My First Sweep

[Stax]

So after about 2 months burning 2 year old C/S/S Ash & Silver Maple, this is the amount of creosote that I was able to sweep out of my liner. I swept from the top down using a 6" Rutland Poly Brush. Due to the bend right around my block off plate, I was unable to get within a foot of where my liner connects to unit. I'm considering a Sooteater from the bottom up to tackle that issue. The creosote amount was very minimal, less than a cup.

 

[pen]

If you pull the baffle board you could probably clean that last foot w/ a toilet brush from the stove up. That'd be a lot cheaper than the soot eater if you can do well w/ the 6 in brush for the rest of the job.

Looks like you are doing a great.

Well done.

pen

 

[Stax]

Thanks Pen. Just hesitant on pulling the baffle because of previous Declaration owners comments about it being a PITA.

 

[pen]

How'd that soot end up in the stove if you couldn't pull the baffle?

Just want to make sure you didn't leave a bunch in the bend that could block flow.

If that's not an issue, then I'd consider cleaning that hard to reach part once per year and keep doing what you are doing otherwise until you feel comfortable stretching the full sweep out.

Assuming there isn't a pile of stuff in that bend, that short section can not be holding enough of anything that can cause you a problem.

pen

 

[Stax]

Bypass damper. Used a mirror to see the bend. Less than 1/4 inch buildup in that last foot.

 

[CTYank]

So after about 2 months burning 2 year old C/S/S Ash & Silver Maple, this is the amount of creosote that I was able to sweep out of my liner. I swept from the top down using a 6" Rutland Poly Brush. Due to the bend right around my block off plate, I was unable to get within a foot of where my liner connects to unit. I'm considering a Sooteater from the bottom up to tackle that issue. The creosote amount was very minimal, less than a cup.

Not really creosote. Likely mostly fly ash. Not too flammable.

 

[pdxdave]

Thanks Pen. Just hesitant on pulling the baffle because of previous Declaration owners comments about it being a PITA.

I completely disagree with that. Pulling the baffle was dead simple for me, I took my time doing everything carefully, and it still took less than 15 minutes out and 15 minutes in.

But you probably dot have much to worry about anyways, sounds like its pretty clean in there.

What type of burn times do you get with your 2 year wood ?

I really struggle to get past 6 hours with mine, using 1 year seasoned douglas fir.

 

[Stax]

Pdx...that's great news to hear. I'm def gonna pull it now after the heating season. I agree with u on burn times. That's about what I'm getting, but I'm still learning my stove. Sometimes less.

 

[pdxdave]

Pdx...that's great news to hear. I'm def gonna pull it now after the heating season. I agree with u on burn times. That's about what I'm getting, but I'm still learning my stove. Sometimes less.

Definately try it. Really its just unscrewing the bolts holding on the burn tubes, 3 of them, then after that just haggling out the bricks and baffle. I recall it being a little tricky getting the bypass yoke back in place, but nothing to be worried about.

Yes when I say 6 hours that is the max, with a packed load of wood and air on very low. Im a bit dissapointed in that, since I cant really get a proper overnight burn.

 

[embers aplenty]

Hi Stax, Looks like your burnin really clean. We didn't have church tonight so I did my first sweep of my 6" insulated flex liner this evening after two months of use. My wood has just been css about one year. I've been burning red maple, red oak, willow, bradford pair, and some magnolia. The oak and maple was dead when it was cut so, it's in pretty fair shape. I'm in the process of getting ahead a few years on my wood.

I had about twice as much as you did of the same looking stuff which I didn't think was bad at all with my wood not seasoned like it should be. The holes in my rain cap were getting fairly clogged. I had noticed that the draft hadn't been as good. Seems to have helped that situation out a bunch.

I was going to use a folgers can but it wouldn't hardly fit over the cleanout part of the T on the back of my stove. I ended up using a plastic pretzel bucket which was a bit wider. The hardest part of my sweep was having to reach back behind the stove to remove the 3 screws to remove the cleanout cap off the T with a 5/16" rachet wrench. My fireplace is small and the heatshield on the back of my Quad sticks back in pretty far which makes it fairly tedious. I had to bend the plastic pretzel bucket a good bit to get in and behind the stove. Not much space on the sides either.

I was able to brush all the way down through the T with my new medium duty Rutland poly brush which by the way didn't fit very snug at all. I did get the liner good and clean, but had to kind of give it some side brushing action to do it. A more snug fit would have been more inviting.
When getting ready to start removing the cleanout cap I thought about removing my fiber board and trying to go up and over through the stove and into the T with a shop vac but it looked like it was going to be a worse pita then the cap removal so I chose the later.

I think I'm going to start cleaning my rain cap monthly but, probably 2 sweeps a year should get me by. Sure is a big change form the days of the ole smoke dragon with no liner. I remember a few times after a whole seasons burn I would get a half a wheelbarrow load of the big chunky black stuff. Glad it didn't burn down. I've been getting some good long burn times for a small 1.5 c.f. stove. If I happen to get up through the night I'll throw in some more wood but don't have any trouble getting an overnight burn if I don't. After staying at work for 10 hours and sometimes more. I always have enough coals left to get going in the evening as well. I don't fool with the ash pan which seemed to help me get longer burns. Sorry to ramble. Good luck and be safe!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Stax, you are doing something right!

 

[Stax]

Thx Dennis! Learning as I go. Was taking down the lights today, and as I was on the roof it was nice to see those clear vapors emitting from my stack. Just then, and oil truck made a delivery down the street. Made it even better.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Oh yes. That has to make is super special! :lol: