Spring Cleaning Question

[Jack Straw]

Ok, I have had my Lopi Endeavor for 4 winters now. In the fall I usually clean the chimney and do a quick check of the stove. Should I be doing an interior cleaning of the stove? How about removing the secondar tubes and the bricks along the top? I guess I am asking what a good cleaning consists of. The door gasket is 2 years old, should I just go ahead and replace that also? I want to do this now, because I always wait too late in the fall.
Thanks for your help, Jack!

 

[pen]

I guess it depends on your setup. If you want to clean this area and your stove is installed in a fireplace, then that would be the way to do it.

My stove is setup as a freestander, so I simply go down through the stove pipe collar w/ the shop vac and clean the area above the baffle. I've put the hose on the other end of the shop vac (w/ the door closed on the stove) and blown air back down into the stove as well.

I guess the worst thing here is that its possible for fine ash to accumulate and could perhaps restrict air flow? I kinda doubt that would happen, but I've never gone that long w/out cleaning to find out. Also, have yet to hear someone on here having a problem with a stove later to find out that was the issue.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give any screws that hold in the secondary tubes a spin every now and again to keep them from seizing up. If one does break, you'll have lots of time to replace it.

To sum up, I do it, and it can't hurt, so the choice is really yours.

pen

 

[DexterDay]

The one thing that a lot of pellet burners do, that not so many wood burners do... Is plug the Flue (and OAK if you have one). And add a moistire absorber of some sort to the firebox to prevent any surface rust...

It can only increase the life of the stove. Think of it like your truck. Eventually it will Rust out if you dont wash and wax it. There are super high temps and the ashes can help corrode the steel (add moisturized ash and its rust city).

So a light cleaning and vacuum, followed by some Damp Rid in the Firebox, (in pellet stoves I add a light coat of Pam cooking oil, to prevent further rust) and then I will Plug the Top of the chimney with some thick plastic (a few mils thick, folded over to make it very thick) take my cap off, install plastic, then trim excess plastic once I put the cap back on.... Now there will be no air infiltration down my chimney (seen posts where people smell the creo because of downdraft) and no way for the humid air to reach my Firebox...

May seem like a lot of work. But an hour each season may make your stove (investment) last an extra 5-10 yrs (or longer??) I also write a note and put it in the hopper of my pellet stoves reminding me that I did all of that (put in firebox of wood stove). Just to make sure you remember the plugs you installed.

 

[WellSeasoned]

I guess it depends on your setup. If you want to clean this area and your stove is installed in a fireplace, then that would be the way to do it.

My stove is setup as a freestander, so I simply go down through the stove pipe collar w/ the shop vac and clean the area above the baffle. I've put the hose on the other end of the shop vac (w/ the door closed on the stove) and blown air back down into the stove as well.

I guess the worst thing here is that its possible for fine ash to accumulate and could perhaps restrict air flow? I kinda doubt that would happen, but I've never gone that long w/out cleaning to find out. Also, have yet to hear someone on here having a problem with a stove later to find out that was the issue.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give any screws that hold in the secondary tubes a spin every now and again to keep them from seizing up. If one does break, you'll have lots of time to replace it.

To sum up, I do it, and it can't hurt, so the choice is really yours.

pen

Pen, I have used a shop vac as well, but when I go to use the shop vac for anything else, I get fine powdery ash coming out of the exit/blower every time I use the vac now. Does this happen to you at all?


I'll be cleaning my chimney for the 3rd time this season so its ready for next year soon. I think we still have some cold left with mother nature.

 

[DexterDay]

Pen, I have used a shop vac as well, but when I go to use the shop vac for anything else, I get fine powdery ash coming out of the exit/blower every time I use the vac now. Does this happen to you at all?


I'll be cleaning my chimney for the 3rd time this season so its ready for next year soon. I think we still have some cold left with mother nature.

This again comes from the pellet side..... But on all my Shop Vacs, I have both HEPA filters and I use the Fine filtration (drywall dust) bag filters on the inside.

Clean the pellet stoves all the time (used at least weekly). And I get ZERO dust, smoke, ash, etc... The HEPA filter alone will help (they cost a few bucks/ $20-$30) but used in tandem with the filter bags, you will see nor smell NOTHING. The bags are pretty cheap and come 2-3 per pack.

 

[pen]

Shop vac's really aren't meant for this job as the fine ash is tough on the motors, but mine is old and if it dies, it would be time for replacement anyway. I also use the drywall bags and don't notice any ash coming out of the exhaust at any alarming rate (no worse than most other vacuums).

pen

 

[WellSeasoned]

I should have added that I do have the secondary filter, and it still does this. Its a newer vac, so I expect it to work like chit anyway. I'll try and suck up less ash this time around.

 

[ScotO]

Dexter I like your plastic flue cover idea, but it would also be wise when you do that to put a little note inside the stove (or write it on the calender) to take the plastic off of the flue before building your first fire in the fall. Pen, I too have an ancient shop vac and a brand new one. The old vac I use for cleaning the stove, never use the new one for fear of damaging the motor. I also remove the top baffles, clean them real good with the vac, take a wire brush to the secondary tubes, and vac all along the top of the stove. This year I am going to go one step further and use compressed air to backflush the primary and secondary air tubes (I will have the shop vac running at the air inlet to catch the dust) I am sure there is some ash in those air inlets, my primary air doesn't flow as easy as it used to. Not going to bother doing any of this until May, I still believe mother nature has a trick or two up her sleeve.....

 

[pen]

If it you have 2 shop vacs, and the hoses are the same, you can stick one of the hoses on your exhaust side of the shop vac and send it out a nearby window if one exists and keep any dust that may come through the unit outside.

pen

 

[ScotO]

If it you have 2 shop vacs, and the hoses are the same, you can stick one of the hoses on your exhaust side of the shop vac and send it out a nearby window if one exists and keep any dust that may come through the unit outside.

pen

Thanks for the tip! Thats a fantastic idea......and I will definately use it!

