 4" elbow I use with my big TOOL VAC behind my saw. It slipped into the vac end and fit a bit better to the pel vent and worked well if I held the blower/vac.

So then I went in the house and opened the stove door, went back out and positioned the blower/vac and flipped on low, then HI ..... let it blow that cloud across the way for maybe 3-4 minutes, but it was a bit heavy at first. That thing works GREAT.

Friday I'll re-start the stove as it's supposed to be winter again ....