Retrofit Flue Pipe Sweeping Hatch

dr.fuzzenstein

I've had a wood pellet burner for many years now and I'm finally fed up with how I have to go about sweeping it. There is an up pipe with a 45 degree bend, it then goes across and into the outside insulated flue.
As there is no sweeping hatch at the elbow joint, right now I have to thread a long, flexible metal rod through it designed for unclogging drains, tie a bit of rope to it and then pull a carpet tile fixed to the rope through the chimney. It's a nightmare.
So, as the thread title states, can I retro-fit a hatch to the elbow joint that will allow me to easily sweep the horizontal pipe bit?

Pics:





edit:

I don't want to completely remove the joint and fit an entire new one (this would be a nightmare), I want to cut a hole into the existing elbow and retrofit a cover to that.

Billy Bunting

You can buy them with "hatches", dont see why it would be dificult to replace it.

dr.fuzzenstein

Billy Bunting wrote: »

You can buy them with "hatches", dont see why it would be dificult to replace it.

I have to take your word for it, never had to disassemble my pipework.
AFAIK it was all stuck together with heat resistant silicone, anyone got a source for that? I was searching for it high and low previously, can only find stuff rated to 300 degrees, is that enough? I find fire cement about as useful as a chocolate firegard, it just crumbles.

Walter Becket

If you did cut a hole, make a cover and somehow secure it sealed properly the hole would probably be too small to get a big enough brush through.

dr.fuzzenstein

Thanks everyone, I thought as much. Probably be next year by the time I get around doing it, will sweep it the hard way one more time.