# leaf blower trick... finally



## abrucerd (Sep 13, 2012)

after years of seeing others, I finally got around to doing the leaf blower trick... with a pic to prove it.




ready for the winter!


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## Harman Lover 007 (Sep 13, 2012)

abrucerd said:


> after years of seeing others, I finally got around to doing the leaf blower trick... with a pic to prove it.
> View attachment 73795
> 
> 
> ready for the winter!


Is that a leaf blower...or a leaf sucker???


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## abrucerd (Sep 13, 2012)

it's a leaf blower, that has a leaf sucker option... kind of like:


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## smoke show (Sep 13, 2012)

Not much discharge on that suck job. just sayn.


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## imacman (Sep 13, 2012)

smoke show said:


> Not much discharge on that suck job. just sayn......


Maybe his stove is just way cleaner than yours to begin with.....just sayin


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## DneprDave (Sep 13, 2012)

I cleaned my stove using the leaf blower trick just the other day!

I just handed the leaf blower to my wife and said, "Put this side of the leaf blower on top of the chimney and turn it on!" It was real easy, she didn't get any soot on her or anything! 

Dave


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## Hitch (Sep 13, 2012)

smoke show said:


> Not much discharge on that suck job. just sayn.


 
I don't think there is another context in which that post can be made without getting in a lot of trouble.


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## smoke show (Sep 13, 2012)

imacman said:


> Maybe his stove is just way cleaner than yours to begin with.....just sayin


Hey now thats only a seasons worth....


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## abrucerd (Sep 13, 2012)

smoke show said:


> Not much discharge on that suck job. just sayn.


 
I had already done a full cleaning in May, and the photo taken after about a minute, minute thirty of the blower running... still, wasn't nearly as dark as that video.  Now that I have the adapter, I'll probably try it again in November/December... see how it goes with fresh ash.


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## DexterDay (Sep 13, 2012)

Looks awesome.... My favorite cleaning tool!


Nice vid Smoke. Makes me proud every time I see it.


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## UncleAnthony (Sep 15, 2012)

nice picture,works great!


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## smwilliamson (Sep 15, 2012)

I see it and will say it again...you people are nuts. Cleaning stoves with yard equipment up on yer roof is insane, dangerous, pollutious (I made up that word) and overall just plain silly.


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## DirtyDave (Sep 16, 2012)

natural weed repellant for spring


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## smoke show (Sep 16, 2012)

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion...


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## DneprDave (Sep 16, 2012)

I was never in any danger! 

Dave


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## GrahamInVa (Sep 17, 2012)

smwilliamson said:


> I see it and will say it again...you people are nuts. Cleaning stoves with yard equipment up on yer roof is insane, dangerous, pollutious (I made up that word) and overall just plain silly.


 
Yea... well... it works


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## hossthehermit (Sep 17, 2012)

smwilliamson said:


> I see it and will say it again...you people are nuts. Cleaning stoves with yard equipment up on yer roof is insane, dangerous, pollutious (I made up that word) and overall just plain silly.


 
Yeah, they should be ashaimed.........


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## Washed-Up (Nov 8, 2012)

I borrowed a leaf blower and was amazed how well my stove has been running since...now I am looking to buy one...any recommendations? I looked at a Husqvarna...470 cfm, 250$
Any opinions welcome


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## The Village Idiot (Nov 8, 2012)

I'm lovin' the novelty of the Leaf Blower Trick and can't wait to try it out for myself. Thanks for posting.  Don't mind the haters!


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## P38X2 (Nov 8, 2012)

Pollutious.....  Rickyism?


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## RightSeatCessna (Nov 8, 2012)

You need a leaf sucker for this, correct?


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## P38X2 (Nov 8, 2012)

Leaf blower with vacuum capabilities. I looked into the Weed eater WEB150 ($25-30) but it doesn't have the proper intake port on the bottom. You usually have to rig up a couple common inexpensive adapters to make it work but on that particular model there'd too much fartin around to get it to do its thing.

Do a search for "leafblower".


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## DexterDay (Nov 8, 2012)

An electric model works best. In most situations anyways.


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## smwilliamson (Nov 9, 2012)

GrahamInVa said:


> Yea... well... it works


You folks are silly. Silly, silly silly.


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## joescho (Nov 9, 2012)

Hitch said:


> I don't think there is another context in which that post can be made without getting in a lot of trouble.


