Sooteater

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BigJ273

Minister of Fire
Feb 15, 2015
738
Maryland
Been using a manual brush for years. Thinking about trying out this product. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. I have a 6” stainless steel liner (not smooth walled). Any chance it could damage it? If anyone uses it, please let me know your thoughts. Thanks.
 
I use the sooteater and it works great. I can't imagine how it could damage the liner - its just nylon line and fiberglass rods. Makes life easy when you do it from the bottom up - no more climbing on the roof.
 
I use the sooteater and it works great. I can't imagine how it could damage the liner - its just nylon line and fiberglass rods. Makes life easy when you do it from the bottom up - no more climbing on the roof.
What he said !!
 
Only bad thing I have to say about sooteater is they aren’t super flexible. They can do a 45 just fine but I’ve broken them trying to brush a chimney through a breach hole.
 
Bought one last year. Quick and easy. I do top down because I live in a ranch and just close the stove door to prevent a mess. 15 minute job. Start to finish.
 
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I've been following sooteater reviews for a bunch of years and i never heard of one busting a liner.
 
Before sooteater.....and after sooteater. Amazing little tool. Did it from the bottom up. Hardly no mess with the draft pulling everything up the chimney.
 

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Only negative reviews are from professional chimney sweeps. JK. Great product. Bought 2 kits which was cheaper than extension kit on Amazon
 
Just finished cleaning my 21 ft liner with one. Was wayyyy dirtier than I was hoping. A little more than a gallon of mostly black soot and glossy flakes.

The dents in the liner was to squeeze through a flue plate.

I’ll admit I was burning with sub prime red oak last yr (financial reasons) mixed with dry maple.

This year should be much cleaner. Burning 10 month stacked ash, 2 yr red oak and 2 yr maple/elm for shoulder seasons.

Top down cleaning yield:

[Hearth.com] Sooteater [Hearth.com] Sooteater
 
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The rods are nylon.

Fiberglass may be flexible but the cured polyester or epoxy resin usually is not.
They do not recommend using the rods thru a thimble or T as the rods, although flexible, are not flexible enough while it is spinning . There's nothing to damage a liner EXCEPT the metal snap connectors so it's not a good idea to use it on anything but the flex liner which usually doesn't have any sharp bends.