Yup, gotta pull the pipe.

[bobdog2o02]

So i did my first good clean down other than knocking the crud off the chimney cap. I ran my sooteater up from the stove till i hit the cap. I had about 1/2" of stuff on the floor of the stove after this. Next i pulled the pipe and looked up, nice and clean, all of the junk wass just loose fluffy ash. Next I look down the flue collar and see what is in the picture below. I slid my tape measure in from the side till it hit the deepest stuff, almost 2". There was also a huge amount resting against the combustor and a lot on top of the bypass plate.

This thread harkens back to a closed thread that got ugly so lets not go there but if i were paying someone to do this job i would expect the pipe get pulled and this get cleaned up. Total volume of soot was about a half gallon, most of the worst was the single wall pipe just above the stove and at the top where the class a is outside of the house envelope.

I also tuned up the bypass damper tension and loading door tension as we are 1/2 way through the first season.

After being shut down all day the house got quite cold so shes down there running like a freight train now

 

[Woody Stover]

No way to slip up through the bypass and get that stuff?

 

[bobdog2o02]

The deep stuff I measured, yea probably but the stuff between the cat and bypass, no way.

 

[webby3650]

So I'm not a crooked scam artist after all? Good to know!
Thanks for sharing, you did a through job.

 

[rdust]

Other option would be to keep cat gaskets on hand and pull the cat out. I don't have a clean out so I have to pull my pipe when I clean so it's never been an issue for me.

 

[webby3650]

I would recommend handling the cat as little as possible. With properly installed pipe, it will be very easy to slip the pipe up and vacuum this area out.

 

[bobdog2o02]

I have telescoping single wall. One section between the stove and support box. It was a cake walk.

 

[rdust]

I would recommend handling the cat as little as possible. With properly installed pipe, it will be very easy to slip the pipe up and vacuum this area out.

I agree, but I figured *if* it is a steel cat it shouldn't be too fragile.

 

[webby3650]

I agree, but I figured *if* it is a steel cat it shouldn't be too fragile.

I was cleaning the steel cat on my Dutchwest and it literally fell into a million pieces in my hand. It looked a little plugged up so I was blowing some air through it. It looked sound, until I touched it...

 

[jtb51b]

I agree completely! These cats once used can be very fragile. Whether steel or ceramic the reactive material has to be set in a substrate that may be fragile after that kind of heat. I have had mine out more than once (not by choice) and I can tell you there have been a few chunks fall out about every time. I also agree that to do the job right you really need to slip the pipe up and vacuum it out back there, I cant recall needing to clean the double wall between the stove and thimble but I definately have had to clean the area between the cat and bypass.


Jason

 

[begreen]

I was cleaning the steel cat on my Dutchwest and it literally fell into a million pieces in my hand. It looked a little plugged up so I was blowing some air through it. It looked sound, until I touched it...

Have you cleaned the Ashford's cat yet?

 

[webby3650]

Have you cleaned the Ashford's cat yet?

I've taken it out once, but only because I was going to try a cerimac cat. It didn't fit, I regasketed it and put it back. I vacuum it off a few times a season.