Cleaning the 4 inch heater tubes.

[Dave5Cs]

Cleaning the heater hoses from outlets to furnace. Anyone do this and how did you do it. There is always dust that comes out the first time you start them up and it still smells like dust sometimes. Is there a tool or a trick?

[luvrbus]

Dave they use what is called a skipper ball powered by air you should find one on Amazon get the right direction they come forward or reverse I got the wrong one of course from a heating supply   

[Dave5Cs]

So Amazon didn't have them. But a lot of other companies did. I think the reverse would work on a 1/4" inch hose. Thanks for the info.

[luvrbus]

So Amazon didn't have them. But a lot of other companies did. I think the reverse would work on a 1/4" inch hose. Thanks for the info.

They are not exspensive I paid like 20 bucks 

[chessie4905]

They make a brush kit for dryer vents. Long flexible drive shaft. Run with battery drill with  shop vacuum cleaner attached at opposite end with 2 to 4 inch aluminum hvac duct reducer. Lowes, Walmart, etc

[Jim Blackwood]

Didn't seem to be a lot of info on those skipper balls, how they work, which one should be used, etc. First time I've seen that. Now I want to clean out my dryer vent.

Jim

[Dave5Cs]

They say you want one that blows back toward the entry point you use. They spin and blow with compressed air.
I would think a brush would tear up the hose unless it is solid material.

[buswarrior]

This is great! I am going to ask the next unsolicited phone call for duct cleaning services what brand and size of skipper ball are they going to use...

And whatever they respond with, unfortunately, that will not be sufficient for my ducts...

The stuff you learn on the bus boards!

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[chessie4905]

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dryer-Vent-Venting-Exhaust-Duct-Cleaning-Lint-Trap-Removal-Brush-Vacuum-Kit-12-Drill-Flexible/998462068

I have used it three times to clean dryer ducts annually. Does a great job. Bristles aren't stiff enough to damage vinyl duct.

[Van]

They say you want one that blows back toward the entry point you use. They spin and blow with compressed air.
I would think a brush would tear up the hose unless it is solid material.

Dave if you have flexible ducting besure to include a video after you do this lol!

[luvrbus]

Dave if you have flexible ducting besure to include a video after you do this lol!

They clean the flx duct on the make up air in the restaurants with those looks like rubber head ,they are neat the guy adds a degreaser to the air supply for any grease build up 

[chessie4905]

If those flexible ducts are same vinyl material as on 4905, they are very tough. Very difficult to puncture. Now if you are talking about a propane hot air furnace, would depend on material used.

[Jim Blackwood]

I ordered one with the reverse spinning skipper ball and 30 ft of hose. About $125 and that's probably less than a service would charge to clean out the dryer duct. 20+ years of lint build up I expect, probably explains why the dryer has to run 2 or 3 cycles for a medium to large load.

Jim

[Dave5Cs]

Yep propane furnace. We have turned it on and every time day after I get horrible sinus infections and we figured out it was that aweful dust burning smell for it that causes it. headache, clogged sinuses and a lot of pain and nose blowing with a nettie pot.
Will use the air and spinning ball that HVAC companies use and just do it at the beginning of the cold seasons. Have 5,5 to 10 foot hoses connected to furnace and want to do them all. A few good size turns under cabinets etc.

[chessie4905]

Speaking of dryers. Cleaning just the duct doesn't cut it. I found that out with our dryer. The blower and internal piping gets layered with lint and moisture that makes it resistant to just blow out. Works like new after all the work taking all apart.