How to make a do-it-yourself device for cleaning soot in a pipe - a homemade chimney sweep brush. How to make a Christmas tree from a bottle brush From a plastic bottle for a round chimney

Apparently, on the basis of this, it is not so easy to buy special pipe cleaners in a store, not all of them are available. Therefore, people clean the pipes with anything, with old brooms, tops of Christmas trees, sticks, washcloths and other derivatives of “what is cunning need”.

But after all, there is another saying - the more you get sick, the better you are, and if so, why not make a ruff for cleaning pipes from the same bottles, during the combustion of which (for example) the pipe clogged.

Everyone always has plastic bottles, because they have long become a sign of civilization.

A plastic bottle brush is easy to make, it costs nothing, but it cleans the pipes perfectly, and its device is so simple and primitive that you can make a new one every time and not clutter up the garage.

In this example, an old brass door handle is used as a load. The rope of the required length was purchased at the store.

Reference by topic: In order to make a chimney sweep brush, I used the top of the bottles, which I cut to make a kind of ribbon. In order to make it more convenient to center the load and thread the rope in the covers, I drilled holes with a drill. Then he tied the rope to the load and passed it through the covers.

During work, it turned out that the lower and upper parts of the homemade brush can move relative to each other, so I had to insert rings from another plastic bottle inside the brush. The cut rings had to be cut to fit the diameter, and then fixed with an ordinary construction stapler.

Then the rope, which is tied to the load and passed through the lid, was pulled tightly so that all parts of the chimney brush were more tightly connected to each other, and then tied in a knot.

I have a pipe from the stove about 14 by 14 centimeters, so the diameter of the ruff turned out to be 17.5-18 centimeters (with the bottles spread wide). Of course, it will not work to cover the entire chimney with such a diameter, but otherwise (if you make the diameter larger), it will be difficult to drag the brush up and down the pipe - it will stop. True, this can be corrected by making the load heavier.

Homemade brush for cleaning pipes and chimneys with your own hands - photo to the material

The walls of the bottles need to be cut into petals about 1.5 cm wide.
Cut the petals should not be up to the neck. This will provide them with the necessary elasticity.
As a load, I used a massive brass doorknob.
In traffic jams, it is necessary to drill holes for the rope and the screw part of the load.
Ruff assembly sequence.
Stiffness rings.

A chimney brush is a tool with a long handle, a working element with metal or polymer bristles and an addition in the form of a load. For manufacturing, a minimum of time and physical investments is required, as a result, a universal design is obtained for high-quality maintenance of the chimney system.

The clogging of the chimney duct is caused by a number of reasons:

Soot accumulates due to the deposition of solid particles of combustion products on the inner surface of the mine.
Condensation is formed, the cause of which is the lack of proper thermal insulation of the chimney, and therefore the effect of soot and soot sticking is enhanced.
Low quality fuel is used. For example, prolonged burning of damp firewood leads to intense clogging of the chimney system.
Resinous fuel resources are used - firewood, lumber and briquettes from spruce, fir, pine.
Waste with a high content of hydrocarbons is burned in the furnace in the form of household waste from polymers - plastic bottles, polyethylene, rubber products.
The heat generator is operated in an incorrect mode, fuel loading is carried out in violation of the rules, the ash pan is rarely cleaned.

Another possible reason for clogging the chimney is hidden in the design of the heater, the essence of which is errors in the construction or installation of the heat generator, or the wrong structure of the chimney.

Clogging the smoke line is fraught with negative consequences:

the run is clogged to remove the gas-containing flow, traction deteriorates;
the energy efficiency of the heat generator is reduced, which is associated with insufficient traction force;
the presence of significant accumulations of soot contributes to the formation of reverse thrust, and carbon monoxide can seep into the room.

The most dangerous situation is when the soot in the chimney ignites with the formation of a large number of sparks, this can provoke a fire in the roof or neighboring buildings. To eliminate the problem, it is necessary to remove soot and soot in the gas outlet channel in a timely manner, using chemical compounds or home-made devices for mechanical cleaning of the chimney.

Features of mechanical cleaning of the chimney from soot using a ruff

Before starting work, perform the preparatory stage:

close the blower, the firebox door, cleaning hatches;
all the above points are equipped with an elementary filter in the form of a dense wet cloth;
fully open all valves and views of the furnace.

