- The product is manufactured in china
- The product is highly durable and easy to use
- Easy installation and easy handling
- Spinning chimney whip-removes dangerous soot and creosote build-up better than a brush
- Helps prevent flue fires
- Do it yourself and save money
- Won't scratch metal flue pipes
- Spins forward and reverse
The Sooteater RCH205 Rotary Chimney Cleaning System cleans wood stove and fireplace flues. Spinning chimney whip removes dangerous soot and creosote buildup better than a brush. Helps prevent flue fires. Unique trim to fit design fits multiple flue sizes. Will work on round from 5 to 18-Inch in diameter; 12=Inch x 12-Inch square, rectangle or oval flues up to 8-Inch x 12-Inch. Won't scratch metal flues like a steel brush. Fits through tight areas. Fits on any drill and spins forward and reverse. Cleans from the bottom up without getting on a ladder so you can DIY and save money. Includes (6) 3-Feet long flexible rods with reversible bottom link quick connect system.
By T. Ayres
This kit is very easy to use. The instructions are well written. I followed them exactly and had no problems cleaning my built-in fireplace from the bottom up. One tip I would add is to use a clump of wet paper towels in the hand you use to guide the rods with. As you pull the rods out the wet towel cleans them and keeps your hand from turning black.
This is a great product and my chimney is spotless now. This will be a huge cost savings over having it professionally cleaned every year for $150!
This is a great product and my chimney is spotless now. This will be a huge cost savings over having it professionally cleaned every year for $150!
By Cara
This worked fabulously! It is well built and not flimsy, the parts fit nicely, and this did the job! We have a wood stove with no bends, straight shot about 16 feet to the cap (minus the part from the ceiling to the stove). We don't have a wood stove with a wide-open hole like on the Youtube. We removed the piece from the stove to the ceiling, took a milk jug and cut the handle off to put the rods through, put the head on trimmed to the size of our pipe, taped the jug to the pipe with duct tape, and then duct taped our shop vac (actually an old canister house vac) to the mouth of the jug. Then it was a matter of working the way up the pipe with the head and adding rods every three feet and then working the way back down. The tip is to use a good drill with good torque. Our corded drill handled the job easily. After 5 years, we got a small bag full of soot / creosote and the pipe appears shiny again. This worked really really well and we are very very pleased. Thank you to whomever mentioned the milk jug -- that made ALL the difference! Definitely use the milk jug.
By LCP1
I've had a wood stove for over 40 years and thus lots of experience with cleaning/maintaining them. As a DIYer, I was skeptical when I read about this product, but I thought to give it a try since my chimney is accessible only with a long extension ladder. It worked as advertised. I was stunned and very pleased. It worked well on my lined 6" pipe, and it required 7 1/2 lengths (~23 feet) to reach the top. I took someone's suggestion and pulled the plastic whips through the head and cut to size, now I have a spare set. I made a "catch-all" to reduce soot and dust in the house as follows: Cut the bottom off of a dried plastic gallon milk container, discard the plastic cover and also cut a small access hole on one side towards the handle. Thread a cleaning rod with the head attached through this hole so the brush is in the container (ie, bottom). The brush can be inserted into the clean-out pipe through the T and the container fitted over the stove pipe and the edges taped. I then placed the vacuum hose (central vac was perfect for this BUT make absolutely sure your stove and ashes etc are dead cold - obviously) in the spout opening of the container, sealed with tape. Turn on the vacuum, and start the process of feeding the spinning head up the chimney inserting length by length through the access hole. Most of the soot and dust is caught in the catch-all. Reusable and it can be recycled!
By SteveT
I purchased the Sooteater last winter to do a mid-winter cleaning. Great idea. It worked perfectly; I got a couple of cups of soot and dry creosote out of my (lined) flue. So far so good. Probably as good as it gets for a bottom-up cleaning.
Then this summer I figured to use it again in lieu of a full professional cleaning, thereby saving $150.00. BIG MISTAKE.
