Vacuum for Chimney Sweeping

[Andrew]

I am considering purchasing equipment to sweep my (lined) chimney. In the past professional sweeps have failed to impress - eg. they have struggled remove the firebricks/baffle plate from my clearview stove - and then failed to correctly reassemble them afterwards.

Obtaining brushes and rods seems straightforward, but a vacuum to ensure the mess is contained seems to be more difficult. Websites selling such equipment say that a HEPA filter is necessary as "soot is now a carcinogen" - but without quantifying the risk. Such vacuums start at £350 new, but less secondhand. Another thought is to use a non HEPA vacuum outside with a long hose through a window, but there are reports of soot clogging up non specialist equipment. Concerns about the dangers from very occasional exposure to soot may be exagerated - after all one could say the same about petrol fumes, yet we all fill our cars up.

Any thoughts from anyone who does DIY chimney sweeping? My main motivation is to ensure a good job is done regularly rather than saving costs, but I am also mindfull that I will soon have a second stove in use which helps to justify capital expenditure.

Andrew

[Syd Rumpo]

SWMBO purchased HEPA filters for our Henry. I expect they were a bit more expensive than the normal ones.

Cheers

[Dave Liquorice]

I've half toyed with getting a set but the flue will require the really flexable rods which seem rather harder to obtain. Also the sweep doesn't use a brush but a thing with balls on the end of springy rods. Have you come across a source of these?

It's a carcinogen ergo bad ergo you don't need to quantify anything...

I have a Earlex wet 'n dry that I use for the final cleaning of the grate and bottom of the flues T at the back of the rear exit stove. TBH there isn't a lot of soft dry powdery soot from our stove, its mostly a light shiny crispy solid.

If I had the rods/bobbly thing I also get the long exhaust hose for the Earlex and poke it out the window, but that's more to stop airborne soot getting into the house and upsetting the management. B-)

One can also place a cyclone before the vacuum to trap a lot of the muck before it reaches there. Maybe one of the commercial "Ash Cans"?

[Harry Bloomfield]

Andrew formulated the question :

I would organise one of those of those in-line vortex filter tanks, which was mentioned a few days ago, fitted in the vacuum hose. Its a simple DIY job, then place the vac itself outdoors.

[Andrew]

Are you refering to this?

I have only seen a sweep using something similar to this - but it may be that your sweep is more knowledgeable and better equipped. Problem is finding a good sweep - there seem to be 4 different professional organisations some of which accept new members with a couple of days training.

[Tim+]

I would question whether you need a vacuum cleaner at all.

I tape up my fireplace and the sweep my chimney from the top so that the soot falls into the sealed hearth.

Much less messy but it does depend on your roof access.

Tim

[Tim+]

You mean as dangerous as a burger??

If you don't know an answer adding totally useless and incorrect info helps no one.

Many many things are carcinogenic but some we need to worry about a lot more than others.

Tim

[harryagain]

I clean my own chimney. SS double wall insulated, rigid sections The answer (if practicable) is to do it from the top down. (Door shut on stove) Most of my soot (wood burner) is in the top 300mm of the chimney, ie where the hot gases meet the cold air and condense out. Mostly I don't need the brushes. I take the top section off the chmney (insulated stainless steel) and five minutes scraping does the job. (Sat on roof)

I have brush & rods, put them in from the top if needed. No muck indoors, stove is closed up. Shine torch down to check it's clear or not. Mostly they aren't needed, I have a good blaze once a week, this burns off all the tar and soot before it has chance to accumulate. The main reason for chimney sweping is to avoid chimney fires.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Tim+ writes

My planned method for my Clearview. Tuits not arrived as yet:-)

Question for the OP, how much soot did the *sweep* find and after how much use?

[spuorgelgoog]

There are some useful links for dust extraction equipment at

including

Owain

[newshound]

ISTR that many chimney sweeps used to use Nilfisks

[Dave Liquorice]

If you don't know an answer adding totally useless and incorrect info

helps no one.

[Dave Liquorice]

The rods possibly, to get around the the T at the back of the stove needs a really flexable rod, sort of thing you can tie into a knot.

The brush no, the sweep used a thing with lots of small (

[Andrew]

Good point. Not possible at the moment due to an adjacent attached garage with asbestos cement roof, but in due course I hope to replace this with something which can take my weight.

[Andrew]

Sweeps comment on form was "Good quantity of soot. Recommend resweep in

12 months"

Woodburner is my principal source of space heating. Chimney is lined and insulated - but it is an exposed stack on a bungalow. It also has a couple of bends which someone thought was a good idea to improve the draft in the 1960's... On the positive side I have taken care only to burn well seasoned wood, or sawdust brickets, and try to avoid slumbering the stove. Stove does not incorporate a boiler.

[Bob Eager]

A Henry and some HEPAflo bags would be only just over £100.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I watched someone having their chimney swept some years ago. The sweep used a giant industrial vacuum cleaner coupled up to a board which (attempted to) seal around the fireplace. You could see the soot being ejected from the vacuum's exhaust.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Andrew writes

Hmm... mine is rather overdue:-(

7" flexible flue sleeved with rockwool sections. Internal stack and not slumbered. Dry hardwood fuel.

I am nervous of removing the firebrick as the rear section now has a couple of cracks.

[Andy Burns]

[Dave Liquorice]