Chimney Cap Cleaning From The Ground

[LazyJ]

My chimney cap is 10' above and in the middle of a very sloped 2-story roof, I ain't going up there. With a large firebox and a straight pipe its no trouble cleaning the flue but the cap screen still troubles me. I made a rig using small lengths of garden hose clamped to a cleaning rod that I can rotate with a drill that does okay but not great.

I'm looking at the "sweepsall" poly brushes that are real thin, kinda expensive. Anybody know if I could get a 12" or maybe a 16" brush up an 8" pipe and maybe clean the cap screen pretty good? Any better ideas?

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Any better ideas?

From the outside: BB Gun? Slingshoot with rocks? Just kidding......

Have you ever looked at the item called Sooteater? It is kind of like the string part of a string trimmer mounted on flex rods, powered by your drill, and fed from bottom up. A couple of people here use it.

Shari

 

[mga]

i've removed my cap. first i removed the screen because it got too clogged. then, later i just removed the cap completely. fires burn alot better without it.

 

[LazyJ]

Sooteater huh, I believe I can make one of them gadgets, thanky shari

 

[savageactor7]

A number of years ago we had our brick chimney totally removed and replaced the experience mason flat out refused to put a chimney cap it. Claimed they cause more problems than they solved.

Capless and content.

 

[LazyJ]

I've had three chimney fires that I know of and they've all been right there in the cap which I can't clean. In my experience they get gooped up no matter how you burn. I've argued again and again with my insurance agent that the cap/screen is the most dangerous part of my setup but he insists my insurance is void w/o it. I'd love to just remove the screen. I might even check with other insurers. It was very windy when it caught fire last week and I about messed my pants while watching fireballs rain down the roof. I had just cleaned the pipe 3 days before and was thrilled with how clean and dull colored the result was, Then when I opened the door on basically a bed of hot coals I heard the cap fire up like a gasoline explosion.

 

[gtstang462002]

I've had three chimney fires that I know of and they've all been right there in the cap which I can't clean. In my experience they get gooped up no matter how you burn. I've argued again and again with my insurance agent that the cap/screen is the most dangerous part of my setup but he insists my insurance is void w/o it. I'd love to just remove the screen. I might even check with other insurers. It was very windy when it caught fire last week and I about messed my pants while watching fireballs rain down the roof. I had just cleaned the pipe 3 days before and was thrilled with how clean and dull colored the result was, Then when I opened the door on basically a bed of hot coals I heard the cap fire up like a gasoline explosion.

USAA didn't seem to care about my chimney at all. When I bought insurance for my place they asked about a fireplace, I answered yes, they asked about the swimming pool, I said yes, they said well that is going to cost you a little more.