It's one thing to do a "touch up" cleaning and another thing entirely to do the annual cleaning. So I had to get ALL THE WAY to the flue cap and make sure that area was well cleaned. Unfortunately for me, in doing so I dislodged the flue cap. Since I cannot get up on my high/steep roof, I now have the sweep coming to reattach the cap. Effectively I will pay full fare for them to do an already clean flue.
The product is fine, hence the five stars -- I just can't see marking the product down for "operator error". But use with caution -- a powered brush can easily dislodge the cap, rendering the flue unusable unless you are willing and able to get onto the roof. If you are, probably traditional brushes will work just as well.
Then this summer I figured to use it again in lieu of a full professional cleaning, thereby saving $150.00. BIG MISTAKE.
It's one thing to do a "touch up" cleaning and another thing entirely to do the annual cleaning. So I had to get ALL THE WAY to the flue cap and make sure that area was well cleaned. Unfortunately for me, in doing so I dislodged the flue cap. Since I cannot get up on my high/steep roof, I now have the sweep coming to reattach the cap. Effectively I will pay full fare for them to do an already clean flue.
The product is fine, hence the five stars -- I just can't see marking the product down for "operator error". But use with caution -- a powered brush can easily dislodge the cap, rendering the flue unusable unless you are willing and able to get onto the roof. If you are, probably traditional brushes will work just as well.
By Windza
UPDATE (Oct 18, 2014): Added another star to the four I gave it last year.
I just finished my annual chimney clean today using this item... last winter I burned ~2.5 full cords (not facing/kitchen cords) of which ~30% was not well seasoned and there was an easy 1/4" to 1/2" of soot and creosote build-up.
Suffice to say, I was a little anxious about the task at hand. It was cold and rainy outside and top down cleaning really wasn't an option so armed with my chimney soot whacker, shop vac and flash light, I set-up in the living room and went about cleaning from the bottom.
I had anticipated a 2-3 hour ordeal chipping away at layer after layer of solidified smoke but in the first five minutes of cleaning the firebox and damper, I realised it was going to be a breeze.
The whipping trimmer line made light work of everything glued to the sides and I found myself done inside 25mins... not only was it quick, but I was super happy with how clean it ended up too.
For those of you wondering; I also found cleaning from the bottom up to be heaps quicker, safer, cleaner and all round just easier. No ladders, roof pitch, chimney caps, dust in your face or dropped tools to deal with.
Just make sure there is a decent draft going up the chimney (or the dust will inevitably end up on the inside of your house!).
I didn't bother with the instructions to seal the fireplace opening with a plastic sheet, I just had the shop vac (with a 1 micron fine dust filter) running the entire time with the suction pipe pointed up into the chimney.
And just to be clear, I have no ties/affiliation with the reseller/manufacturer of this device - I'd be suspicious of such a glowing review myself but I'm honestly just an impressed user.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (Nov 1, 2013):
I paid $275 earlier this year to have a chimney cleaned in a new residence with no real idea of the service delivered (I'm originally from Queensland, Australia, chimney cleaning is an absolute non-issue; what can I say?).
Nonetheless, I'm a Mech. Engineer with an innate drive for DIY so I figured this product would suit my prep for a snow belt winter in Western NY... we've got two options for heating our ~3000sq.ft. log cabin; propane or a relatively large wood fireplace (with recirculated heat-exchanged air) that sits in a vaulted ceiling living room.
With the math done, wood burning is by far the cheapest (and warmest) method of heating the house... I'm fully aware it's not the most environmentally friendly method but at almost ~$1000p.a. saving I figure I can put that toward offsetting the increased carbon I contribute ;-) Add in the $275 saved not having to use a sweep and I might feel like a wind farmer!
Getting back to the real point, this product is great... I worked from the top down with the damper closed (to decrease the possibility of dust issues in the house) and was blown away by how effective it is at removing chimney build-up of all kinds (glaze, creosote and soot). Glaze is incredibly hard to remove without solvent (and the manual does suggest professional help for glaze) but I was surprised to see how much it did remove.
It is essentially a weed whacker/trimmer for your chimney and I'm confident it replaces a chimney sweep for 90% of people that have educated themselves on having a safe chimney.
It did a great job removing build-up on the grate in the chimney cap as well...
