Quick question about sooteater

[jzinckgra]

I am using the sooteater to clean my 6" metalbestos stove pipe. I can't get on our 12/12 pitch roof, so I've removed my straight peices on the isinde of the house and will clean going up. As far as how clean the pipe should be after using the sooteater, should the inside of the pipe be right back down to the stainless? I've done one 5' section and can see some areas where the sooteater missed. The good thing is there there is no shiny or flaky creosote (except a little on the elbow) in the pipe, but more of a thin dust layer. Not sure if my drill doesn't spin fast enough or if this is considered sufficient.

 

[jzinckgra]

Also is it ok to use 220 grit sandpaper on the elbow to get some of the creosote off?

 

[jzinckgra]

Just finished and removed about 2 cups worth. Still can see a dust layer like coating which sooteater doesn't seem to remove. All the black stuff is off though. Is this good enough? First time doing this and want to be sure

 

[scooby074]

The trick is to go slow, and oscillate the cleaning head up and down several times per section of cleaning. I usually do the pipe in 2-3' sections.

It wont come out surgical clean, there will be some dust and staining, but the heavy stuff is gone. Watch for the shiny creosote, its the worst kind. You may have to use some chemical to break it down.

 

[Nick Mystic]

It's unlikely you can get a ss flex liner back to looking brand new no matter what technique you use for sweeping. Some staining is going to remain on the surface and you 'd probably have to use some sort of chemical cleaner to remove every last stain, which certainly isn't necessary. As for a layer of dust or ash being left behind after running the Stooeater, that sounds unusual. The nature of the device is such that I find it hard to believe any loose dust could remain on the flue liner since those plastic strings are spinning and hitting the liner many hundreds of times as the head rotates.

On the elbows you removed I would recommend to just clean them with a wire brush. I wouldn't use sandpaper as that is likely to sand away any protective finish the pipe might have on its surface. Also, such minute cleaning isn't necessary, at any rate. I just use a stiff wire hand brush and knock the pipe a bit with the wooden handle and that seems to provide adequate cleaning in my experience.

 

[jzinckgra]

Little too late on the sand paper. I thought about protective finish but proceeded anyway. This doesn't hurt the integrity of the pipe right? Maybe my drill doesn't spin fast enough. Its an older one

 

[jzinckgra]

Here's a pic of the cleaned elbow. I'm a bit obsessive about cleaning things. And a pic of the creosote. About 2 cups worth from ~18' of pipe. I could also pick up a metal chimney brush at lowes and run that up through the pipe.

 

[Nick Mystic]

The thing about sandpaper is it scores the surface and all those microscopic grooves left behind are places for soot and creosote to get a grip on the surface of the pipe. The smoother the pipe is the less susceptible it is to getting a build up of anything on it. I'm sure you didn't do any major harm, but from a technical standpoint I don't think it's good practice or necessary.