cleaning chimney (long)

[Anonymous-0]

The chimney on my wood burning stove has two ninety's in an approximately 30' vertical run (almost in the middle), no access without major demo, chimney is 8" triple wall SS. Stove started smoking..so I cleaned the stove, replaced the 6" flue pipe to the 8" chimney, and cleaned the chimney from the top to the first 90. Question - how do I clean the bottom half and how do I get the debris out of the the 90 from the top half. Everything is in the middle of the house. No accessible clean out at bottom. Last resort I guess is call a chimney sweep. Thanks

 

[T in NE]

How far from the top is the 90s? Air gun an option?

 

[Anonymous-0]

14.5' . . don't think air gun would work

 

[Sean Feeney]

I have taped pex tubing to a shop vac to reach places before

 

[Dave Sherburne NY]

Can you replace the 90s with Ts and put a removable cap in the Ts to gain access?

 

[Anonymous-0]

require major demo/rebuild . . stone enclosure of chimney

 

[Russ from MN]

Sounds like a real bad design for burning wood! We had to offset a pipe last summer but we kept it to 5" on a 6" pipe. We used 2 45's. I plan on putting a lead weight on the bottom of the brush and a piece of rubber hose connecting the brush to the extensions.












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[Butcher]

This will do the hard to get parts.
Untitled URL Link

 

[MSS3020]

Ouch... 90....I have about 24 feet to clean..to make mine easier I put a weight on baler twine and tied baler twine to the bottom of the wire cleaner.. Drop the weight down the flew and my kid helps me by pulling on twine till it gets to the bottom.. i have two 45 to go which are at the bottom of this 24' so kid pulling helps.. If string brakes then I can pull up.. usually once he pulls the sucker down we cut the twine and I pull up.. DONE.. Dont know if you can pull through the 90 or not..

 

[gtractorfan]

Ditto on the "T's" instead of elbows. I have this T in the stove pipe next to the stove, it's wonderful access to monitor what's going on with the chimney.

 

[T in NE]

Just be sure to put the shop vac outside before using it. Or be ready to be standing in a cloud of very fine ash.

 

[Bret4207]

You have a real tough row to hoe. You're screwed. I'd ask what idiot installed it like that, but at this point it's moot. The Pex sound like a possible answer or a really big vacuum. I'd plan on redoing it come summer. It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[inkspot]

a ping pong ball or stirafoam rounded as you can get or make attached to the lightest string blow that down the chimney with as large of volume of air as you can (not pressure volume) when it gets to bottom hook binder twine or heavier twine pull that through and then you can hook chain or rope or however you want to pull through

 

[37ar]

could you pull something threw your chimney with an electricians fish tape?

 

[Anonymous-0]

that's what i am thinking…unless a better idea shows up

 

[Zachary Hoyt]

How much horizontal pipe is there between the two 90s?
Zach

 

[Anonymous-0]

I do not know for sure..I don't think much, by the with of chimney encloser.

 

[Goose]

Just don't do like one dip.... I heard about once who wanted some weight on the end of a brush to run down his chimney.

He went out to his shop and attempted to weld a weight onto the brush. What he attempted to weld on for a weight was a live hand grenade. He and his shop are no longer with us.

He did make the Darwin awards.

 

[pburg]

Just a thought:::How about checking with the folks that clean air ducts commercially. Might be worth a call---

 

[Bobkatz]

90's are a no no in a chimney!! Like others have said it's BAD!

I would stop using this set up until something could be changed to eliminate them! You are going to experience a chimney fire!

I have been heating with a wood stove for over 40 years, & regularly clean the chimney once every month during heating season! I don't have chimney fires!!

If U ever witnessed one you would believe me!
Bobkatz

 

[RodinNS]

I think what you got there is a burn out waiting to happen...
If it was mine I think I'd want to get it such that you can reach the vertical pipe from one side to get the debris cleaned out. Normally if you're burning dry wood and keep a hot fire there won't be much to clean... but if you keep a low fire or use green wood.... a fire is about all that will clean that tar out.
Short of ripping it apart I don't see how you're going to get that thing clean and know it's clean.
Be a lot easier once the rest is burnt to the ground.

Rod

 

[JOB]

As most others have said you have a fire waiting to happen. My uncle has a slight off set in a masonry chimney and after the second fire his insurance company said they would drop him if he did not make the chimney straight.

What might help is to burn one of those store bought logs that get rid of the creosote. Or you could burn a pop can a day with a hot fire, supposed to do the same thing that the store bought log does. A barley pop can works also. You would still have the ash in the horizontal chimney that would restrict the fire smoke though.

The best advice you received so far is to straighten out your chimney. Relocate your heating unit to the chimney or relocate your chimney to the wood burner. Stay warm and do not burn your house down.

I clean my chimney and the pipe from the indoor boiler to the chimney the first of the month throughout the heating season. Have not had a fire yet.

 

[retired farmer]

You might want to do some major demo then and straighten it out. You don't need a chimney fire. I wouldn't think it would draw too good with the extra elbow. That is why I don't like wood stoves.

 

[David G]

The 90s need to go away, it is a fire waiting to happen. You should use 45's if an offset is needed.

 

[showcrop]

I would look seriously at making a clean-out at the bottom. It may be a bit of a job but better than the alternatives.