Hi Guys - So, I'm getting ready to clean the flue for the first time. We have about 2 1/2 seasons on the pipe. Yeah, I know the rule of thumb is they are supposed to be cleaned every season. My wife, used to test these stoves for Inertek (UL equivalent) and knows a thing or two about these things. She said the way we burn (24/7 and pretty hot) there is very little if any creosote build up in the flue. We had the people out that we bought the stove from and who did the install out at the house last November to replace a bad blower. The tech banged on the flue and said he could tell if there was a build-up or not based on the sound. He said there was little to no build up. Don't know if that is true of not, but based on my wife's input and his, I let it go. Well, I'm cleaning this weekend, whether it needs it or not. My question is, should I disconnect the flue from the stove and go up from there, OR should I disassemble the inside of the stove, removing the secondary tubes, baffle etc to gain access to the pipe from the inside of the stove and try to keep the mess (if any) somewhat contained inside the fire box. The stove is an Enerzone Solution 3.4 I'm trying to stay off the roof, but I think I may have to go up there anyways.... Thoughts?? Joe
Joe, I remove the secondary tubes and baffle and go bottom to top. I also have gone top down (hanging xmas lights one year) but then any creosote that built up is now laying on top of the baffle inside the stove which isn't probably a good thing so I ended up having to remove the tubes and baffle anyways to suck that out.
I got this set-up for the flue... flexi chimney rods - top UK seller, FREE shipping to US. using a plastic brush. I've got a number of 45° bends that I need to clear so I got something good and flexible. @ReefFaster... That was my thought too. If I brush top down, all that crap is gonna end up in the stove anyways, unless I unhook from the stove and bag the flue where it passes thru the ceiling. Probably wouldn't hurt to take the baffles etc out of the stove and give them a good vacuuming anyways. I think that is going to be my plan. Bottom up thru the stove....
If you leave the baffles in and go top down it's pretty easy to pop through the pipe into the stove and damage the baffles with the brush...
What I do on mine is take the double wall slip joint pipe section down,which runs from the top of the stove to the first ceiling thimble, which is pretty easy, and then I put a bucket on top of the stove and brushed from the bottom up and everything just falls into the bucket, more or less, and none goes into the stove. I have never taken my baffle out, and as I posted on a different thread, if I did, I would have to buy everything new, and probably should do that, but after studying it, I have decided to run another season, then maybe just buy a new stove and sell the one I have been running for the last 25 years. However, I wouldn't recommend this but I never even checked my flue till last year, and I ran it for 25 years. I knew I didn't have any build up, and I have always burnt hot with relatively fairly seasoned wood. The flue was new when I installed the stove and it's double wall stainless and it's tall going through two floors, but it's all open, except for the ceiling thimbles, so I could always watch it and check on it, and also I did tap on it to see if anything would shake loose. Nothing ever did. When I cleaned it for the first few feet from the bottom this year, there was basically nothing in there, just a very light dusting. I have a sort of steep (scary sheet iron roof) or I would have went up there and checked it from the top a little more often. The only concern I have had was the thimble in the first ceiling, worried that I might have burned that out or something, but I did examine that from the top and the bottom, when I had the stove pipe out, and it looks good, although if get a new stove next year, I am going to change that thimble out and the double wall slip joint between the first ceiling and the stove just for good measure.
I would go bottom up. IMO it's not that hard to remove baffle and tubes and what not, depending on the stove I guess, and this way you don't have to go on the roof.
Well, I pulled the tubes and baffles out of the stove. There was a pretty good ash build-up on the wool on teh top of the baffles. Cleaned that all up. Put the brush into the stove pipe from inside the stove, got past the first 45 and then got completely stuck going into the next 45° where the stove pipe goes thru the first floor. So, tried backing the thing out and managed to get it out of the 2nd 45°, but couldn't get it past the 1st one right next to the stove. Ended up having to pull the slip joint and took the whole damm thing apart. Had the wife hold a garbage bag over the pipe and ran the brush up to the cap a couple of times. Got a fair amount of crud out of the pipe. More than I thought I would. Made a pretty good mess, but its done. There's gotta be a better way.... I have an idea, but need to get a couple of things to build it. EDIT: Its it possible to hook a single wall T to double wall black pipe?
I would think with a flexible sooteater you'd have much better flexibility going through those 45's. My liner is pretty much a straight shot to the top with a small curve going through the chimney throat/damper area.
I think they (manufacturers) recommend not to go from double wall into single wall and then back into double wall. But.......you probably could start out with single wall....to the tee...and then into the double wall?
Oh, I thought he was asking about it just for cleaning the pipe...if its meant to be left in place for operation, then yeah, should probably not do that...
Nope, I totally intend to use the single wall ONLY for cleaning. Once done, it would be full double wall from the stove to the ceiling. The the way my pipe is, I have two 45° before the thimble in the ceiling. I was thinking I could undo the slip joint, which is at a 45° angle, take that section off, put the T in place. zip tie a bag to the center section of the T, then run the brush thru the T, up into the rest of the pipe. Let gravity do the work and as ash/soot etc comes down most of it will hit the center section of the T first, and go into the bag. I can have the wife hold the vaccum on the open end of the T where the brush went in to catch anything else. I just don't want to buy a single wall T only to find out it doesn't fit into the double.
The flue on one of my stoves is up 2 feet, across 2 feet into a T and then up 20 feet of chimney. The horizontal pipe is the only place that really needs cleaning out every year and there isn't much in there if the stove isn't run too low to try to get extended burn times. If the stove is run too low that horizontal pipe gets quite a load in it and not only is it heavy but tapping on it yields quite a low thud compared to almost no load. Sometimes if you tap on a vertical pipe with some buildup the buildup will drop some particles which you might hear falling and landing. So tapping on a pipe really isn't that absurd, but I wouldn't rely on it. I only have enough access under the T to stick a camera to look up so I pretty much have to use a brush and rods from the roof. Gotta disassemble the black pipe once a year to inspect and there's usually a little bit of something to clean. Originally had a double wall horizontal pipe but it was either bent when it was put together or I bent it taking it apart but there is a single wall there now. The single wall has longer mating surface that I'm more comfortable with.
Why are so many things from the UK so expensive? You can get a complete set of very flexible rods (not going to endorse any product) for a whole lot less money in the states.
Hey, Joe! Hi. I just found this old thread, but I’m just in the process of trying to clean my flue for the first time. I have a Enerzone Solution 3.4 stove also. I took off the tubes and baffles. I have the cleaning brush and (I believe) fiberglass 6’ rods that were left in my garage by the previous owner of my house. The brush seems to be pretty rigid metal and it’s 6” wide. It’s a very tight squeeze to get it up the flue from inside the stove, and it’s also tough to make that turn with the rods I have. Which rods did you get? …and which brush did you get? I’m thinking of ordering a poly brush instead of the metal one I have. Also wondering if previous owner might’ve taken the flue apart at the ceiling to clean it? Thanks for any guidance. Oh, also, flue goes straight up thru the roof, but the top of it is about 7’ above the roof.
A poly brush is usually recommended for steel pipes. I have fiberglass rods but they are far too rigid for bends. I'm sure trying would damage something.
Research the SootEater brand rotary cleaner. Well recognized as the homeowner level rotary cleaner to have. Easy to buy through numerous outlets. Cheap. It does a decent job. I've had one for a number of years. Used it on different setups. No complaints. There are a few things I recommend if you buy the kit. Cut the whips a tad longer than indicated. Buy another whip head and leave the whips full length for cleaning the cap.