The vertical part of the chimney is treated with a ruff with a core to weight the tool. The structure is equipped with a long cable or a rope, rope or strong cord is used. It is recommended to choose a rope option 2-3 m longer than the height of the pipe in order to secure the outer end to the base of the shaft, otherwise there is a risk of dropping the device into the channel due to the gravity of the core.

To clean the vertical section of the chimney, the device is lowered down the channel, pushing and rotating the rope in different directions. After the structure with the load and the brush is at the bottom of the shaft, they lift it back, making the same movements with the help of a rope. If the tool does not pass due to dense deposits of soot in a certain area, the cable is lifted and sharply lowered into the pipe to break through the blockage.

Cleaning of the horizontal channels of the flue is carried out using a brush with a rigid handle. Most often, the device is equipped with a solid or type-setting rod, the length of which is selected in accordance with the parameters of the processed plane. Since the rotary chimney units provide for special doors, moving along them, it is easy to clean all horizontal sections. In the absence of rotary openings, a brush with a cable is used. Performing circular-rotational movements, the structure is pushed into the depth of the channel and back.

How to make a ruff yourself

Although a chimney brush is not a scarce product in Moscow and other regions of the country, most owners of private houses prefer to make this device with their own hands.

A home-made ruff for cleaning chimney pipes is performed taking into account the specifics of the application. For maintenance of metal and asbestos-cement smoke channels, a brush with a polymer brush should be made. To clean a brick chimney shaft clogged with years of soot, you need to make a solid device from metal raw materials.

Steel wire options

To make a chimney brush with your own hands, the following materials and tools are required:

a coil of spring steel wire with a cross section of 1-2 mm or a piece of steel cable with a diameter of up to 10 mm;
threaded stud - 60-80 mm long, 1 pc.;
washers for the bolt - d50 mm, 2 pcs.;
nuts - 2 pcs. ordinary, 2 pcs. cap with a ring;
hammer;
pliers;
chisel;
wrench 14.

Sequence of work:

Cut the wire taking into account the cross section of the chimney. In the case of a cable, blanks are made 10% less than the diameter of the pipe.
At the center point of each element, the fibers are pulled apart to make a hole and placed on a hairpin. The wire is simply wrapped around the rod.
The stud is equipped with steel nuts with washers, clamping the structural elements.

For greater strength, flexible elements can be fixed by welding.

When deciding how to make a chimney brush with your own hands, you can choose another version of the product in the form of a spiral brush. In this case, you will need a lathe or a home-made rigid structure to tension the rod. For the manufacture of bristles, steel wire d1-2 mm or a cable is suitable, and a twisted rod is made of steel wire with a cross section of 6 mm.

Steps for making a spiral brush:

The required number of blanks of the required length are made from the cable.
Steel wire d6 mm is folded in half, one end of which is welded, and a loop is twisted on the other.
The design is fixed in the machine. It is necessary to pull the rod well between the cartridge and the tailstock and give the correct position to its cores.
Next, workpieces are placed in the gap between the cores, evenly distributing them along the entire length of the stretched rod, and fixed with hot glue.

When the spindle rotates, the rod twists into a spiral, firmly clamping the wire bristles between the wires.

How to make a homemade ruff from a plastic broom

This will require the following materials and tools:

kapron broom, cord;
hairpin - up to 10 mm;
washers - d5 cm 2 pcs.;
nuts - 2 pcs., one of them with a ring.

They remove the broom from the handle, unbend the bristles on the sides, fix the position of the product, heating it with a hairdryer. Make a hole in the center of the broom holder with a drill or a hot nail, thread a hairpin, fix it on both sides with nuts and washers.

Plastic bottle brush

It is necessary to prepare:

plastic bottles with a volume of 1.5-3 liters;
cable, metal wire d2 mm;
knife, scissors.

Cut off the top of one bottle, this will be the base of the polymer brush. For several containers, the bottom part is removed, the body is cut into strips vertically to the neck. The blanks are placed on the base, the strips are fixed in several bundles with a wire. The base is fixed to the cable.