Having said all that, don't go buying this thinking it'll save you doing hard labour to keep your chimney clean... it's simply a great tool that will save time in the process. If you can't be bothered spending the better part of a day a year to inspect and keep your chimney in order then I'd recommend you use a professional sweep instead.
The rod couplings are a decent design and I had no issues with disconnections... just make sure you keep the chuck tight on the drill (if you're doing top down) and it'll be fine.
The fact it's been designed to work with readily available trimmer line is just icing on the cake; most other manufacturers would make it proprietary for the added financial benefit but common sense has prevailed here... hip hooray!
N.B. Don't be an idiot; this thing creates dust that contains all kinds of toxins... the top down approach is likely the worst (the updraft in most chimneys WILL come back at you!) so please use a dust mask. AND, if you use a vac for final clean-up downstairs, use a filter rated for fireplace soot/ash!
I just finished my annual chimney clean today using this item... last winter I burned ~2.5 full cords (not facing/kitchen cords) of which ~30% was not well seasoned and there was an easy 1/4" to 1/2" of soot and creosote build-up.
Suffice to say, I was a little anxious about the task at hand. It was cold and rainy outside and top down cleaning really wasn't an option so armed with my chimney soot whacker, shop vac and flash light, I set-up in the living room and went about cleaning from the bottom.
I had anticipated a 2-3 hour ordeal chipping away at layer after layer of solidified smoke but in the first five minutes of cleaning the firebox and damper, I realised it was going to be a breeze.
The whipping trimmer line made light work of everything glued to the sides and I found myself done inside 25mins... not only was it quick, but I was super happy with how clean it ended up too.
For those of you wondering; I also found cleaning from the bottom up to be heaps quicker, safer, cleaner and all round just easier. No ladders, roof pitch, chimney caps, dust in your face or dropped tools to deal with.
Just make sure there is a decent draft going up the chimney (or the dust will inevitably end up on the inside of your house!).
I didn't bother with the instructions to seal the fireplace opening with a plastic sheet, I just had the shop vac (with a 1 micron fine dust filter) running the entire time with the suction pipe pointed up into the chimney.
And just to be clear, I have no ties/affiliation with the reseller/manufacturer of this device - I'd be suspicious of such a glowing review myself but I'm honestly just an impressed user.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (Nov 1, 2013):
I paid $275 earlier this year to have a chimney cleaned in a new residence with no real idea of the service delivered (I'm originally from Queensland, Australia, chimney cleaning is an absolute non-issue; what can I say?).
Nonetheless, I'm a Mech. Engineer with an innate drive for DIY so I figured this product would suit my prep for a snow belt winter in Western NY... we've got two options for heating our ~3000sq.ft. log cabin; propane or a relatively large wood fireplace (with recirculated heat-exchanged air) that sits in a vaulted ceiling living room.
With the math done, wood burning is by far the cheapest (and warmest) method of heating the house... I'm fully aware it's not the most environmentally friendly method but at almost ~$1000p.a. saving I figure I can put that toward offsetting the increased carbon I contribute ;-) Add in the $275 saved not having to use a sweep and I might feel like a wind farmer!
Getting back to the real point, this product is great... I worked from the top down with the damper closed (to decrease the possibility of dust issues in the house) and was blown away by how effective it is at removing chimney build-up of all kinds (glaze, creosote and soot). Glaze is incredibly hard to remove without solvent (and the manual does suggest professional help for glaze) but I was surprised to see how much it did remove.
It is essentially a weed whacker/trimmer for your chimney and I'm confident it replaces a chimney sweep for 90% of people that have educated themselves on having a safe chimney.
It did a great job removing build-up on the grate in the chimney cap as well...
Having said all that, don't go buying this thinking it'll save you doing hard labour to keep your chimney clean... it's simply a great tool that will save time in the process. If you can't be bothered spending the better part of a day a year to inspect and keep your chimney in order then I'd recommend you use a professional sweep instead.
The rod couplings are a decent design and I had no issues with disconnections... just make sure you keep the chuck tight on the drill (if you're doing top down) and it'll be fine.
