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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / cleaning a wood stove
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beulahfarkward
Member
# Posted: 18 Oct 2010 18:08
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Hello. We just bought a small one room log cabin with a nice little wood stove. I think first order of business is clean the stove properly so we can use it safely. We have a metal roof. Can we stand on that to shove a brush down the chimney pipe? Is there any other way to clean it? I have no electricity and only water that we carry up. thanks for your help. I love this site! It is such a great help to a newbie like me.

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 21 Oct 2010 23:20
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Does the chimney go straight out the top of the stove or exit through the back with a 90 bend to go up?

Mine goes straight through the top and through the roof, the best in my opinion. I have a metal roof and installed a few horizontal bars to help with secure footing up there by the chimney.

We have a telescoping length of pipe that connects the stove to the insulated pipe at the ceiling. I first remove the screws that secure the pipe to the stove. Then lift the pipe up a couple feet. I tie a heavy duty plastic bag over the end of the pipe. (heavy bag salvaged from garden supplies, soil, lava rock, etc.) This is to catch the crap.

On the roof I remove the cap and use a round wire brush on fiberglass wands. The wands are threaded each end so as you push it down the pipe another can be attached for another 6 feet. Once it hits bottom (the stove) I pull it back out. Then repeat.

Down inside again I remove and haul away the bag. I use a shop vac to clean any debris from inside the stove smoke chamber. Then pull the chimney tube back down and reattach the screws.

Of course the stove must be cold to do this.

If there is a 90 degree fitting some of those are equipped with clean outs and the cleaning brush may be inserted from there. Straight up draw better though.

beulahfarkward
Member
# Posted: 31 Oct 2010 15:06
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Hey thank you! The chimney goes straight up and out. So how did you install bars to secure footing on the roof? What did you use for the bars and how did you secure them?

We have a metal roof as well and we are worried sliding off - the pitch is pretty steep.

Also am I supposed to "black" the stove? I have seen stove blacking at the hardware store.

Thank you so much for helping out a newbie.

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 31 Oct 2010 18:39
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I used 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/16 thick angle aluminum stock. I used that because I had some already. I placed a strip of Grace Vycor door and window flashing material (self adhesive butyl rubber) between the aluminum angle stock and the steel roofing. Secured the aluminum to the metal roof ribs with gasketed roofing screws that are made for joining metal to metal, not the long ones that are used to screw the roofing down to wood. The stock I used is cut to about 20 inches in length and attach to three of the taller ribs. I spaced them about 12 inches apart going up the roof.


The stove only needs to be blackened if it's rusty or you simply want to make it look newer.

2Dogs
Member
# Posted: 31 Oct 2010 21:44
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I use an extension ladder to climb on too steep to walk roofs. You want to use a heavy duty one 250 or 300 lb rating and lay the ladder flat on the roof, so it matches it's pitch. I raise the feet out of the way and jamb the aluminum rails into the ground then with a sledge drive two stakes behind the bottom rung.

You will of course need a ladder long enough to reach the chimney.

Another method I use is to tie a rope on an extension ladder and throw it over the roof. pull it up to the chimney and secure the rope to something on the other side of the house. You will need a second ladder with this method to get up on the roof.

You will also want to tie a rope around two of the rungs of the ladder so it does not slide apart as it will be in tension not compression, as it is normally used.

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