Looking to pick up a SootEater and I am seeing about 5 different versions on Amazon. What brand is everyone running? Anyone running the knockoff brands? I was thinking about giving one a try. My stove goes out the back to a T and then straight up. I get the feeling that even if a rod broke that it would just come down as it is a straight shot.
SootEater
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
I'm using the original SootEater, with the black rods. Works great, but I hear the folks with the newer more flexible white rods have even better flexibility for use with wood stoves.
The joints are not quite up to commercial use, but I can't remember ever hearing anyone having a particular problem with them at typical homeowner usage frequency. I've had mine pop apart a few times, I've been using it on two stoves for 10 years, but always where I'm flexing it hard to get up thru the bypass damper of my stove.
Makes for a very quick and easy sweeping. I honestly spend more time cutting and trimming new whips every few sweepings, than actually running the thing. With the nozzle of an ash vac (or shop vac, in a pinch) in the stove, you can keep all dust contained, with minimal effort.
The joints are not quite up to commercial use, but I can't remember ever hearing anyone having a particular problem with them at typical homeowner usage frequency. I've had mine pop apart a few times, I've been using it on two stoves for 10 years, but always where I'm flexing it hard to get up thru the bypass damper of my stove.
Makes for a very quick and easy sweeping. I honestly spend more time cutting and trimming new whips every few sweepings, than actually running the thing. With the nozzle of an ash vac (or shop vac, in a pinch) in the stove, you can keep all dust contained, with minimal effort.
I think that I'll end up with the white rods even though it is a straight shot. I have watched a sweep do my chimney 2 times and he just runs his shop vac (I am sure it is a more industrial one) and essentially has a soot eater and lets everything fall to the floor of the fireplace. Once he is done he sucks up the stuff the fell and calls it a day. With any luck I'll be 1/2 as clean as he is and not make a huge mess. The good news is that there isn't carpet to really worry about.
highanddryinco
Burning Hunk
You'll like it. Pretty easy.
A tip I throw out regularly...Stick a box fan in an open window blowing inward, as it will lightly pressurize the house. Any light dusty soot goes right up and out the chimney. Anything else with any size to it will fall harmlessly into the stove (or to the elbow/tee) where it can easily be vacuumed up.
A tip I throw out regularly...Stick a box fan in an open window blowing inward, as it will lightly pressurize the house. Any light dusty soot goes right up and out the chimney. Anything else with any size to it will fall harmlessly into the stove (or to the elbow/tee) where it can easily be vacuumed up.
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
My rods are white.. Mine is a straight shot down.. but to get that far down the rod needs to bend to even get it into the pipe..
It was delivered on Saturday and I gave it a shot Saturday evening. I got way more garbage out than I hoped, but it’s out.
Took about 20 minutes or so all for the entire process.
![[Hearth.com] SootEater](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/303/303432-d3eff8180016c94912f76b4777fb813d.jpg?hash=cREYY_n7Ms "[Hearth.com] SootEater")
Took about 20 minutes or so all for the entire process.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
It's a longer pipe. 2 story house with a steep roof, probably close to 25ft pipe. This was just from burning this year so far, less than 1/3 of a cord. I had some insulation installed in my attic right around when I started burning and I am trying to get the hang of burning with reduced draft. Until I get it figured out I'll sweep it once a month.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Well, I guess I don’t know how linear build-up is with usage. It’s possible I have nearly as much after 1/3 cord as I do after 6, but I kinda doubt it. Good call on starting frequently, and then backing off as you get things dialed in and hopefully see some reduction in buildup.
I would love to know which rods are the most flexible.
I purchased a Vevor sooteater cleaning kit and it didn't work for me. The inflexible nylon rods combined with a large ball (nearly 2") prevented me from passing it through either the bypass damper or cat chamber opening. They show a photo of the rods being bent 90 deg, but I can't even get the rods to bend 45 deg. Right now, I'm wrestling with customer support.
I purchased a Vevor sooteater cleaning kit and it didn't work for me. The inflexible nylon rods combined with a large ball (nearly 2") prevented me from passing it through either the bypass damper or cat chamber opening. They show a photo of the rods being bent 90 deg, but I can't even get the rods to bend 45 deg. Right now, I'm wrestling with customer support.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Weird. I have the stiffer black rods, and I have no issue bending them 90 degrees to go up thru my bypass damper. Don’t be afraid to put some flex on them, they can take it!
Boy, I tried. I'm wondering if twisted wire would be more flexible. For example: https://controlscentral.com/tabid/6...aefer-brush-30658-6-ft-flue-cleaning-rod.aspx
I could fish it through wire insulation so it wouldn't scratch the flue.
Everyone says the white rods are the most flexible, but "white" could be nylon, polypropylene or fiberglass. Also, they say fiberglass is the stiffest, but that's what the Wohler viper is and that will go through (just too expensive). Do you know what brand rods you have? Mine are Vevor (also called Morinoli). Is this what you're using? https://www.hy-c.com/gardus-product/sooteater-slk24/
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
That's because you're getting confused with some of the knock-off brands. There is only one legit maker of the "SootEater", it is Gardus. Not VEVOR, not TIMTO, or any other brand making fiberglass or other rods.
The original Gardus SootEater had black rods, and although they're now marketed as "stiffer" and for fireplaces, I bend them to 90 degrees and send them up thru my BK bypass dampers at least twice every year. Their white rods are newer, and supposedly even more flexible than the original black.
That said the Gardus is not a perfect product either, I don't really love their connecting joints. But you should not have any trouble bending their rods, unless you have a uniquely tight bend to accomplish. What's your stove and chimney setup?
Yes, thank you, that is the problem! I finally found the original Gardus with the white rods on their parent company's website (hy-c.com) , but you can't buy it anywhere.
I have a Jotul Series 8 with a catalyst and rear mount flue. I can remove the baffle over the bypass damper and go through the bypass damper or I can go up through the catalyst chamber access on the exterior rear wall, but both paths bend one way and then another over a short span. If I can figure out how to remove the grate under my catalyst, perhaps I could fish the rods up through the lower opening in my firebox that passes through the catalyst chamber.
I have a telescoping flue section at the top, but it won't budge. Someone really should design a flue section with a removable panel.
I like this better than a telescoping flue: https://www.woodburningstovesdirect.com/product/474/flue-pipe-door-6-choose.htm
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I bought my Gardus Sooteater at amazon.com. But it was the original black rod product, and about 10 years ago.
Never owned an 8, but I had three Jotul 12's, and that shot from the bypass damper into the flue was a bear. When I owned them, I would just pull the telescoping pipe off the flue collar, or even fully remove the flue reversible flue collar.
Any chance you recall how you removed the flue collar? There are a couple screws into the flue pipe, but it's not obvious how the collar is attached to the stove.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Maybe the 8 is different, because on the 12 it was pretty obvious. The flue collar was a casting that was bolted to the back of the stove with two Philips pan head screws, probably around M5 size. Simply remove those two screws and it lifted right off. There was a gasket between this flange and stove.
Yea, the Series 8 has no screws on the exterior of the flue collar connecting it to the stove body. Thanks!
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
Bummer. Sorry for the confusion.
So, is your stove set up as rear exit or top? If rear, do you have room back there for a tee in place of the elbow? That would give you third port, which could be capped when in use, but removed for an easy straight shot when sweeping.
I agree, that first flue section could be replaced with a tee, but it would be ugly, lol. What I really like (and can't seem to find in the U.S.) is one of these "sweep access hatches". Easy peasy, but safe?
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