Want to install so we can cleanout from in house

[Sue and Wayne in VT]

Hi Folks,
We're about to install a woodstove using a metalbestos or equivalent pipe. The perfect place to install our woodstove does not allow for easy cleanout via the usual installation options. Going straight out the roof would make for an 8' pipe above the 12-12 pitch roof, and therefore really hard to get to the top of the pipe. Going out through the wall with tee cleanout isn't possible.
So, are there options for putting the cleanout inside? Here's what we've come up with, nothing we're crazy about:
We're guessing we could put a T inside before going straight out the roof, with precautions maybe we could avoid a cleanout sooty mess problem, but I'm not crazy about how it will look with a tee jog over to the side.
We could take the stovepipe apart each time we clean, but would rather not.
Any easy way to clean from inside the stove itself?
Any other clever ideas out there?

Thanks
Sue & Wayne

 

[Woody Stover]

Get a rear-vented stove, then there's no jog, just a 90* tee into the back of the stove. Or no tee. With a slip-pipe, you should be able to remove that section and place a bag over the rest to minimize the mess when you clean it out.

 

[begreen]

Welcome. That is one option, but not the only one. Most folks install a telescoping last section for easy cleaning. Also, some stoves are easy to clean from the bottom up. Do you know what stove you are going to get?

 

[brenndatomu]

Yeah, if you get a stove that the baffle can be removed from without too much trouble (especially a top vent stove) then you can clean bottom up like this

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(this is just the first vid I could find that showed bottom up, I have no idea about that particular product...)

 

[Sue and Wayne in VT]

Thanks folks for your quick and good suggestions. Already got a top vented stove - '99 country S210 so the back vent option won't work ( but that tee was a good idea, WoodStover).

BeGreen - there are telescoping insulated pipes for exterior?! Or is that at the inflow end?

Brenndatomu - I've used wire brushes for decades and never knew about these nifty rotorooter bottom up systems. Looks like this might be the charm. Haven't stuck my head back in the stove since reading this but I think we can get by the baffles to access the pipe.

 

[begreen]

The telescoping pipe would be on the interior connector pipe. On the Country S210 I'm wondering if you could remove the rear baffle bricks for cleaning?

 

[brenndatomu]

Brenndatomu - I've used wire brushes for decades and never knew about these nifty rotorooter bottom up systems. Looks like this might be the charm. Haven't stuck my head back in the stove since reading this but I think we can get by the baffles to access the pipe.

The Sooteater seems to be a pretty well liked tool around here...

 

[newatthis]

ok, for the completely non-handy types, how do you know if the baffles are removable in your particular stoves? And if removing them is advisable if one is particularly clueless? Do you work from the bottom up, adding length to the flexible piping as you go? How messy is it really? I know it isn't as clean as it looks in that video...

 

[SteveKG]

I am wondering whether you are planning on using the Metalbestos inside, from the stove to the ceiling. That will work, but I would reconsider...you want to use single- or double-wall stovepipe indoors, up to the ceiling. The double-wall comes in a few lengths that are adjustable in length. You want one of those in your pipe, one section of it would be the adjustable pipe. Then, to clean, you simply remove any screws in the pipe connection and push the adjustable section [easiest I think if it's the lowest section, or the section right at the stove, that is how mine is] together, set it aside on the floor, clean the pipe from the bottom, put the adjustable section back in place and re-secure with the screws. The adjustable sections are pricier than the non-adjustable ones, but they are worth every penny when it comes time to clean. Also, using one, you don't have to cut any pipe to fit exactly to length.

I don't use any single-wall pipe on any of my three stoves, and I don't know whether they are available in adjustable lengths.

 

[Woody Stover]

How messy is it really?

If you clean when it's cool out, your draft should pull most of the dust up the chimney.

 

[Fake coal burner]

It will just take a little soot inside of of house to get on every thing. You will be sleeping outside.

 

[Poindexter]

I have a telescoping section of pipe between my stove and the ceiling connector in the living room.

Never have cleaned mine from the roof.

A trash bag, some blue masking tape, some common sense, done. I do use the shorter "flexible" extension rods on the brush...

 

[begreen]

I've used a Sooteater, with a plastic curtain across the front of the stove with a slit in the center for the tool. There was virtually no soot in the room. I get more dust emptying ash.

 

[Sue and Wayne in VT]

Poindexter and SteveKG - I think we can go in from the stove, so we won't need to pull the pipe off, but if we must, I'm still wrapping my head around some of the how-to's here trying to premeditate what constitutes "some common sense". If mess wasn't an issue, I've got it, however.... Do you tape the trash bag onto the stovepipe, and then run the rod through a little puncture in the bag? and then the soot neatly fallsa into the bag?
...and to answer the above, yes, there will be single or double wall from stove up to metalbestos ~ at the ceiling.