The fact it's been designed to work with readily available trimmer line is just icing on the cake; most other manufacturers would make it proprietary for the added financial benefit but common sense has prevailed here... hip hooray!
N.B. Don't be an idiot; this thing creates dust that contains all kinds of toxins... the top down approach is likely the worst (the updraft in most chimneys WILL come back at you!) so please use a dust mask. AND, if you use a vac for final clean-up downstairs, use a filter rated for fireplace soot/ash!
By Amazon Customer
Great device! I've been risking my life on the roof of my house for 20 years running a brush down the chimney each year. Between setting up the ladder, putting on a safety harness, climbing up on the roof, removing the chimney cap, manipulating the brush and then undoing it all, it took twice as long as setting up the Gardus and getting the job done from the safety and warmth of my family room. I should have bought the product a long time ago. Definitely take the time to set up the plastic soot protection around the fireplace, however, no matter how little soot you think you have. Follow the instructions an you'll be happy with the result.
By Eunice K.
I recently purchased this "sooteater" for my husband, saw it advertised on "Cool Tools", I am surprised how well it works. Easy to use. Just make sure you use the plastic sheet provided to cover clean out area. Our chimmney is a one story, clean out opening is in the basement at a height of 5'. We have no bottom opening. Woodburning furnace. My husband a DYI made a square wooden block ( 8x8) to fit in the clean out opening with a hole in the middle for the rods. This way the soot does not fly all over. It holds up pretty good with duct tape. Still a little bit messy, but beats going on the roof. I am happy, he is happy.
By D. Ross
What a great product! I was leery at first as to how this would work, spinning that thick rod at a 90 degree angle from inside my home, but it was flawless!
Every year I have mounted the roof, removed the cap and manually cleaned the chimney with a brush. My new roof is metal, there is snow on it, no way I wanted to attempt walking up there. Initially I removed the flu pipe, took it outside and tried the rotary tool. I could not believe how quickly and thoroughly it cleaned that pipe. Brought the unit inside and bagged the outlet at the thimble to avoid dust entering the house, it cleaned the Tee connection down to the SS in seconds. Rather than attempt cleaning the chimney from the family room, I opened the clean-out in the breezeway and set up from there.
Mind you, my chimney is a stainless steel insert, so I had to get the brush into the bottom of the SS Tee as it transitioned from masonry, it was not possible from the bottom so I removed the tool. From inside the family room I dropped a weighted line down the hole, retrieved it from the bottom, at the clean-out door. A loose noose was fitted around the brush and as I inserted it and a couple of rod lengths, someone pulled lightly on the line from the family room. The brush head easily transitioned at this point. The cleaning began from the breezeway, the was opening bagged off and a cleaner positioned to run just outside the door, but encased in the "tent". It honestly took me longer to add rods, remove/clean them, than it did to clean the chimney, it was a breeze, and all I used to power the rod was an old 18 volt Black and Decker cordless drill.
I cleaned on the way up and and back again on the way down. As an aside, I do add a "chimney sweep" type products to my stove regularly so this may have assisted in the ease of cleaning. Ended up with a couple of gallons of creosote at the bottom of the chimney by the clean-out door.
This product has already paid for itself, even if I had to purchase a new one each time, it paid for itself. Could not wait to do a review on it, one of those products that really works!
Every year I have mounted the roof, removed the cap and manually cleaned the chimney with a brush. My new roof is metal, there is snow on it, no way I wanted to attempt walking up there. Initially I removed the flu pipe, took it outside and tried the rotary tool. I could not believe how quickly and thoroughly it cleaned that pipe. Brought the unit inside and bagged the outlet at the thimble to avoid dust entering the house, it cleaned the Tee connection down to the SS in seconds. Rather than attempt cleaning the chimney from the family room, I opened the clean-out in the breezeway and set up from there.
Mind you, my chimney is a stainless steel insert, so I had to get the brush into the bottom of the SS Tee as it transitioned from masonry, it was not possible from the bottom so I removed the tool. From inside the family room I dropped a weighted line down the hole, retrieved it from the bottom, at the clean-out door. A loose noose was fitted around the brush and as I inserted it and a couple of rod lengths, someone pulled lightly on the line from the family room. The brush head easily transitioned at this point. The cleaning began from the breezeway, the was opening bagged off and a cleaner positioned to run just outside the door, but encased in the "tent". It honestly took me longer to add rods, remove/clean them, than it did to clean the chimney, it was a breeze, and all I used to power the rod was an old 18 volt Black and Decker cordless drill.