 

[DexterDay]

Dexter I like your plastic flue cover idea, but it would also be wise when you do that to put a little note inside the stove (or write it on the calender) to take the plastic off of the flue before building your first fire in the fall. Pen, I too have an ancient shop vac and a brand new one. The old vac I use for cleaning the stove, never use the new one for fear of damaging the motor. I also remove the top baffles, clean them real good with the vac, take a wire brush to the secondary tubes, and vac all along the top of the stove. This year I am going to go one step further and use compressed air to backflush the primary and secondary air tubes (I will have the shop vac running at the air inlet to catch the dust) I am sure there is some ash in those air inlets, my primary air doesn't flow as easy as it used to. Not going to bother doing any of this until May, I still believe mother nature has a trick or two up her sleeve.....

Read the last 2 sentences of that post.

Its a must to put a note in the firebox (or hopper on a pellet stove).

If you dont. Your only asking for trouble. I cant remember what I ate yesterday. Let alone what I did 6 months from now...

The one thing that a lot of pellet burners do, that not so many wood burners do... Is plug the Flue (and OAK if you have one). And add a moistire absorber of some sort to the firebox to prevent any surface rust...

It can only increase the life of the stove. Think of it like your truck. Eventually it will Rust out if you dont wash and wax it. There are super high temps and the ashes can help corrode the steel (add moisturized ash and its rust city).

So a light cleaning and vacuum, followed by some Damp Rid in the Firebox, (in pellet stoves I add a light coat of Pam cooking oil, to prevent further rust) and then I will Plug the Top of the chimney with some thick plastic (a few mils thick, folded over to make it very thick) take my cap off, install plastic, then trim excess plastic once I put the cap back on.... Now there will be no air infiltration down my chimney (seen posts where people smell the creo because of downdraft) and no way for the humid air to reach my Firebox...

May seem like a lot of work. But an hour each season may make your stove (investment) last an extra 5-10 yrs (or longer??) I also write a note and put it in the hopper of my pellet stoves reminding me that I did all of that (put in firebox of wood stove). Just to make sure you remember the plugs you installed.

 

[ScotO]

Read the last 2 sentences of that post.

Its a must to put a note in the firebox (or hopper on a pellet stove).

If you dont. Your only asking for trouble. I cant remember what I ate yesterday. Let alone what I did 6 months from now...

sorry bud, I missed that! Hey at least we're in the same boat, I can't remember what I ate yesterday either!!

 

[Treacherous]

FYI: Roll pins hold the air tubes in place on the Endeavor. I thought I read about someone having one fall out so probably best to just leave as is.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give any screws that hold in the secondary tubes a spin every now and again to keep them from seizing up. If one does break, you'll have lots of time to replace it.

pen

 

[Treacherous]

Sooteater, shovel as much ash as I can and call it a day. I don't vacuum my stove out.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ok, I have had my Lopi Endeavor for 4 winters now. In the fall I usually clean the chimney and do a quick check of the stove. Should I be doing an interior cleaning of the stove? How about removing the secondar tubes and the bricks along the top? I guess I am asking what a good cleaning consists of. The door gasket is 2 years old, should I just go ahead and replace that also? I want to do this now, because I always wait too late in the fall.
Thanks for your help, Jack!

Jack, there is no need to replace a gasket just because of its age. Replace only if needed. Our stove is now 5 years old and the gasket is fine. On our last stove we did replace the door gasket one time....and had the stove over 20 years.

 

[lopiliberty]

If it you have 2 shop vacs, and the hoses are the same, you can stick one of the hoses on your exhaust side of the shop vac and send it out a nearby window if one exists and keep any dust that may come through the unit outside.

pen

I do this all the time and it really does work. Before I would have to be very careful because ash dust would blow out the back of my shop vac, not to mention the filter had a hole in it and i didn't know just don't ask what happened. Now I just stick the hose out the window deside the stove and you can acutually see the ashe dust blowing out of the hose

 

[begreen]

We get intermittent cold spells sometimes right up to July. So our spring cleaning takes place sometime in August usually.

 

[corey21]

When i do my spring cleaning i put a trash bag at the top of my chimney and then clean out all the ashes.

 

[DanCorcoran]

I was at Home Depot two days ago and noticed that they now sell accessories for shop vacuums. They are made to fit all brands and they have a brush attachment (which I've never had before, to pick up ash and dust) as well as replacement hoses.

 

[Jack Straw]

Jack, there is no need to replace a gasket just because of its age. Replace only if needed. Our stove is now 5 years old and the gasket is fine. On our last stove we did replace the door gasket one time....and had the stove over 20 years.

BW- my first gasket only lastest 2 years, so I thought maybe I should just go ahead and replace it.

 

[mellow]

This is the first year I will try this but I am going to see if I can find a thicker balloon and blow it up in the appliance connector to seal the liner for the summer. Past years I drop the baffle and put a rag in the appliance connector.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Wow, that is amazing you can't get more than 2 years from a gasket. I think the longest we ever went was about 16 years or maybe 18. Don't remember the shortest but can tell you all have been long lasting. Still have not changed the one on the Fireview but it is only 5 years.

But if it does not need changing, I certainly would not do it.

 

[brogsie]

If it you have 2 shop vacs, and the hoses are the same, you can stick one of the hoses on your exhaust side of the shop vac and send it out a nearby window if one exists and keep any dust that may come through the unit outside.

pen

I had a chimney sweep put the two hoses together and put the machine outside. It worked well. Thought it was pretty clever.