 

[SteveKG]

I don't know how others do it, but, yes, I tape a plastic bag around the pipe, and I cut a slit in the bag for the rod to fit through. Since the brush obviously won't fit thru that slit, I slide the first section of rod with the brush attached through the slit before taping the bag to the pipe. Begin the push the brush up the pipe, then it will stay there and you can use both hands to position the bag and tape it in place. I tear off a piece or two of tape beforehand to be ready.

There might be some ash filter down through the slit in the bag; just clean it up before someone walks through it.

 

[Poindexter]

Yup, nailed it. I disconnect my pipe at the stove collar and then raise the telescoping part from the bottom.

I use some blue tape to keep the pipe telescoped short while I am getting my act together.

The box my brush came in, well I taped the heck out of it with clear packing tape so nothing can leak out of it onto the living room rug.

Slit in side of trash bag about 1/3 of the way down from the top.

First rod through slit, then screw rod onto (still boxed) brush.

I kinda work it so everything in the box, including the brush, ends up in the trashbag, leave the box on the hearth and stick the brush into the pipe.

Tape top of trashbag to bottom/ open end of pipe, proceed.

 

[Poindexter]

I dunno how flexible a rod you can find. The two kinds I can find local are really stiff and the other is kinda flexible in three foot sections at either Lowes or Home Depot.

I own both, the stiff is from the roof only, no way can that work indoors for me. The brush for my stiff rod doesn't fit the flexi-rods, different threads. So i got two brushes too.

 

[Simonkenton]

My mom has 10 feet of stove pipe running straight up through the ceiling. Then, 10 feet of double walled stainless steel pipe up above the roof. I have cleaned her pipe many times.
I get a 10 foot step ladder, and remove the inside pipe. Take that outside and clean it.
I get a 55 gallon trash bag. I get my 6 inch brush and attach one section of fiberglass rod to it. I Stick this rod into the bag, and poke it through the bottom.
Then, I tape the bag to the ceiling connector so that it surrounds the connector, tape it with duct tape.

I grab the rod that is sticking through the bag and run it up into the pipe. Attach a second section, and a third, and run them all the way to the top of the pipe.
Run the brush up and down four or five times.
The pipe is clean, and about 1/4 teaspoon of ash has fallen through the little hole in the bottom of the trash bag.
Takes longer to describe it than to do it, takes about 15 minutes.

 

[Sue and Wayne in VT]

I dunno how flexible a rod you can find. The two kinds I can find local are really stiff and the other is kinda flexible in three foot sections at either Lowes or Home Depot....

For others who are interested and nubies like me to from-the-interior-bottom-up-cleaning:

Flexible rod source is Gardus Sooteater - There are 6-3' sections & together with a rotary cleaning head (system attaches to drill) cost between $40-70 from sources I could find online. (marketing video shows rod flex:

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) Reviews are mostly good, though a few say the rod connect system is poor.
[Also, the Hansa Tornado that brenndatomu shows video of above is similar, but I couldn't find a US vendor (manufactured in Lithuania and sold in Europe). If anyone has source, let me know]

There's a good long forum thread here on cleaning, with some good tips: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/sooteater.111444/

From many posts, I'm convinced you don't need the shop vac too, but if you want to get really elaborate with tidy-insurance, here is how: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cleaning-the-flue-on-a-hearthstone-shelburne.87644/#post-1134032

Thanks to all of you. We are now good-to-go, and comfortable putting the chimney pipe where we want even though there's not easy/safe access from the rooftop!

 

[Poindexter]

I am not satisfied that an electric drill to spin the brush is really necessary, ass/u/me-ing I am burning dry wood and cleaning my pipes right regular.

Worst I ever saw I had about 1/4" of fluffy buildup- judging by the exposed ends of the screws holding my telescoping section to the chimney connector at the ceiling. One pass up and down with the brush, I had bare metal exposed on about 50% of the circumference or the pipe with fluffy buildup maybe 1/16" of an inch deep on the other 50%. Good enough for me to burn another cord or two.

With a new stove and known dry wood (again this year) I burnt one cord, swept, burnt a second cord, swept, I am going to let her burn three cords before I even look again, will probably sweep again sometime in March.

Take a real careful look at your sweepings and watch for the shiny black stuff. A few specks of shiny black is nearly unavoidable. A lot of shiny back specks, or sheets of the stuff should have you talking to your dealer, double checking your wood with a MM and maybe starting a thread here.

I see about 5% shiny black specks by volume and don't lose any sleep over that little bit.