The nuances of using ruffs

To clean the horizontal cavities of the chimney, the ruff is equipped with a long rod. A device with metal bristles is recommended for removing soot and soot in vertical pipes. If you have to work on the processing of horizontal or inclined channels, you should take into service a brush with a polymer brush.

Furnace heating systems need regular maintenance. One of the mandatory procedures is the periodic cleaning of the chimney, which eventually becomes clogged, overgrown with soot.

For this task, a special brush can be used, with the help of which the inner walls of the chimney are cleaned.

What is a cleaning brush, what does it look like and what does it consist of?

Structurally, the ruff consists of the following parts:

Brush. ABOUT main element,almost always has a round shape. It is he withcleans plaque from the inner walls of chimneys.Can be made of metal, plastic or nylon.
Sinker. It is used only if the brush is attached to the cable. If it is attached to a telescopic pole, then a weight is not needed.The approximate weight of the weight is 2-3 kg.Purpose - to weight a light brush. Without additional load, a ruff on a cable simply will not normally clean off even a light layer of plaque.
T rose or pen. A brush is attached to this element, and on it it is lowered into the chimney.

The main qualitative characteristics are:

D cable length (handle).Cables are usually used for 10-15 meters, handles - for 1-1.5 meters.
Brush diameter (rectangular products are found, but less often than round ones).Can be from 20 to 250 mm.The most common range is 150-200.

Types and products by material and design

ABOUT The main differences between all products are in 2 nuances:

The material from which the brush is made.
The way the brush will go down the chimney.

By material- the following options are currently used:

Metal. Such brushes last longer, are stronger and more reliable. Of the minuses, less convenient use can be distinguished: if the metal bristles catch on something, it will be more difficult to “release” it. In addition, metal products are more expensive than plastic ones (but since the cost of any brushes rarely exceeds 2000 rubles, this is not critical).
Plastic. It is easier to make such products on your own - this is done quickly and easily (how exactly - we will describe below). Plastic brushes wear out and break easily and quickly. In addition, they cope much worse with complex and chronic blockages.
Nylon. A relatively new option, in fact - an intermediate solution between plastic and metal.

By way, by which the brush is lowered into chimney:

On a cable/rope. It can only be used from above - the ruff is lowered into the pipe under the weight of the sinker. The option is relatively simple, but poorly suitable for cleaning horizontal areas.The cable can be metal, nylon or rope.
On a flexible cable (as well as for cleaning sewer pipes). Of the pros: it can be used both from above and from below, and on horizontal sections.
On a rigid handle (rod).Universal and moreeffective option - allows you to quickly clean the accumulated soot, can be used both in vertical and horizontal sections.The length of the handle is usually adjustable - for this they are made telescopic, and if necessaryfold or unfold.

How to choose the right chimney brush?

Let's summarize the basic rules of choice:

Rigid handle or rope? Ideally, to have both options on the farm: they are inexpensive, and it will be much more convenient to work.If you need to choose one thing, and there are no hatches in the chimney, then it is better to take a cable. If there are hatches in the chimney, and it is low, then it is more convenient to use a rigid handle.
What brush material to choose? For stainless chimneys, you need to choose only plastic - it will not scratch the stainless steel. For brick and asbestos chimneys, it is better to take a metal or nylon brush.
What brush diameter should befor round chimney? Selected according to the diameter of the pipe.
What brush diameter should be for a square/rectangular chimney? For the right choice, you need to measure the length and width of the chimney, and choose a brush with a diameter equal to the larger side.
What should be the length of the cable/handle? Selectedunder the length (height) of the chimney. It is not necessary to take the cable / handle to its full height: cleaning is carried out not only from above or below (from a fireplace or stove), but also through hatches that are located in different parts of the chimney.

Where is it sold and how much does it cost?

E Rshiki of various types and sizes are sold in stores that sell equipment for fireplaces, stoves, baths.

Such a tool is relatively inexpensive:

polypropylene ruff, with a diameter of 100-120-200 mm: cost - about 700-1000 rubles;
plastic ruff, 200-250 mm in diameter: cost - about 1700-2000 rubles;
metal ruff, 150-200 mm in diameter: cost - about 1500-1800 rubles;
metal ruff, 250 mm in diameter: cost - about 2200-2500 rubles.