I cleaned on the way up and and back again on the way down. As an aside, I do add a "chimney sweep" type products to my stove regularly so this may have assisted in the ease of cleaning. Ended up with a couple of gallons of creosote at the bottom of the chimney by the clean-out door.
This product has already paid for itself, even if I had to purchase a new one each time, it paid for itself. Could not wait to do a review on it, one of those products that really works!
By Brewdude
I always get a little nervous after a few months of burning wood that my chimney may need to be cleaned and in the past backed off burning at the end of the season. Now I can clean the chimney whenever I start getting nervous.
I bought two sets - one for each chimney - and the 36' of rod were just enough for one chimney. Instructions tell you to use a cordless drill, my guess is the torque from a corded drill could break a rod. My 18v DeWalt cordless drill did fine even at 36' -- it did slip a couple times after 30', but wiggling the rod allowed it to keep spinning. I used two batteries to complete my 36' chimney, but I was moving back and forth rotating both directions 2-3 feet at a time going up and down the chimney, so probably a little more scrubbing than was needed.
I was surprised at the lack of mess. We have a 12 gallon shop vac, and I put a good bag in it -- Shop-Vac 9067200 10-14-Gallon High Efficiency Disposable Collection Filter Bag, 2-Pack. We saw soot falling and getting sucked right in.
I could have done this by myself, but having a helper move the shop vac hose and help with disconnecting the rods was beneficial.
The biggest mess is cleaning the rods as you pull them out. I had a couple "garage towels" laying on the floor and a damp hand towel for each chimney. I held the rod with the hand towel as I was rotating and pulling it out. Disconnected the rod, moved the damp towel to be a clean area of towel and did the the next rod. Several rod connectors were difficult to push down and I found that it was because of the pressure being put on the connector -- wiggling the two rods and pushing/pulling them allowed me to push down on the pin and disconnect the rods.
Actual cleaning time was 30-45 minutes, but that's after any steps needed to get easy access to your flue.
I cleaned two chimneys for less than the cost of a chimney sweep to come clean one.
I bought two sets - one for each chimney - and the 36' of rod were just enough for one chimney. Instructions tell you to use a cordless drill, my guess is the torque from a corded drill could break a rod. My 18v DeWalt cordless drill did fine even at 36' -- it did slip a couple times after 30', but wiggling the rod allowed it to keep spinning. I used two batteries to complete my 36' chimney, but I was moving back and forth rotating both directions 2-3 feet at a time going up and down the chimney, so probably a little more scrubbing than was needed.
I was surprised at the lack of mess. We have a 12 gallon shop vac, and I put a good bag in it -- Shop-Vac 9067200 10-14-Gallon High Efficiency Disposable Collection Filter Bag, 2-Pack. We saw soot falling and getting sucked right in.
I could have done this by myself, but having a helper move the shop vac hose and help with disconnecting the rods was beneficial.
The biggest mess is cleaning the rods as you pull them out. I had a couple "garage towels" laying on the floor and a damp hand towel for each chimney. I held the rod with the hand towel as I was rotating and pulling it out. Disconnected the rod, moved the damp towel to be a clean area of towel and did the the next rod. Several rod connectors were difficult to push down and I found that it was because of the pressure being put on the connector -- wiggling the two rods and pushing/pulling them allowed me to push down on the pin and disconnect the rods.
Actual cleaning time was 30-45 minutes, but that's after any steps needed to get easy access to your flue.
I cleaned two chimneys for less than the cost of a chimney sweep to come clean one.
By Julie Miller
I purchased this to clean out my ac/heat vents in my 84 home. it had a 10" main and 6" runs to the rooms. this worked way too good. i was looking at the 700-1000 dollar machines to clean out my vents and decided to try this first. turned my fan on high and went to work. excellent results. no more sneezing.
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