 
I have a leaf blower kind of like the one pictured, but I always have a hard time getting it to go from blow to suck...


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## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 9, 2012)

smwilliamson said:


> I see it and will say it again...you people are nuts. Cleaning stoves with yard equipment up on yer roof is insane, dangerous, pollutious (I made up that word) and overall just plain silly.


 
Maybe but it works great.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 9, 2012)

Washed-Up said:


> I borrowed a leaf blower and was amazed how well my stove has been running since...now I am looking to buy one...any recommendations? I looked at a Husqvarna...470 cfm, 250$
> Any opinions welcome


 
Cheap electric ones work quite well.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 9, 2012)

hossthehermit said:


> Yeah, they should be ashaimed.........


 
I believe that is ashiamed  according to the grand exalted one.

But we ain't.


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## DneprDave (Nov 9, 2012)

I have a* real cheap* electric leaf blower. They *all* suck* and* blow. You just put the suck side against the chimney and turn it on, this isn't rocket surgery! 

Dave


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## Monosperma (Nov 9, 2012)

Not a substitute for a real brushing-out, though, is it?


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## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 9, 2012)

Monosperma said:


> Not a substitute for a real brushing-out, though, is it?


 
You need to at least loosen up the crud, but after doing that if you hit it with the leaf blower around every ton you find very little to brush out anywhere.

There are a number of stoves that it are very hard to get all of the inner passages in the heat exchanger/exhaust system cleaned out and the added usage of the leaf blower goes a long way to getting those ones cleaned, some of these stoves you can even use a strong shop vac on with the same effect.

Everyone gets to decide what to use.

I have to go outside to get part of my vent really clean anyway so it is simpler to use the leaf blower and get all the way back to the upper portion of the heat exchanger. Then it is scrape, brush, and vacuum time.

I prefer to keep up with things than to have a plugged up stove giving me fits and this only takes a few minutes and that part of the mess is all outside.


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## WoodPorn (Nov 9, 2012)

DneprDave said:


> I cleaned my stove using the leaf blower trick just the other day!
> 
> I just handed the leaf blower to my wife and said, "Put this side of the leaf blower on top of the chimney and turn it on!" It was real easy, she didn't get any soot on her or anything!
> 
> Dave


 
When I nod my head......You hit it


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## krooser (Nov 10, 2012)

Who's the moron who suggested this leaf blower deal anyway?


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## Monosperma (Nov 10, 2012)

I dunno... it sounds like an urban myth/prank to me, sort of like cow-tipping.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 10, 2012)

I know who brought it here krooser ole buddy, that guy with the RumbleFest promotion in his sig, and we also know how he found out about it.

What you never went cow tipping? How about outhouse tipping?


For giggles: 

and:  

I'll let you find one on cow tipping.


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## Monosperma (Nov 10, 2012)

Let me ask this: is the technique primarily for pellet stoves only, or is it applicable to wood burning ones as well?


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## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 10, 2012)

Monosperma said:


> Let me ask this: is the technique primarily for pellet stoves only, or is it applicable to wood burning ones as well?


 
I suspect just for pellet stoves although the newer wood burners have twists and turns in their exhaust paths these days.

If you ever clean a pellet stove you'll know how it can help matters quite a bit.


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## DV (Nov 10, 2012)

Will the leaf blower suck the ash out of the clean out tee? Or do you still need to take that apart?


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## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 10, 2012)

DV said:


> Will the leaf blower suck the ash out of the clean out tee? Or do you still need to take that apart?


 
If the ash is not stuck to the venting it will be removed from a clean out tee.

I can clean the ash out of my stove with a leaf blower from the outside horizontal run and as long as I haven't allowed a really bad burn to run for a long time it cleans piratically all of the ash from the end of the vent trough the tee, the combustion blower cavity, the passage ways to the ash traps, and the ash traps.  It can get some of the stuff off of the heat exchanger tubes. What it will remove depends upon the leaf blower, the venting, the internals of the stove, weather the burns have deposited a sticky film that the ash can stick to, and not burning until everything gets plugged up.

The key to easy cleaning starts with a good burn and making it a regular thing to do


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## Washed-Up (Nov 10, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Cheap electric ones work quite well.


 
 Ok...electric...and any model suggestions?


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## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 10, 2012)

Washed-Up said:


> Ok...electric...and any model suggestions?