Please note: the amounts shown are only for the ruff itself and the load. A cable or telescopic extension is usually sold separately. The approximate cost of an extension cord for 1-1.5 meters is about 400-600 rubles, a cable (for 10-15 meters) is up to 100-200 rubles.

A ready-made kit (the brush itself, a cable or extension cord and a weight) will cost around 1500-2500 rubles.

From the manufacturers in the market of the CIS countries you can meet:

Hansa.
Sitecn.
Biltema.
Ragar.

How to make a homemade ruff?

To clean the stove pipe, it is not necessary to go to the nearest store. A homemade brush is made quite simply and quickly. True, the effectiveness of such a product is likely to be lower than a special purchase. Therefore, it is suitable for cleaning a not very dirty chimney.

There are many ways to create a ruff with your own hands. Here are 5 step by step instructions:

From a plastic bottle for a round chimney.
From a plastic bottle and plywood / board for a rectangular / square chimney.
From a broom.
From a metal brush from a grinder.
From a metal cable.

In all cases, we need:

Metal cable (about 2-3 mm thick, longer or at least as long as the height of the chimney) with a carbine.
A weight of about 3 kg is large enough to easily pass into the chimney. For example, it can be a small metal rectangle, or an old dumbbell pancake, or a plastic bottle with sand.
A coil of wire, about 2-4 mm in diameter, or a metal hairpin (length about 10-12 cm, diameter about 5 mm), with unscrewing lugs on both sides.
A product from which we will make a brush with our own hands.

The problematic moment: there is a bottle, and wire, and something for the load, and the cable can be purchased at the nearest store if you are not at home. But finding a suitable hairpin will be more difficult. Therefore, instead of it, it is easier to take the wire. It will need to be twisted several times to get a tourniquet 5-7 mm thick and 10-12 cm long (that is, use it instead of a hairpin).

From a plastic bottle for a round chimney

In this case, we will make a brush from an empty plastic bottle with a volume of 1.5-2 liters (suitable for cleaning a chimney with a diameter of up to 200 mm).

Step-by-step instruction:

A hole is burned, drilled or punched in the lid and in the bottom of both bottles. Its diameter should be equal to the diameter of the stud.
The sides of both bottles are cut through. It is necessary to make cuts not reaching the neck and literally 1-2 cm to the bottom. Between each cut, make a distance of about 1.5-2 cm.
A pin is inserted into the holes made, “pulling together” 2 parts of the bottle. The cut sides are bent at the same time, forming a circle of bent ribbons. It is their edges that will clean off the soot from the walls.
Eyelets are screwed onto both sides of the stud. A rope is attached to the upper eye. On the bottom - the load.

From a plastic bottle for a round chimney (video)

From a plastic bottle for a rectangular / square chimney

The instruction is suitable for those who have a square or rectangular chimney.

To create a brush for such a ruff, we need:

Plywood sheet. Plywood is not very thick, a small sheet 6-12 mm thick will suffice.
Plastic bottle, volume from 5 liters.
Screws (such that they can fasten both pieces of plywood together) - 5-10 pieces.

The cut plastic protrudes between the plywood sheets, the photo does not show it very well

Step-by-step instruction:

From plywood, you need to cut 2 identical sheets, 1-2 cm smaller in size than the size of the chimney. Example: a rectangular hole, with a size of 260x130 mm - we cut out 2 pieces of plywood with a size of 240x120 mm.
The neck and bottom of the bottle are cut off, after which an incision is made on the side.
The plastic unbends (a rectangular sheet is obtained).
A piece is cut out of a bent plastic sheet, 3-6 mm larger than the chimney opening. Example: the chimney hole has a size of 260x130 mm, we cut a sheet of 26 from plastic 5x135 mm.
Along the perimeter of the plastic sheet with scissors (or a knife) with a distance of 1-1.5 cm are madecuts, 5-10 mm long. It is these narrow parts that will clean off plaque from the walls.
P an eraser sheet is placed between 2 cut pieces of plywood - so that the "bristle" sticks outthe same distance on each side.
Pieces of plywood and a plastic sheet between them are bolted together.
A hole is drilled in the center into which a pin or coil of wire is inserted.(or any another detail on which it will be possible to fasten the cable and load - it is easier to do this with plywood).

