Sooteater
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alforit
Feeling the Heat
Sprinter
Minister of Fire
mepellet
Minister of Fire
Removing baffle on a Shelburne is much more work than disconnecting 3 screws and lifting the stove pipe. Different stoves need different solutions.
Dan...that's fantastic info! I've lifted my flue pipe already...now all I've gotta do is get the sooteater and blue tape haha
To heck with the plastic and tape, live dangerously! (I assume you can run faster than your wife.)
Does anyone use a sooteater on a stove that you don't have to separate the connector from the stove? How does it work on a stove where you just drop the baffle? I'm thinking of getting one of these.
I use a Sooteater from the bottom up on both my stove systems, and leave the flue systems intact. Removing the baffle in the Century is simple...couple of bricks. In the Lopi it's not so simple, but it ain't rocket science, and the manual has a nice set of illustrated instructions to use as a guide.
With the stove in the living room, my concern control of the soot dust from coming into the room. Do you drape plastic around the door opening or just leave a vac running with the hose in the firebox?
This is really great. Thanks for taking the time to document it.
Has anyone done this with a double-walled pipe? Without the telescoping section, I'm not sure how to get the pipe apart.
Also, if you do clean from top down, are you concerned with the crud collecting in the bottom? Maybe it just falls through to the box?
Thanks.
I use a Sooteater on my free standing Summit. Drop the baffle and go bottom up. 30' stack, Selkirk DSP into Metalbestos. Don't use the plastic sheet. Use my shopvac with a HEPA filter and heavy-duty bag, both rated for cold ash. stick the nozzle in the back of the box. Does a great job and no dust in the room.
mepellet
Minister of Fire
There are double wall telescoping sections. (broken link removed to http://www.woodstovepro.com/store/Selkirk-6-DSP-Telescopic-Length-266084-DSP6TL-p20248.html)
I love the sooteater. I have two heads for it and use it for the stove, both fireplace flues, even the boiler flue. My new trick is to run the vac outside and run a long hose in through a window. Don't get any dust or even odor that way.
On the stove I open the clean out tee and plastic the bottom with the sooteater run up through a hole in the plastic. I run the vac hose in to the horizontal pipe run through the stove. For the fireplace I plastic over the opening and run the vac hose in there. I even use the sooteater to clean out the smoke shelf area by running it side to side on one rod section.
On the stove I open the clean out tee and plastic the bottom with the sooteater run up through a hole in the plastic. I run the vac hose in to the horizontal pipe run through the stove. For the fireplace I plastic over the opening and run the vac hose in there. I even use the sooteater to clean out the smoke shelf area by running it side to side on one rod section.
Mitch Newton
Burning Hunk
How flexible are the rods? I'm wondering if I could clean a Fireview from the bottom with it. It's got a 90 elbow right off the rear-exit flue collar.
What I have done when I'm cleaning and there's not much draft, is to put a box fan in a window on high, blowing into the house.
My double-walled pipe isn't telescoping. I'm not sure how to get it apart to clean from the bottom.
If I can't figure it out, I'll have to see if working the bricks on the upper ledge of the firebox is feasible and would give me access to clean it. I'm not sure from the manual if this gives me access to the pipe. I'd much rather not go up on the roof if I can avoid it!
http://www.fireplaces-rochester-ny.com/manuals/LOPI/Lopi Wood Stoves/Republic 1750 Manual.pdf
That's convinced me. Ordering one today.
1750, gently remove the rear baffle bricks and plate. Then I think you should be able to do a bottom up cleaning.
You can bent sooteater sections in a U easily. Order a little more length than you need to reach the cap, the flexible rod flops around in the pipe and doesnt stretch out completely straight.
Perhaps you can bend a rod in a "u" shape, but I had trouble getting one to bend 90 degrees. They were much stiffer than I expected, but they worked great. I'm going to revive my gym membership on Monday...
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I have a fairly tall chimney, so I was looking at ordering extra rods, when I realized it was about the same price to just order two sooteaters. Now, I have the extra rods I need, plus a spare sooteater head.
HDRock
Minister of Fire
I am going to get one of these puppies , I think I can get buy with the basic kit ,shipped to my zip, for, $ 48.91, two kits shipped is $91.75 or they have a combo kit with 12 rods for $77.37
On sale now At (broken link removed to http://www.smarthome.com/_/Sooteater/_/393/nav.aspx)
(broken link removed to http://www.smarthome.com/_/Sooteater/_/393/nav.aspx)
With concern as how far the Soot Eater can bend,, I unplugged a soap build up in a plugged four inch PVC gray water pipe.. Left the basement for 6 feet then made a 90 degree bend... Used all my rods from two kits and now had a super clean 4 inch gray water pipe.. Worked sweet...
Nick Mystic
Minister of Fire
In the directions for the Sooteater they specifically show a diagram with an X through it indicating you should not bend a rod 90 degrees as it will damage the product. When I cleaned my SS liner recently I worked from the roof down since I have easy access to my roof and chimney. I can see a major advantage to cleaning from the bottom up when such access is more difficult. With my stove set up on a Jotul F 600 I would have to work through the bottom of my T connector, which isn't easily accessible. With a pipe exiting straight up out of a stove if there is no 90 bend involved you should be good to go.
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