Sooteater rods

You can buy just the bristles...but I just replaced mine with .100" weed eater line...it works pretty well. I bought some stuff that is kinda X shaped, dunno if that is better or not, but it cleans the chimney and chops the weeds just fine.

 

This seems to be the best price I can find. And it looks like the local store may have one in stock, although I have gotten to where I don't believe these "in stock" things for most stores....

Gardus SootEater 216 in. Chimney Cleaning Kit Mfr# RCH205M - Ace Hardware

 

Are the whip strings no longer replaceable? I've worn out a couple sets. The originals last longer than the super thick weedwacker string I used for replacement. I do probably get carried away with cleaning by taking too long and especially at the cap. Lots of miles on my sooteater. It's been great. I broke one black rod by bending it too far.

 

Not to my knowledge but I could be very wrong. I only found the head but there could be a way to replace just the whip or use weedwhacker string. If I recall the head replacement wasn't cheap.

 

HY-C SootEater Chimney Whip Line at Menards®

HY-C SootEater Chimney Cleaning System at Menards®

 

How big is the white rod diameter? The black rods are around 3/4"...I have a dryer vent cleaning kit and the rods on that are more like 1/4"...much more flexible though too.

 

brenndatomu ...is the one I linked just as good (or the same) as the menards one? If it's the same and IF I can put my hands on it today, I'll eat the $7 rebate ro have it now. And don't know what shipping would be...

 

Looks like the same kit to me

 

So I went to Ace and sure enough they had one on the shelf, so I grabbed it.

Everybody seems to comment that they're using them going from stove up...
Dumb question....this is a good tool to use either direction, right? I have to come top down for main chimney, then disassemble pipe off stove, and clean horizontal between stove pipe hookup and 90 in wall from inside. Take stovepipe out of house to clean, then reassemble...

 

All mine are top down, then inside out...I only clean 1 that I can do top down clear to the stove...I could do it bottom up, but it's just so easy to do top down...like 15-20 minutes from start to finish, including getting ladder out/put away

 

Getting the dang cap off has become more and more difficult as the chimney has aged. On my duravent system the cap threads on the same way that each section of class A does so even though I greased the cap threads they really seize up. Plus, if I'm going top down the rutland poly brush seems to do a better job with less hassle from the rooftop. I end up on the roof anyway to blow off the creosote debris flung out by the sooteater and to be sure all the roof penetrations are clear of stuff.

 

Every plumbing vent pipe , power drop, bath fan vent, etc. that penetrates the roof deck. Those buggers are big potential leak points so I make sure that the debris from creosote, leaves, needles, moss, is clear to allow water to flow off of the roof instead of into the attic.

 

I'm not seeing why you have to go top down.

 

Stovepipe comes out the top of the AS, goes up about 2-3 ft or so, 2 45's, goes into wall, about 18in - 2ish ft horizontal, to 90 in chimney, up about 13 feet to top of rhino rigid, then a piece of pipe attached for better draft (48in I think. Never had the guy comeback to put the class a in there).

So I take the inside pipe off and outside to clean out. Clean the horizontal from the hearth. Clean the chimney from the top, taking off the extension and doing that separately, else I couldn't get high enough. Vacuum out the bottom ot the 90 with a home made extension piece for the shop vac.

Not sure how I could do it from bottom up? Still would have to take apart stovepipe. Unless I'm really really missing something......

 

I've done my insert both ways, less mess top down for me personally and prefer and usually do it this way. But easily done bottom up.

I combine hanging xmas lights and cleaning the liner out all in one shot since I am already on the roof. I try to limit my trips up top as I am no spring chicken anymore.

 

You could possibly do the stovepipe portion (to the 90 at the bottom of the chimney) from the inside, if you can get the SE into the pipe from the stove(?) not sure on yours, but on a secondary burn stove you can pull the baffle out and go up in...the 45*s would be no issue.
My experience is that you can't do a 90* remotely though, I wouldn't even want to try a 90 even at the beginning...have heard of some that pull it off, and some that said the rod broke when trying it.

 

Honestly I don't think it's even worth me trying. I think too many hard angles with drill, convoluting to get into pipes and add sections.