Love that leaf blower trick

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jwinn001

Member
Jan 11, 2014
12
Western Massachusetts
Did the leaf blower trick for the first time today. I gotta say I’m happier than a New Englander at a luau in Hawaii. I have a Ecoteck Francesca that is a SOB to do a deep cleaning on. For me, and I have some handicaps, it’s about a 5 to 6 hour ordeal to clean it properly. Just five minutes of the leaf blower attached to my vent pipe left me with a stove that is running as good as the day it was installed. Words simply cannot describe how happy I am HEE HAW
 
I'll meet your dragon and add a compressor assist, then Snowy Rivers can add the fine grit to the mix aka as the old steam engine boiler tube cleaning trick.
 
Having a Ecoteck and I can tell when there is ash in the back passages as the stove takes longer to light so out comes the leaf blower. The stove really wasn't designed very well as consumer friendly with cleaning in mind with those little back hatches. Would like to mount in some tubes that I could hook up to the compressor and just give things a shot of air while the exhaust fan runs on a high clean cycle. Elena is going to get a good half day of firing tomorrow with daytime high of -8.
 
I just happened to have done a deep cleaning on my Ecoteck Elena today. I have burned through my 2nd ton this season, maybe 2.5 tons. I don't find the full cleaning routine too bad, maybe I don't know how easy it is to clean other brands of stoves! I want to try the leafblower method, but haven't yet. I wonder if I can make a duct to fit onto the top inside of the firebox, onto the square opening below the heat exchanger tubes, so I can use an electric leafblower to blow it out from inside the house.
 
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I just happened to have done a deep cleaning on my Ecoteck Elena today. I have burned through my 2nd ton this season, maybe 2.5 tons. I don't find the full cleaning routine too bad, maybe I don't know how easy it is to clean other brands of stoves! I want to try the leafblower method, but haven't yet. I wonder if I can make a duct to fit onto the top inside of the firebox, onto the square opening below the heat exchanger tubes, so I can use an electric leafblower to blow it out from inside the house.
Don't risk it from inside. One minor leak at 200 mph and the room is instantly filled with ash.
 
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. . . Snowy Rivers can add the fine grit to the mix aka as the old steam engine boiler tube cleaning trick.

Mister "the Bear" could you explain how this works? I think I have an idea, but what sort of 'grit' would a person add to aid in cleaning and would not this possibly damage the blades of the combustion fan? Sounds like an idea if the right medium could be found. Potential business idea.
 
Our stoves are probably not large enough to really get a grit job.:)
 
I think though that a good number of stoves could use turbulators like the big boilers. Been several Santa Fe's done I believe.
 
Did my leaf blower thing last weekend after about 80 bags ... cleaned it right up ...
 
As I read this and posts in tbd past, it sounds like some people here use the leaf blower as their only method to clean the stove. I personally fully breakdown and vacuum the stove and THEN perform the LBT. Am I the minority here? Just wondering.
 
As I read this and posts in tbd past, it sounds like some people here use the leaf blower as their only method to clean the stove. I personally fully breakdown and vacuum the stove and THEN perform the LBT. Am I the minority here? Just wondering.

Nope, Majority. Vast majority.
 
Yeah, i break it down and clean it normal first. And then use LBT. But only use LBT after 50 bags or so ..
 
As I read this and posts in tbd past, it sounds like some people here use the leaf blower as their only method to clean the stove. I personally fully breakdown and vacuum the stove and THEN perform the LBT. Am I the minority here? Just wondering.
Yeah, but then I don't get an ash cloud.
 
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That's cheating, where's the snow on the ground?
 
Was meant more as a tongue in cheek.

The velocity of the air in the stoves while sucking with the leafer is no where near enough to really do the job.

Fine kids play sand (like ocean beach sand) will get sucked through.

The procedure on the steam locos was

The fireman would scoop several medium sized scoops of a coarse sand and hold it by the view port in the firebox door.
This was done when the engineer was working the engine hard.

The draft in these engine is tremendous, and the particles of sand whizz through the fire tubes and knock off any crud that has collected.

This was common on oil burners as the Bunker C fuel oil was very dirty, almost like tar.
The stuff had to be heated to even get it to flow.

I don't remember any pix of this being done on coal burners, but it may have been.

Back to the stoves.

Just be sure the door is open and and vacuum/pressure switches have the hose unplugged during the procedure, as the diaphragms could be damaged

Fantastic speedy way to clean.
 
Was meant more as a tongue in cheek.

The velocity of the air in the stoves while sucking with the leafer is no where near enough to really do the job.

Fine kids play sand (like ocean beach sand) will get sucked through.

The procedure on the steam locos was

The fireman would scoop several medium sized scoops of a coarse sand and hold it by the view port in the firebox door.
This was done when the engineer was working the engine hard.

The draft in these engine is tremendous, and the particles of sand whizz through the fire tubes and knock off any crud that has collected.

This was common on oil burners as the Bunker C fuel oil was very dirty, almost like tar.
The stuff had to be heated to even get it to flow.

I don't remember any pix of this being done on coal burners, but it may have been.

Back to the stoves.

Just be sure the door is open and and vacuum/pressure switches have the hose unplugged during the procedure, as the diaphragms could be damaged

Fantastic speedy way to clean.

Abner, used to do that with a large old steam plant at the cannery
 
Nice sunny day today (short sleeve weather at about 34F - back to the deep freeze tomorrow), so shut down both stoves, gave them a good cleaning and LBT. First time I've done the Harman, usually just scrub it down with brushes of various sorts and the vacuum. Got a good amount of ash out of it, including that little bit at the very back of the igniter chamber that I can't get for love nor money with the paint brush and vac (but I can feel with my finger tips).

The Hastings has been LBT'd twice since I installed it, so there wasn't much there. Just figured since I was out there anyway, and the stove was off, I might as well give her a go.
 
Was meant more as a tongue in cheek.

The velocity of the air in the stoves while sucking with the leafer is no where near enough to really do the job.

Fine kids play sand (like ocean beach sand) will get sucked through.

The procedure on the steam locos was

The fireman would scoop several medium sized scoops of a coarse sand and hold it by the view port in the firebox door.
This was done when the engineer was working the engine hard.

The draft in these engine is tremendous, and the particles of sand whizz through the fire tubes and knock off any crud that has collected.

This was common on oil burners as the Bunker C fuel oil was very dirty, almost like tar.
The stuff had to be heated to even get it to flow.

I don't remember any pix of this being done on coal burners, but it may have been.

Back to the stoves.

Just be sure the door is open and and vacuum/pressure switches have the hose unplugged during the procedure, as the diaphragms could be damaged

Fantastic speedy way to clean.
How would one disconnect the vacuum switch on a harman 52i? I assume I would have to pull it out from the wall first.
 
How would one disconnect the vacuum switch on a harman 52i? I assume I would have to pull it out from the wall first.
Yes
 
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