Various tools are available to clean a chimney, including chimney brushes made of different materials, wire brushes, chimney pots, and steel rotating cable tools. Chemicals can also be used but should be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
There are a number of flue tools available that help clean a flue. Keeping your chimney clean is very important as a buildup of carbonaceous materials, called creosote, can build up on the inside walls. At extremely high temperatures, this buildup can ignite, resulting in a chimney fire. To avoid this, a variety of brushes and other tools are used.
A chimney is one of the most common tools for removing creosote deposits. They can be made from stainless steel, oil-hardened steel, or a thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene. They can be oval or rectangular and can also be found in various sizes and lengths.
Polypropylene brushes have softer bristles than other fireplace tools and can be used on different types of fireplaces. The soft brush will not scratch the inside of a metal flue and is less likely to damage a flue. The fine bristles offer good flexibility, but are less effective at scraping than a wire brush.
Wire brushes are often more effective than plastic at scrubbing interior walls. These brushes can be round or flat, although the flat brush is becoming more common in fireplace tools as it is better able to scrape against walls. Wire hand brushes are fireplace tools that can be used for a variety of tasks. They can be used to clean chimneys, the smoke chamber and the hearth. They can also be used to clean ash and soot from the fireplace.
Chimney pots are used to push brushes through the flue. They attach to the brushes and several rods can be connected to provide the length you need. Different rods can be used for different tasks.
If you scrape off the creosote, a rattan rod would be very useful, as it is very strong and durable. Polypropylene rods are flexible, but cannot withstand long-term use. Fiberglass rods are the most popular, as they come in a variety of degrees of flex.
Another useful chimney cleaning tool is the Steel Rotating Cable Tool. It is attached to a special metal rod that is attached to an electric drill. When switched on, the cable rotates inside the flue, breaking up any deposits. This is very effective in cleaning some of the heavier creosote deposits that can exist.
Chemicals can be used in addition to fireplace tools, but are generally intended to be used after the fireplace has been cleaned. There are a few products available that can be used to help remove hardened creosote. Most manufacturers recommend letting the product dry three to five days before healing. Whenever a chemical is used, it is recommended that all manufacturer’s instructions be followed.
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