 
Nope I had one that I use to shred leaves for compost pile making and just put it to work on the stove.  It was a cheapo one form Lowes.


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## Washed-Up (Nov 10, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Nope I had one that I use to shred leaves for compost pile making and just put it to work on the stove. It was a cheapo one form Lowes.


 Do you know, offhand, what the CFM rating is on it?


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## DV (Nov 11, 2012)

oldmountvernon said:


> Aren't you running a brush thru the clean out first?


No. I have used the leaf blower once but was wondering if It removed the ash from the tee. After this ton I will use leaf blower and then remove my tee to see what results are?


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## SmokeyTheBear (Nov 11, 2012)

Washed-Up said:


> Do you know, offhand, what the CFM rating is on it?


 
I'd say from the way it tosses the mess out somewhere north of 300CFM.


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## P38X2 (Nov 11, 2012)

Washed-Up said:


> Ok...electric...and any model suggestions?



Just bought a Homelite UT42120 for $39.99 at HD. 350CFM. I used the first section of the vac tube and taped a 4" to 3" PVC adapter to the end. Depending on what brand of pipe you have you may have to increase the ID of the adapter very slightly to fit your vent. Total cost, $44 + a couple feet of duct tape. 

As countless have stated, it works extremely well, and is fun. Obviously, brush your vent first for best results.


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## P38X2 (Nov 11, 2012)

oldmountvernon said:


> i got a 18hp billy goat walk behind, i gotta try this send the soot across town
> ok maybe ill just use the 11 or 9  hp
> Save Scott's service call fee



Neighbors and townspeople..."It's that guy with all the pellets again!"


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## P38X2 (Nov 11, 2012)

You're a lucky man! And I thought beer with steak was living large.


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## P38X2 (Nov 11, 2012)

Thanks  Glad you enjoyed it!


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## Leroy_B (Nov 12, 2012)

I like the method. My neighbor has asked me to clean his chimney and pellet stove, Seems pretty easy to do. Just point in the direction of the wind is blowing. The video looks cool as it's done. I want to see his reaction when all the ash flies out. The chimney will get the usual boring brush cleaning and dig out the creosote cake.


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## Washed-Up (Nov 18, 2012)

LMAO...thanks guys...for the advice...and awesome pics...I ended up buying an electric with 530cfm...40$...couldn't be more happy...it hooks up with duct tape, and I use a compressor inside...KABBOOMM...AND POOF clean and hot!


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## Bruins4877 (Nov 26, 2012)

Newb to the LBT scene but going to start this year after Smokey's and others suggestions.  Quick question, can you use a gas powered leaf blower or is that not suggested?  I already have the gas powered one, but if it an electric is recommended, off to Home Depot/Lowes I go.


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## Washed-Up (Nov 27, 2012)

The gas one works fine...I borrowed a gas one initially...but wanted to own one and the cheapest was an electric.


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## DexterDay (Nov 27, 2012)

Problem with some gas one models, is with the throttle. If it has a Trigger throttle, then you must be standing relatively close to that area. 

An electric model will allow you to plug in the extension cord, from a remote location. 

I vote electric and get as High as CFM as you can. My Troy Bilt is 450 CFM and will suck the ash out of the ash pan


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## krooser (Nov 27, 2012)

Wait...these are PELLET stoves?.... no wonder my wife won't start my PALLET stove...


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## MommyOf4 (Feb 19, 2013)

When you do the leaf blower trick do you have to unplug any wires or open the stove door?


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## heat seeker (Feb 19, 2013)

It is highly recommended to have the stove door open. Some remove the vacuum hose from the switch, also.


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## MommyOf4 (Feb 19, 2013)

Will doing this take the ash out of the exhaust blower area?


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## imacman (Feb 19, 2013)

MommyOf4 said:


> Will doing this take the ash out of the exhaust blower area?


Yes, it will take any loose ash from anywhere in the stove that the air travels.  It is highly advisable to do this AFTER the stove has been cleaned completely already.  It's just like the icing on a cake....done last.

Opening & closing the door a few times might also help get more ash out, along with giving the STEEL back walls a couple of good smacks with a mallet to dislodge any crud in the ash traps/heat exchanger areas.


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## MommyOf4 (Feb 19, 2013)

I can't get into the areas where the adapter and cleanout tee meets the stove.  Do you think the leaf blower trick will still work?


