cleaning fireside on raised flue

[andrew martin]

Have not found a good way to clean the fireside of my 3x5 raised flue pan. I tried wire brushes and some small scrapers. I want to get this thing very clean. Can I use a pressure washer for this and what should I set the pressure on so I do not blow a hole in my pan? Just looking for a quick method to get this thing clean, or at least mostly clean.

ANdrew

[maplekid]

you can use a pressure washer but you have to make sure theres no water left on them water and soot/creasote form a corrosive called lye i think. it eats through stainless

[maple flats]

Don't get too overly concerned about cleaning the fireside. Just get the bulk of it and keep it dry. If kept dry nothing will happen to it and next season after just a few minutes of your first fire it would not be clean any ways. The main thing during the season is to keep build up at a minimum because it insulates and thus slows the fire. I just use 1 of my 1" sap pumps which I have a fitting that reduces it to a 9/64" nozzle (irrigation nozzle) and this gets it clean enough. My 2 cents.