Flexible rods for flue cleaning?

[kevin j]

For years I have cleaned from the roof, using snap together alum pole from a roof snow brush, with wire brush fitted to it. Works ok, but I am getting older for roof climbing !

I would like to clean from bottom, going through a tee that is inboard of the actual stove connection, about 3 ft horizontal, make a hard 90 degree turn in a tee in the flue, and upwards.

Flue is 6 inch smooth stainless liner, inside a masonary/brick chimney, about 18 ft vertical.

I have very little buildup and it is easy to brush.

I expect there will be more mess, but beyond that, are any of the flexible rods soft enough to make that turn, and still push a wire or poly brush upwards?

Thks, kcj

 

[LondonNeil]

The power sweeping type such as cyclone or sooteater will make bends like that and do a good job of sweeping. Sweeping from the inside can be easy and very clean.

 

[Little Al]

The Plastic /GRP metre or so length threaded end rods will NOT negotiate a 90 degree bend our flues with 90 bends have a "T "fitted at the bend position with a cap on the third leg so cap removed sweep horizontal part soot falls out though where the cap fits then sweep the vertical pipe inserting were the cap was fitted If the soot is not baked on I find the plastic bristle brush does a better job than the wire ,remember if twisting rods always CLOCKWISE you don't want them unsrewing

 

[kevin j]

Did some reading on SootEater. For the buildup I get, the nylon whips would probably work fine.
But I see a few comments, and thought this ahead of time, that all the fibreglass rods are not flexible enough for 90 degree turns. That is my main question.
Attaching a pic.

I brush from above, then clean (shop vac outside, long hose ran in through the window) the horizontal pipe from the tee cap above stove, which is where I’d like to brtush from below.

Then I clean a small space above stove firebrick from the cap facing the wall.


The brick was in the house when I bought it. tiny house, almost condemned, but brick is awesome. PO had wood stove up, furnace and water heater gas down, all in same unlined flue. I changed to condensing furnace and water heater, added ss hard liner to flue, and like an idiot, didn’t think about running the ss to the basement and adding a cleanout elbow. Should have been obvious,but it is my first wood stove, 23 years now. The flue was there, really dumb move. All mudded in and not changeable now.
Hence the q’s.

 

[olyman]

guys that clean chimneys for a living,,have acess to bendable rods...guys that cleaned mine,,hadem....

 

[CaseyForrest]

The flexible rods that come with the soot eater will go through a 90... Not sure how it would handle an additional 90 just past the first one if you have one.

 

[kevin j]

I just have one 90° inside the brickwork going upward. I go in horizontally from the capped run of the tee above the stove so maybe the soot eaters might work for me. If I can find some in the store and see how flexible they are

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

The sooteater rods can easily do a 90*. Can probably do a 180* with one rod.

 

[kevin j]

whether it will do that 90 bend at a a tight enough radius for a 6 inch squared tee inside the wall is the key.
At tight radius, might not take the fatigue stresses of rotation, but I can also use a brush in stead of the whipper lines.
they sound promising enough to chase some and flex in hand.

thks all for input. kcj

 

[LondonNeil]

With the soot Eater don't leave it spinning at one spot, it won't fatigue but friction where it rubs will melt the rod. If spinning it should be moving in or out, then it's fine. Better rods are more heat resistant to combat this

 

[MudgeHollowBeaver]

I used to use the heavy fiberglass rods from the top of the chimney while clinging on to an extension ladder. I finally got a SootEater system, and will never go back to top down cleaning. My chimney has a full size 90 liner degree elbow that is capped and accessed outside at the liner base installed below the T that the stove connects to. I slip the SootEater through a 2" PVC 90 degree electrical conduit to act as a guide and protective sleeve or bushing where the rod would be bending and rubbing as it enters the chimney liner elbow.

 

[kevin j]

I used to use the heavy fiberglass rods from the top of the chimney while clinging on to an extension ladder. I finally got a SootEater system, and will never go back to top down cleaning. My chimney has a full size 90 liner degree elbow that is capped and accessed outside at the liner base installed below the T that the stove connects to. I slip the SootEater through a 2" PVC 90 degree electrical conduit to act as a guide and protective sleeve or bushing where the rod would be bending and rubbing as it enters the chimney liner elbow.

Great idea. Thks. Kcj