Sooteater

[neumsky]

Well...we're just about to shoulder season...that means football...chili and FIRES! It's weird being away from this site for a coupala months away from all you pleasant people! Just curious as to how many of y'all have experience with sooteaters and you who have experience with JOTUL'S and sooteaters! The cheapest sweep I could find in this area would charge us 156 US dollars. Why not do it myself for at the most...2 kits at 42 dollars a piece? And never have to get on the roof? Thanx ahead... Jeff

 

[Trilifter7]

I have one and it really works! I used it once towards the end of last season. Super easy to use and takes the work out of cleaning the flue. I still get up on the roof and take my cap off to scrape the screen, but that was primarily bc I was burning less than seasoned wood last year and getting excessive creosote build up. I also didn't want to run the sooteater into the screen in the cap, probably wouldn't hurt though.

 

[neumsky]

One of my issues is a 9-12 pitch roof!

 

[mepellet]

I am likely going to purchase one for my wood stove after I finish getting it installed this fall. I love my Linteater that I use for my pellet stove venting which is an up and out install.

The one question that I have though is that I am going to have a straight up chimney install (slight offset in the attic) with a telescoping double wall stove pipe section coming off the top of the wood stove. I would rather not get up on the roof in the winter to clean the chimney so can I disconnect the telescoping stove pipe from the stove and run the sooteater up through the chimney? Wouldn't this create a huge mess inside? A shop vac attachment comes with the linteater so that you can run your shop vac while using the linteater. Does the sooteater come with a similar attachment?

 

[Ashful]

One of my issues is a 9-12 pitch roof!

9:12, meh... what's the problem? I could sleep on steeper than that.

Here's what I have to deal with: 12:12 pitch, slippery raised seam metal roof, with the peak at 50 feet.



I use the soot-eater mid-season, but like to get some eyes down from the top and inspect the crown once a year.

 

[Holzstapel]

One of my issues is a 9-12 pitch roof!

16-12 roof here. I only found out about these sooteaters yesterday. Will be interesting to read what the members here think of them.

 

[Jags]

I have one and they work. I have also lent it to a friend who ended up getting his own (although he borrows a couple of rods from my kit ). I have no affiliation to the company, but will say...they work as advertised.

 

[Sprinter]

If you can negotiate the roof safely, you should be able to use the sooteater fine from the top. It's not heavy or clumsy. I don't want to encourage you to climb the roof if you're not comfortable with it, though, and you can use the sooteater from the bottom as well. It's just more messy that way.

 

[Sprinter]

I would rather not get up on the roof in the winter to clean the chimney

If you are burning properly, you shouldn't have to clean mid-season. If you do, you're doing something wrong.

 

[Ashful]

If you are burning properly, you shouldn't have to clean mid-season. If you do, you're doing something wrong.

True, but the likelihood and consequences of doing something wrong are high. Everyone should plan a mid-season cleaning in their first few years, if they're burning 24/7 with a new stove or wood supply. Get a few years in, with regular mid-season cleanings and/or inspections, and then decide if you're able to skip it. Don't skip it up-front because "you shouldn't have to."

 

[Sprinter]

True, the likelihood and consequences of doing something wrong are high. Everyone should plan a mid-season cleaning in their first few years, if they're burning 24/7 with a new stove or wood supply. Get a few years in, with regular mid-season cleanings and/or inspections, and then decide if you're able to skip it. Don't skip it up-front because "you shouldn't have to."

Okay. I'll go along with that. Maybe I was lucky.

 

[Sprinter]

I'm sure it's been said before, but if you have a probe-type flue thermometer, be sure to remove it first Obvious, maybe, but easy to overlook.

 

[neumsky]

9:12, meh... what's the problem? I could sleep on steeper than that.

Here's what I have to deal with: 12:12 pitch, slippery raised seam metal roof, with the peak at 50 feet.

View attachment 106561 View attachment 106562

I use the soot-eater mid-season, but like to get some eyes down from the top and inspect the crown once a year.

That looks like 9-12 to me

 

[neumsky]

9:12, meh... what's the problem? I could sleep on steeper than that.

Here's what I have to deal with: 12:12 pitch, slippery raised seam metal roof, with the peak at 50 feet.