This option can be improved. To do this, you need to cut not 2 pieces of plywood, but 3, and 2 sheets of plastic with small cuts. In this case, we get 2 layers of "bristle" (and 3 layers of plywood).

From a broom

FROM you can make a brush from an old broom. An important nuance: a round broom with synthetic (polypropylene) dense villi is suitable for us.

Step-by-step instruction:

The tip of the broom is removed (or cut off).
The bristles are straightened in such a way that all the villi stick out in different directions (like a toilet brush).
In the part on which the bristles are collected, a hole with a diameter of about 5-7 mm is melted or drilled (for a hairpin or wire).
A pin with unscrewed eyes (or twisted wire) is inserted into the hole.
A cable was attached to the eyes (or by the wire) on one side, and a weight on the other.

From a metal brush for a grinder

IN The option is suitable if you have a disc brush for a grinder lying around, and in diameter it fits under the chimney.

In this case, a load is attached to one end of the axle, and a cable is attached to the other.

From a metal cable (difficult option)

The instruction is suitable for those who have a welding machine. According to this scheme, you can make a fairly effective brush with your own hands, which will not yield

To create a brush you will need:

Metal cable, with a diameter of about 10-15 mm.
Welding machine.
Saw for metal.
Pliers.
Wire cutters (optional).
Threaded stud, about 8-12 cm long (or better, a fully threaded bolt, 8-12 cm long).
Nuts per stud (or bolt), 5-7 pieces or more (depending on how dense the bristles need to be).

Step-by-step instruction:

2-5 pieces are cut off from the metal cable. The length of each piece is approximately 5-10 mm longer than the diameter of the chimney. You can take more, and then, if necessary, cut off the excess with wire cutters.
Scraps are untwisted with pliers.
A nut is screwed onto one end of the stud (so that the thread protrudes slightly from it). This will be the bottom "support" for the first row of bristles. If you use a bolt, you don’t need to tighten the nut: the head will play the role of “support”.
A piece of wire (from a untwisted cable) is laid on top of the nut, and twisted crosswise (so that it wraps around the stud). Pieces of wire should protrude
More pieces of wire are taken, and wound in the same way, so that the result is a round layer of bristles. An important nuance: the bristles should stick out evenly, forming an even circle.
A nut is screwed on top, and tightly presses the wound wire (brush bristle) to the first nut (or bolt head).
In the same way, several more layers of bristles are made. Each subsequent layer is fixed with a nut. It will be enough to make 3-4 rows.
Eyelets are welded from below and from above - for fastening the load and the cable, for which the brush will be lowered into the pipe. As an option - they can be attached to the thread.

From a metal cable (video)

What you need to know and do before cleaning: Basic Rules

Before starting work, you need to know (and follow) the basic rules:

Cleaning is carried out before the heating season (ideally - before each, at least for the purpose of prevention). This way you can prepare the stove pipe for efficient operation, and you will be sure that there will be no blockages, leaves, debris, soot growths or bird nests in it.
Work is best done on a calm and dry (and ideally also warm) day. Therefore, at the beginning of autumn, it is already worth paying attention to the forecast, choosing a suitable date for cleaning.
Work on the roof must be carried out with insurance (safety belt), in comfortable non-slip shoes.
Prepare a more powerful flashlight - with its help you can see the condition of the chimney and the results of your work.
For work, it is better to change into closed clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Even with the most careful cleaning, soot will still get somewhere.
Use eye and respiratory protection: wear goggles and a respirator. Naturally, there will be no great harm from the soot that has fallen, but sneezing or washing your eyes from it is not very pleasant.
Since all debris and soot will fly down, all holes in the chimney (hatches), as well as the firebox, must be closed. If the fireplace is cleaned with an open firebox, then it should be tightened with plastic wrap.
The cleaning process is done from top to bottom. If you clean the lower part of the chimney first (through the firebox) - then when cleaning the upper part, falling debris can again pollute the already clean bottom.

