Getting chimney soot out of my ductwork

Firedragon_4

I was taught the 'cheesecloth' thing a long time ago, have used it many times and it works.

But, you really need a duct cleaning. Check these guys out carefully, they're like all of us, very good or............

I know Sears does it and also many of my buddies in the chimney sweep business. Don't take off the cheesecloth until it's done and a little while afterwards.

Good luck!

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Mad Dog_2

without getting it all over the house

Last fall, when My boilers weren't drafting well, I began to look in to the chimney and find out what was going on. Long story short: we pulled out about 10 beer cans from diffrent eras. There were Ballantine, Rheingold, etc packed in there with 2X4 pieces and about 5 8-gallon buckets of soot. We started to shop vac it out when we realized the helper never put the bag back in the vac (glad we got rid of him...one of many dopey things he did). Soot all through the house - wife very very p.o.d. Even though the ac wasn't running some soot traveled thru them. Before we get the ac going for the summer, what is the best material to use ? I've been told to use cheesecloth over all the suiplly ducts. What'chall think? Thanks in advance and thanks for the great advice on dog's poopoiung on lawn and on my son's class presentation that went very well. Thanks for the pens Dan. Mad Dog

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BillW@honeywell

Hey, MD...

George beat me to it, and he's right. If you know a pro, use him. Maybe a like for like swap? You clean my ducts, I'll fix your boiler? Just a thought. While you're cleaning, and you'll have the ductwork apart anyhow, consider installing one of our advanced media fiters; since you only use the ductwork for AC, an electronic air cleaner would be overkill. One of the Enviracaire Elite models would work...get me the duct dimensions & I'll get you the part# and where to get it.

J.C.A._3

Matt,

I'll go along with the cheesecloth theory too, but don't just lay it one way across the vents. Layer in two directions! Ask me how I learned this trick.

Hope you find some treasures in the ductwork. I still have a small bat that the Red Sox gave away on "bat day" in 1967, a couple of old plastic army guys(full size, not those tiny little ones) and various other fossils I've saved from teardowns. Chris

Mad Dog_2

Thanks fellas

Mad Dog

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

Mad Dog:

Is it the sticky slightly oily stuff that I like to call "old house dust"? Will a paint brush mainly move it around without really removing? Comes off easily on your finger, but not so easily otherwise? Gets in your pores and requires detergent to remove?

If so, am not sure that the duct cleaning devices I've seen will be very effective. The cheesecloth may well be the best way even if you have to make a lot of openings... The one good thing is that the stuff tends to stick and stay there. Think of the gravity warm air ducts from a coal furnace...

Bob Harper

soot particles

can be less than 0.3 microns so cheese cloth alone cannot filter it all when even a HEPA filter won't. Don't forget to open a basement window to neutralize the house pressure so there aren't strong air currents whipping in and do it on a calm day. Duct cleaning is ok but do to electrostatic attraction, it sure doesn't get it all. Install a high efficiency filter such as a Space Guard and change it in a few weeks.
Once the dust settles, put a liner into that chimney!