View attachment 106561 View attachment 106562

I use the soot-eater mid-season, but like to get some eyes down from the top and inspect the crown once a year.

How do you stay up there?

 

[neumsky]

Goo

I'm sure it's been said before, but if you have a probe-type flue thermometer, be sure to remove it first Obvious, maybe, but easy to overlook.

Good idea haha

 

[DanCorcoran]

Here's a step-by-step I posted a while ago, with photos:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cleaning-the-flue-on-a-hearthstone-shelburne.87644/#post-1134032

 

[mepellet]

If you are burning properly, you shouldn't have to clean mid-season. If you do, you're doing something wrong.

I may not HAVE to but I like to be safe. I clean my pellet stove venting a few times a year. Not because I have to but because it takes only a couple minutes and it provides peace of mind.

 

[Ashful]

That looks like 9-12 to me

Perspective can be confusing. It's 12:12, measured it at 45 degrees myself.

How do you stay up there?

Chicken ladder. Truth be told, I don't go up on roofs like that anymore. I like being not paralyzed. I pay someone to do it, now. I have a love-hate relationship with my chimney guy. He hates my house.

 

[mepellet]

Here's a step-by-step I posted a while ago, with photos:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cleaning-the-flue-on-a-hearthstone-shelburne.87644/#post-1134032

Thanks! You basically made the shop vac fitting that comes with the linteater with a plastic bag.

 

[Ashful]

I found that a 1 gallon Rubbermaid pitcher is a perfect tight slip fit over my telescoping 6" stovepipe. I drilled a hole in the bottom of it just large enough to pass the Sooteater rods/fittings thru, and it catches all the crap.

Procedure:
1. Remove screws from stove collar and in the telescoping tube.
2. Slide telescoping tube up a foot or two.
3. Put Sooteater head with one length of rod into pitcher.
4. Slide pitcher onto stove pipe and tape in place.
5. Start spinning and feeding rods.

Reverse to finish. If I want to be real neat, I can put a bag around/under the pitcher, to catch what makes it thru the loose-fitting hole in the bottom of the pitcher.

 

[oldspark]

So Joful you live in a mansion, very nice house.

 

[charly]

Sooteater works great... Loosen the screw in the head and pull the line through to get the length you need on one side, lock the screw and cut the long side to length,,, now you'll have enough left over for a reload... I also used the soot eater to unclog a 4 inch gray water drain that made a 90 after leaving my basement wall at about 6 feet.. Sure beat getting a water jet... Used all the rods, worked great... Chimney, I just don't spin the crap out of the rods as you have the metal connectors bouncing around, don't think that would do my chimney liner very good.. Works great! Worth every penny..

 

[ridemgis]

I am likely going to purchase one for my wood stove after I finish getting it installed this fall. I love my Linteater that I use for my pellet stove venting which is an up and out install.

The one question that I have though is that I am going to have a straight up chimney install (slight offset in the attic) with a telescoping double wall stove pipe section coming off the top of the wood stove. I would rather not get up on the roof in the winter to clean the chimney so can I disconnect the telescoping stove pipe from the stove and run the sooteater up through the chimney? Wouldn't this create a huge mess inside? A shop vac attachment comes with the linteater so that you can run your shop vac while using the linteater. Does the sooteater come with a similar attachment?

I found it pretty easy to take out the baffle and run right up through the stove pipe. Add a plastic sheet seal around the door and you won't see a spot of soot in the house.

 

[Sprinter]

Sooteater works great... Loosen the screw in the head and pull the line through to get the length you need on one side, lock the screw and cut the long side to length,,, now you'll have enough left over for a reload... I also used the soot eater to unclog a 4 inch gray water drain that made a 90 after leaving my basement wall at about 6 feet.. Sure beat getting a water jet... Used all the rods, worked great... Chimney, I just don't spin the crap out of the rods as you have the metal connectors bouncing around, don't think that would do my chimney liner very good.. Works great! Worth every penny..

Where were you before I cut both sides of the lines like the directions say??? Oh well...

Good tip on the rotorooter use.

 

[Lakeside]

Here's another tip for ya.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...n-chimney-first-time-tips.90981/#post-1189802


Sooteater bottom up is the way to go !