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## imacman (Feb 19, 2013)

MommyOf4 said:


> I can't get into the areas where the adapter and cleanout tee meets the stove. Do you think the leaf blower trick will still work?


It gets mounted on the end of the pipe OUTSIDE the house.


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## heat seeker (Feb 19, 2013)

Just to make sure- you use the SUCTION part of the leaf blower, connected to the venting outside, to SUCK the ashes out. Look for some videos on YouTube. Here are a couple:


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## heat seeker (Feb 19, 2013)

MommyOf4 said:


> I can't get into the areas where the adapter and cleanout tee meets the stove. Do you think the leaf blower trick will still work?


 
It will help, but it's best if you can loosen the ash with a brush, etc. There is an area of my stove that I can't get at without removing the combustion blower. I do the LBT about once a ton, and when I do remove the blower in the spring, there's very little ash in there. I'm not saying anything except that it works for me, YMMV.


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## frankie (Feb 19, 2013)

imacman said:


> Yes, it will take any loose ash from anywhere in the stove that the air travels. It is highly advisable to do this AFTER the stove has been cleaned completely already. It's just like the icing on a cake....done last.
> 
> Opening & closing the door a few times might also help get more ash out, along with giving the STEEL back walls a couple of good smacks with a mallet to dislodge any crud in the ash traps/heat exchanger areas.


Why are you saying do the blower after a cleaning? Why can't you run the blower and have it suck the ash out as you are cleaning the stove?


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## MommyOf4 (Feb 19, 2013)

My dealer recommended that we don't move the blowers out/around since the gaskets can be easily damaged.  I was thinking of brushing the venting, cleaning the inside of the stove (removing baffles, vacuuming the inside, clean ashpan) and then doing the leaf blower trick.  Does this sound about right for the end of year cleaning?


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## ltlhawk (Feb 19, 2013)

I will be doing the leaf blower trick as soon as the season is over and I promise to post a video.. I was also thinking that while the leaf blower was blowing, why not use a small compressor and blow in the exhaust port from inside the stove? any benefit or is there any possible damage that could occur? (and I dont mean blowing 200psi or anything like that, just to get a good flow thru the exhaust section of the stove.)


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## moey (Feb 19, 2013)

MommyOf4 said:


> My dealer recommended that we don't move the blowers out/around since the gaskets can be easily damaged. I was thinking of brushing the venting, cleaning the inside of the stove (removing baffles, vacuuming the inside, clean ashpan) and then doing the leaf blower trick. Does this sound about right for the end of year cleaning?


 
Most people pull the combustion blower and clean it at the end of the season and replace the gasket. This is pretty standard service for all pellet stoves at the end of a year. A lot of the manuals even mention it. The ones that don't usually say pay the dealer to service it and they should pull the blower and clean. If you do it once and there is no buildup and the blades are not caked you can probably go longer the next season.


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## DexterDay (Feb 19, 2013)

ltlhawk said:


> I will be doing the leaf blower trick as soon as the season is over and I promise to post a video.. I was also thinking that while the leaf blower was blowing, why not use a small compressor and blow in the exhaust port from inside the stove? any benefit or is there any possible damage that could occur? (and I dont mean blowing 200psi or anything like that, just to get a good flow thru the exhaust section of the stove.)



I do this. I have a little hose on my air nozzle. Gets all the nooks and crannies


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## ltlhawk (Feb 19, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> I do this. I have a little hose on my air nozzle. Gets all the nooks and crannies


ooooo, I like that


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## smoke show (Feb 19, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> I have a little hose...


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## ltlhawk (Feb 19, 2013)

Do you blow around the stove or just down the exhaust.. I am alittle cautious about blowing ash into the livingroom.. My wife would murder me...


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## DexterDay (Feb 19, 2013)

ltlhawk said:


> Do you blow around the stove or just down the exhaust.. I am alittle cautious about blowing ash into the livingroom.. My wife would murder me...



With the Leaf blower running, I just do whatever.  All ash is expelled and sucked into the stove. 

Hell, I paint the firebox every year and get ZERO smell in the house. Just keep the leaf blower on.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Feb 19, 2013)

ltlhawk said:


> Do you blow around the stove or just down the exhaust.. I am alittle cautious about blowing ash into the livingroom.. My wife would murder me...



You aren't blowing you are sucking the vacuum side of the the leaf blower is used.


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