Sooteater or Wohler?

[brenndatomu]

Try getting a section of plastic flexible conduit to run the rods through. It helps support them and keep them from kinking

Like a piece of 3/4" PEX (or any plastic water line type stuff)?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Iv burned a number of years also and decided to clean the stove and pipe myself. The sweep I was using used rotary also and it did a good job. I went with the soot eatter also this last spring and did it myself and was pretty easy. The great part is that I get to do it at my convenience during the winter.. To many times the sweep had to cancel due to poor weather and rescheduled

 

[bholler]

Like a piece of 3/4" PEX (or any plastic water line type stuff)?

If the rods and fittings would fit through sure. Our rods need 1.5"

 

[PaulOinMA]

Question for folks having difficulty with Sooteater rods: what color rods came in the box? Black rods are shown in the Amazon link posted above.

I purchased a Sooteater with white rods: https://www.rockfordchimneysupply.c...himney-cleaning-system-for-chimney-liners.php.

The listing states "We are pleased to announce the NEW addition SootEater ... many other suppliers offer the SootEater ... with a less flexible black cleaning rod."

 

[SpaceBus]

Like a piece of 3/4" PEX (or any plastic water line type stuff)?

I was just about to suggest this. Perhaps cutting a slit down the length of pipe section would make it work.

 

[brenndatomu]

If the rods and fittings would fit through sure. Our rods need 1.5"

They would fit...if not in 3/4, then 1" for sure...but pretty sure they'd go through 3/4"

 

[BIGChrisNH]

Try getting a section of plastic flexible conduit to run the rods through. It helps support them and keep them from kinking

I like that suggestion, I will try that. Thanks!

 

[bholler]

I like that suggestion, I will try that. Thanks!

It also gives you the benefit of being able to pack a plug around that tube to contain dust with out the plug wrapping around the rods

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Question for folks having difficulty with Sooteater rods: what color rods came in the box? Black rods are shown in the Amazon link posted above.

I purchased a Sooteater with white rods: https://www.rockfordchimneysupply.c...himney-cleaning-system-for-chimney-liners.php.

The listing states "We are pleased to announce the NEW addition SootEater ... many other suppliers offer the SootEater ... with a less flexible black cleaning rod."

I got the white rods and they are super

 

[ewok_1968]

I got the white rods and they are super

i like the pex solution! i got a 3" pvc Y with sweeping elbow that i run my (white rodded) soot eater through. nice easy angle for the rods, but clunky as all get out. my original idea was to add another fitting to hook vacuum up to that would push or pull soot, but there's no room. i'd be real keen to hear what folks have done to control the amount of dust flowing back into house...

 

[Woodsplitter67]

i like the pex solution! i got a 3" pvc Y with sweeping elbow that i run my (white rodded) soot eater through. nice easy angle for the rods, but clunky as all get out. my original idea was to add another fitting to hook vacuum up to that would push or pull soot, but there's no room. i'd be real keen to hear what folks have done to control the amount of dust flowing back into house...

I have good draft so never any dust in the house.. I do a top down and when I clean.. you see all the fine dust coming out the top of the pipe.. and nothing but some graphite looking material at the bottom of the stove..

 

[Russn77]

I got the white rods and they are super

How are they different from the black ones? Are they capable of doing a 90 degree bend? (Example: going through the stove after removing the baffle, and then into a tee where it bends to straight up).

 

[Woodsplitter67]

How are they different from the black ones? Are they capable of doing a 90 degree bend? (Example: going through the stove after removing the baffle, and then into a tee where it bends to straight up).

I dont have the black rods.. and I never have had them.. That being said.. I have heard that the black ones are more stiff.. Event though my pipe is straight up I got the white ones if I ever move and needed a more flexible rod. I dont have Ts or anything like that.. based on my stove I could go up through the damper if I wanted to with the white ones... you could just grab a set off Amazon.. they are pretty inexpensive..worh a shot...

 

[Russn77]

I dont have the black rods.. and I never have had them.. That being said.. I have heard that the black ones are more stiff.. Event though my pipe is straight up I got the white ones if I ever move and needed a more flexible rod. I dont have Ts or anything like that.. based on my stove I could go up through the damper if I wanted to with the white ones... you could just grab a set off Amazon.. they are pretty inexpensive..worh a shot...

Thanks, I'll probably give them a try. We're still trying to decide which stove to go with. I have all that in another thread though. Our main concern is being able to clean it from the stove without moving it. Our Fireplace opening is so narrow it would be impossible to use both hands and remove a tee cleanout cap, so I have to be able to vacuum out the tee as well from within the stove. Fun stuff. Maybe I'm overthinking it? I dunno. But our current stove is old and has issues, and in order to clean out the chimney I have to move it with a car jack.

 

[Tar12]

I have been using the sooteater black rods for 5 years now with a system that is straight no....no issues at all.

 

[fire_man]

I went down the same path trying to decide on Wohler vs Sooteater.
I just could not justify the cost of the Wohler considering all the great Sooteater reviews. The Sooteater works fine.

 

[vatmark]

We used the soot eater with the white rods. No issues what so ever. We did bottom up cleaning. We hung painters plastic around the stove, used old sheet on hearth and over stove and then used a kitchen garbage bag around the pipe attached with rubber band and left a small section open which we stuck the soot eater through. Very little mess.