Flexible chimney rods rear flued stoves with liners

[Alycidon]

I usually remove these bars upon installation so sweeping can be done from below.

 

So do we

 

 

Are they fitted so you can't sweep from below though? I thought the reason for the bar was due to them having fragile compressed vermiculite baffle plates and it was stop you smashing the baffle to pieces with the brush if sweeping from the top?

 

That is exactly why they are fitted, in Germany it is illegal to sweep for below so the bar serves a dual purpose. Think Poland is another is the same situation. I have them on the Bergan from Nordpies.

 

A

[Fahrenheit]

What are the reasons for not allowing sweeping from below?

[Fahrenheit]

I've had a good look around online and I can't find anything to suggest that you can't sweep chimney from below in Germany or Poland. Where did you get this info from?

 

It just doesn't make sense why there would be a reg banning sweeping from below.

[Alycidon]

From ACR Heat Products Ltd who are the UK importer for Nordpies stoves when I asked them what the bar was for as it impeded sweeping.

 

A

[Alycidon]

What are the reasons for not allowing sweeping from below?

 

No idea, German building regs I suppose.

 

A

[Fahrenheit]

Hmm. I don't think they're right on that. The bars are removable from a lot of the stoves without having to dismantle the flue or collar and therefore it wouldn't stop anyone from sweeping from below. All of the stoves that have bars accross the flue outlet have vermiculite baffle plates and I was told it was to stop the baffles getting bust when swept from the top.

 

I may be wrong but it just doesnt make sense.

 

Do you sell Nordpeis? What you reckon?

[Stereo]

I've got a bit of a problem with the flue on our Esse. I'm not sure they did the best job on it (Hetas certified etc). We have a high ceiling and it's about 5 foot of single wall from the Esse vertically, then a 45 to the right. Then another 5 foot or so of single wall and another 45 upwards which is where it changes to SS double wall before it goes through the roof (single storey at this part of the house).

 

For a start I find it impossible to get a brush around the second bend, it snags on something. So I either have to dismantle the vitreous part every year or get up on the roof to sweep the SS part which just goes straight up about 20 foot to the ridge of the rest of the house. I have tried standard rods and brushes and even bought some white flexy ones with a brush with a ball on the end. I even trimmed the bristles on this one to make it more conical but no luck. The problem is that after the brush goes around the first bend, I guess it's then being forced against the bottom edge of the diagional pipe so has no reason to go around the second bend.

 

Couple questions really. Any ideas on how to get around this bend from below and also, should they have used so much single wall pipe? It's a pig to sweep as I guess it gums up more as it's colder. The SS stuff comes up shiny with a single sweep with a soft brush.

[NFG]

No, the flexible wire stuff wont be man enough to drive the brush vertically

 

If you do get some poles & a brush, check they flex enough to fit & the brush is the right size for your flue, so consider to source locally rather than e-bay.

 

If I rotate the poles when brushing then I turn in the direction that would tighten the brush onto the pole, or you will have to send an extremely thin child up the flue to recover the brush!

 

I also tie a length of strong chord to the brush, so if the brush did come undone it permits easy removal.

[Fahrenheit]

It's doesn't sound great but it also doesn't sound like it shouldnt work or not be sweepable. I've installed many appliances with a couple of 45° bends and don't have problems sweeping them. I'd usually use a set of 3/4" bailey rods with a 6" brush. It should go around the bends. Otherwise nylon flexi rods. One little tip with these is to bend the brush at the end a little so it's already heading the the direction of the vertical piece. I also don't bother with balls on the end of the brushes for the flexi rods as it makes the whole thing much more rigid. Can you not get a chimney sweep in to do it?

[Stereo]

I could but I'm too tight! Thanks for the tips. I thought about a brush with a wire shank and putting a little bend in it then marking the poles so I can make sure it's in the right direction when it gets to the second 45.

 

Our other stove is just a couple feet of enameled and then SS straight up and it takes me literally 10 minutes to sweep it a few times a year.