Measure the inside of your chimney and match that size to a brush designed for your flue. The brush should be 1/2″ – 1 inch larger than the flue. An oversize brush will not improve cleaning and could become lodged in the chimney. An undersized brush will not provide the pressure on the walls for proper cleaning.
What kind of chimney brush should I use?
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Select either a round wire or poly brush that is the same diameter as your chimney. A Poly brush is recommended for metal chimneys since it won’t scratch and wear down the inner stainless steel lining.
What is the standard size chimney brush?
The inside diameter of a metal option will usually either be 6, 7, 8, 10, or 12 inches in diameter, and these will most often be used for stoves, central heaters, and small fireplaces.
What is a chimney sweep’s brush called?
This chimney sweeping brush is a poly brush and is used primarily for sweeping stainless steel pipe. of, metal bristles or a plastic material known in the sweeping world as polypropylene. If you have a traditional masonry chimney that has a clay flue tile liner, the metal bristle brush is the ideal type to clean.
How often should you brush your chimney?
Both the NFPA and Spisto recommend getting your chimney cleaned and inspected once a year by a qualified professional. Carli says that regardless of chimney type, you should you have your chimney swept at least one time a year.
Do creosote logs really work?
Many homeowners wonder if the chimney sweep logs or creosote sweeping logs really work to clean out fireplace flues and get rid of creosote residue so that the fireplaces are safe to use. The short answer is no, they don’t work.
How much is a chimney brush?
Factors in Calculating Chimney Sweep Cost
The national average cost for chimney cleaning is $252.
How do I know what size flue I need?
In general, flue size should be 25 percent larger than the size of the stove pipe, which connects the stove to the chimney. This means a stove with a 6-inch diameter pipe would require at least an 8-inch flue; an 8-inch stove pipe requires a 10-inch flue, etc.
How do you get a chimney brush past damper?
You could also try cutting off enough bristles from your existing brush to pass thru the damper then simply rotate the brush 90 degrees back and forth as you sweep. The rotating brush head is advantageous because it will expand and clean your cap as well which is a larger diameter than your flue.
How do you use a chimney sweep brush?
Youtube quote: And I don't want to get any slivers lunch pushing the brush down through the chimney. And from this part on it's really just a matter of pushing the brush down through the clean tile.
How do I know if my chimney needs cleaning?
Here are seven tell-tale signs that indicate your chimney or fireplace needs cleaning:
Your fireplace smells like a campfire. …
Fires burn oddly. …
It takes more effort to get a fire going and keep it going. …
Smoke fills the room. …
The fireplace damper is black. …
Fireplace walls have oily marks. …
There’s evidence of animals.
What can I burn to clean my chimney?
Sodium chloride, also known as table salt, is a simple chemical that is easy to find. Put a little salt in the fire while it is burning. The salt combines with the water in the burning wood to create a weak acid that travels up the chimney and dissolves small amounts of creosote.
What does creosote look like in a chimney?
Creosote is the black or brown residue that forms as a result of wood-burning fires inside a fireplace. It can be crusty, flaky, drippy, sticky, shiny, or hard.
Will a hot fire remove creosote?
Avoid Smoldering
Many homeowners allow their fire to smolder until it burns itself out. As the fire begins to burn out more creosote is produced at the lower temperatures. Rather than allowing the fire to smolder, it should be extinguished.
What has replaced creosote?
WOCO Creocote
Our approved creosote substitute ‘WOCO Creocote‘ is a spirit oil-based, effective treatment for exterior wood. It has been developed as a safer (for the user) alternative to original creosote. It is still designed to be used to protect wood against rotting fungi and wood destroying insects on external timbers.
