Yet another useful vent cleaning tip

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Xena

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Nov 30, 2005
2,494
South Shore MA
This trick is basically for cleaning the pipe and
works especially well on a vertical length:

Take a small ballpeen hammer and tap the pipe
about a dozen times above your cleanout T.
Now ya don't need to smack it so hard that
you leave a mark, just some good firm taps
and be prepared because loads of ash will drop.

I usually remove the cleanout T cap, position the
vac nozzle underneath, then start tapping on as much of
the vertical vent as you can reach. Follow up by running
a brush up the vent a few times, but the tapping easily removes
80% of the crud.


I've got 15 ft of vertical pipe running up inside the chimney
and this method works awesome. Been cleaning it this way
since day one.
 
zeta said:
This trick is basically for cleaning the pipe and
works especially well on a vertical length:

Take a small ballpeen hammer and tap the pipe
about a dozen times above your cleanout T.
Now ya don't need to smack it so hard that
you leave a mark, just some good firm taps
and be prepared because loads of ash will drop.

I usually remove the cleanout T cap, position the
vac nozzle underneath, then start tapping on as much of
the vertical vent as you can reach. Follow up by running
a brush up the vent a few times, but the tapping easily removes
80% of the crud.

I've got 15 ft of vertical pipe running up inside the chimney
and this method works awesome. Been cleaning it this way
since day one.

Yep, I use Zeta's method too.....works great!
 
I have done this as well.
It is amazing how much drops out just from tapping.

Good tip zeta!
 
If you are not going to use a brush.
Why not just drop a small bird down the pipe
or a few Fire Crackers.
 
hearthtools said:
If you are not going to use a brush.
Why not just drop a small bird down the pipe
or a few Fire Crackers.

hey, those are GREAT ideas! Now, where is that sparrow..........
 
hearthtools said:
If you are not going to use a brush.
Why not just drop a small bird down the pipe
or a few Fire Crackers.

Read my post again buddy. I specifically noted to
follow up by running the brush up the vent.
I will highlight it for you. Maybe time for a new pair o specs Rod? ;-P
 
zeta said:
hearthtools said:
If you are not going to use a brush.
Why not just drop a small bird down the pipe
or a few Fire Crackers.

Read my post again buddy. I specifically noted to
follow up by running the brush up the vent.
I will highlight it for you. Maybe time for a new pair o specs Rod? ;-P
Hey I was just giving you chit.
You always give good advise here.
I just fail to use smileys
 
macman said:
hearthtools said:
If you are not going to use a brush.
Why not just drop a small bird down the pipe
or a few Fire Crackers.

hey, those are GREAT ideas! Now, where is that sparrow..........


haha then fire up the stove and voila', the new method of shake and bake! And I helped! LOL
 
Just be careful how hard you tap the pipe. We broke the silicone seal on the adapter by doing it this way and had to reseal it.
 
I use a rubber mallot which works quite nice. :zip:
 
sydney1963 said:
Just be careful how hard you tap the pipe. We broke the silicone seal on the adapter by doing it this way and had to reseal it.

See Syd, that's why you need to use the bird method.... :lol:
 
macman said:
sydney1963 said:
Just be careful how hard you tap the pipe. We broke the silicone seal on the adapter by doing it this way and had to reseal it.

See Syd, that's why you need to use the bird method.... :lol:

I wish it was that easy macman, where's slickplant? Hope she is doing well. I can't imagine she hasn't had more issues, especially with cleaning the stove or vent.
 
macman said:
sydney1963 said:
Just be careful how hard you tap the pipe. We broke the silicone seal on the adapter by doing it this way and had to reseal it.

See Syd, that's why you need to use the bird method.... :lol:
in England and Europe often used live geese as chimney sweeps, and many American colonists did also. A settler would climb up onto the roof of his one-story cabin or house and drop a large goose with a rope tied loosely around its feet down the flue. He raised and lowered the goose several times, and trusted that its flapping wings would remove most of the soot from the chimney. Then he gave the dirty, frightened bird a bath.
p
 
Are you serious? Can you imagine PETA's response to that?
 
sydney1963 said:
[....I wish it was that easy macman, where's slickplant? Hope she is doing well. I can't imagine she hasn't had more issues, especially with cleaning the stove or vent.

After all the fun we had with her, I'd imagine that if her stove had problems, we would be the LAST people she'd contact....LOL.
 
Don't you folks ever leave the flue cleaning to the number one chimney expert?

I understand that all you have to do is be good for 364 days and the guy in the red suit will clean the flue on his way down it.

Of course if you've been bad then you have to tie your fine feather friend by its feet and let it flap around as you pull it up and down the flue.
 
SmokeyTheBear said:
Don't you folks ever leave the flue cleaning to the number one chimney expert?

I understand that all you have to do is be good for 364 days and the guy in the red suit will clean the flue on his way down it.

Of course if you've been bad then you have to tie your fine feather friend by its feet and let it flap around as you pull it up and down the flue.

Are you volunteering to be the red suit guy?
 
No red suits here, I'm a bear and should be hibernating but my pellet stove keeps me too warm to hibernate so instead I cause trouble on various forums.

I'm also smart enough to know not to volunteer for flue cleaning duty. It ruins my fur coat. I understand that Yogi does flue cleaning if you provide him with a loaded picnic basket.
 
SmokeyTheBear said:
No red suits here, I'm a bear and should be hibernating but my pellet stove keeps me too warm to hibernate so instead I cause trouble on various forums.

I'm also smart enough to know not to volunteer for flue cleaning duty. It ruins my fur coat. I understand that Yogi does flue cleaning if you provide him with a loaded picnic basket.

My bad? Of course bears don't wear suits of any kind, sorry to have offended you. keep causing trouble. LOL
 
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