Rotary Sweeping

[jatoxico]

I did my yearly sweep yesterday with my Soot Eater. This am while thinking about it I happened to find and watch an educational video on using a rotary sweeper. There were a couple good tips:

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One thing that was said was to spin the head counter clockwise so you don't unwind the flex tube. That sounded OK until I thought about it. Wouldn't matter which way the liner was installed? Are they always supposed to be installed in the same orientation? Even so, is this a realistic concern?

Any pro tips on rpm? I tend to go easy as far as rotating speed and travel for that matter. Is the liner more durable than I think?

Edit: Thinking about a little more and trying to visualize I'm now thinking/realizing orientation does not matter. So rotating head counter clockwise is best?

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Very good video. I can tell you from personal experience the need for a good drop cloth. Those rods get filthy. Due to having a very safely accessible chimney, I just use the soot water from the roof. It’s quick quick and don’t have to think about indoor mess. However the mess would be worth it with a hard to access chimney and/or winter weather was occurring (including any sort of frost- it like black ice on a roof).

 

[jatoxico]

I can tell you from personal experience the need for a good drop cloth. Those rods get filthy.

Oh yeah. Drop cloth, gloves all that good stuff. My chimney is on an exterior wall and high up so I go from the bottom. Have pretty good results keeping dust down by using the hard tubes on my shop vac pointed right by the vent and putting the flexible end out the door.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I did my yearly sweep yesterday with my Soot Eater. This am while thinking about it I happened to find and watch an educational video on using a rotary sweeper. There were a couple good tips:

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One thing that was said was to spin the head counter clockwise so you don't unwind the flex tube. That sounded OK until I thought about it. Wouldn't matter which way the liner was installed? Are they always supposed to be installed in the same orientation? Even so, is this a realistic concern?

Any pro tips on rpm? I tend to go easy as far as rotating speed and travel for that matter. Is the liner more durable than I think?

Edit: Thinking about a little more and trying to visualize I'm now thinking/realizing orientation does not matter. So rotating head counter clockwise is best?

That's a good video. Very informative, and plenty of good ideas for the next sweeping.

Is that bholler in the video? Is he faking the british accent to throw us off the scent that it's him? Or, perhaps too much Dowton Abbey and Poldark in the evenings?

 

[MAD777]

Superb video! Every detail thoroughly thought out. Good example of using the right tools for the job.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[weatherguy]

That's a good video. Very informative, and plenty of good ideas for the next sweeping.

Is that bholler in the video? Is he faking the british accent to throw us off the scent that it's him? Or, perhaps too much Dowton Abbey and Poldark in the evenings?

That's not how I picture bholler. I see a thin guy, black hair in a brushcut.

 

[jatoxico]

Still curious if counter-clockwise is the recommended spin for rotary cleaning.

 

[bholler]

Yes great video. I don't plastic over the face I just control dust with the vacuum. And no I never worry about direction. But I don't know if their liners are the same as ours. I suppose with heavy wall it could be possible but I really doubt it.

And yes heavy wall and mid weight are directional

 

[Ludlow]

Calling a flashlight a torch really throws me off. I enjoyed the video.

 

[jatoxico]

Yes great video. I don't plastic over the face I just control dust with the vacuum. And no I never worry about direction. But I don't know if their liners are the same as ours. I suppose with heavy wall it could be possible but I really doubt it.

And yes heavy wall and mid weight are directional

Thanks holler. Most recommendations for cleaning say spin it in both directions. This was the first time I ever heard anyone say you could damage the liner with a rotary head by "unwinding" it.

What speed do run at? I don't mean exactly but do you run at max speed or something less? I tend to pulse mine and don't let it run at full speed for more than an instant. I just checked and my drill goes to 900 rpm.

 

[jatoxico]

Superb video! Every detail thoroughly thought out. Good example of using the right tools for the job.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

I don't use plastic, just the vacuum but I liked the magnet trick.

 

[bholler]

Thanks holler. Most recommendations for cleaning say spin it in both directions. This was the first time I ever heard anyone say you could damage the liner with a rotary head by "unwinding" it.

What speed do run at? I don't mean exactly but do you run at max speed or something less? I tend to pulse mine and don't let it run at full speed for more than an instant. I just checked and my drill goes to 900 rpm.

It depends how dirty it is. If it's real dirty I start off slow to keep the dust under control. But I always end up full speed with a 1/2" corded drill