How to clean the chimney with a brush: step by step instructions

Cleaning the chimney with a ruff is done as follows:

Overalls, work shoes, gloves, goggles, a respirator are put on.
Before starting work, you can look into the chimney by lighting it with a flashlight. So you can assess its condition in advance and see where it is heavily polluted.
All hatches of the chimney and the firebox are closed, except for the opening through which cleaning will be carried out.
The deflector (or spark arrester), if any, is dismantled.
The brush (it does not matter, on a cable or on a handle) is lowered from above, through the outlet of the chimney. Cleaning is done with up and down movements. If there are blockages in the process, it is better to use a weight on a cable (without a brush).
Periodically evaluate the result of the work, looking into the pipe.
When the top of the pipe is clear, go down to the manhole and work through it.
Upon completion of cleaning, the firebox opens, and the debris that has fallen into it is removed.

Ideally, it is worth combining two cleaning methods: mechanical and chemical. First, clean the chimney with a brush, and then use any of the products that are ignited in the firebox.

The cleaning process (video)

Advantages and disadvantages of application compared to other cleaning methods

If we consider the existing methods for cleaning the chimney and compare them with the use of a ruff, then this option has a number of disadvantages:

you have to work with a brush yourself, while chemical cleaners only need to be set on fire in the firebox;
even the most careful work does not guarantee that all deposits will be removed;
work takes a lot of time, even if the chimney is straight and low;
the work is uncomfortable, unpleasant, physically difficult, and if you have to work on the roof, it is also dangerous;
it is safe to clean only in dry (and ideally calm and warm) weather to reduce the risk of falling from the roof.

What do we need to work:

PVA glue and Moment glue or a hot glue gun;
braid;
scissors;
sequins;
beads;
gypsum;
jar

Here it is, a brush, brand new, it costs only 30 rubles.

We remove the handle. I broke it pretty quickly...

We take scissors in our hands and proceed to the haircut. We cut the top with a cone to make the crown of the Christmas tree.

Let's start decorating. We coat the edges of the needles with PVA glue.

We pour glitter on paper and "crawl" with a Christmas tree on them.

I took a pendant from a New Year's toy ....

and glued snowflakes to it. This will be the top of the Christmas tree. You can do something else, here is your imagination and the presence of various little things at home .....

While the snowflakes are sticking together and the needles near the Christmas tree are drying up, I found in my stocks a small jar of mass for modeling, which we have a lot of, because. this is my granddaughter's favorite pastime and decorated with braid. Your options for decorating the coasters can also be very different.
Then she spread the gypsum and poured it, inserting the Christmas tree.

After the gypsum has seized, it remains to decorate with what is at hand: beads, garlands, .......

Look at the stem, how beautiful, twisted.

tip

This is with a Christmas tree made of textured threads. Such babies will decorate any table at work and the interior of the house.

This will help wash and clean the dishes.

Plastic tape cut from a plastic bottle can be successfully used in the household for washing dishes, only for this you need to create a brush out of it. Plastic, as a material, has remarkable properties regarding food deposits on dirty dishes. On the one hand, it is hard enough to scrape off baked-on dirt, and on the other hand, it is not hard enough to damage the surface of kitchen appliances, be it steel, glass or enamel. To everything else, it must be added that it is easy to make such a brush both at home and in nature, if only a couple of empty plastic bottles come to hand.

Idea

The surface area of a plastic bottle with a volume of 1.5 liters, from which it is possible to spiral, is not less than 600 sq. cm. If the width of the ribbon is about 5 mm, then its length will be about 12 meters. Not bad, right? Such a tape can be successfully used for drains (see), or you can create it for washing dishes using your fingers, like a winding template ()

Work

It remains only to wind the ribbon into a springy bundle that would not bulge during cleaning work. You can do this in many ways, but so that the beam does not break up and its pieces do not puff up, I recommend doing it in this way (). I would call it a marine winding, it seems that this is how the cable is attached during the parking of large ships.

The fingers are used as the basis for the figure eight, and the ends of the ribbon are threaded several times from the inside of the two rings formed and tied together. Such a beam is quite reliable, springy and compact for use as a dishwashing brush. What was required in the end.

The "fluffiness" of the brush depends on the total length of the plastic tape from which it is made. If you use only one and a half (volume 1.5 l), then the brush, perhaps, will be rather weak (). I think two bottles will just be enough (). It is difficult to make a brush from a larger number of bottles using the method of such winding - there is not enough finger span))). I have several ways to make brushes in stock, which I will talk about later, but this one is the most efficient of all. Another option, more powerful and end-faced, with which I descale the inner surface of teapots, can be seen at