There is no smoke without fire, and also without soot and other products of incomplete combustion that settle on the walls of the chimney. Stove heating has been around for more than a millennium, and during this time people have developed dozens of ways to clean chimneys. There was once a belief that meeting a chimney sweep would bring good luck. This profession was honorable and in demand. Nowadays, many means have been created for mechanical and chemical removal of soot. Using them, the owner of the home can complete all the work himself.

Why does the chimney become clogged?

Combustion is a complex physical and chemical process during which a rapid oxidation reaction of combustible substances occurs, releasing a large amount of heat. The initial substance that served as fuel breaks down into fractions as a result of combustion. Most of it turns into a hot gaseous state and rushes down the chimney, creating draft. Along with the gases, particles of unburned substances rush into the chimney, which are deposited in the form of soot and plaque.

Incomplete combustion occurs for two reasons:

• not all substances are flammable;
• due to lack of oxygen, without which combustion is impossible.

Soot is carbon in an amorphous state. In the chimney, soot mixes with the oils and resins contained in the wood and becomes greasy to the touch. This mixture itself is flammable. When soot ignites, its flame reaches a temperature of over 1000 o C. This reason alone is enough to regularly clean the entire chimney duct.

There is only one step from a fire in a chimney to a fire in a house.

In addition, soot clogs the clearance, which reduces traction. For this reason, combustion deteriorates and heat generation in the furnace decreases. Worse yet, a narrow clearance can create a reverse draft effect when the products of incomplete combustion begin to escape into the heated room. This is fraught not only with a fire, but also with the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The first signs that the chimney requires cleaning appear long before obvious negative consequences. You should be wary if:

• the color of the smoke from the chimney changes from transparent or whitish to dark;
• it was noticed that instead of a clean fire with a cheerful crackling of coals, dark flames appear with smoke from the firebox;
• people with developed hearing will feel a change in the tone of the humming in the chimney.

Often, the chimney design includes inspection windows with plugs; they are called inspection windows; through them you can check the condition of the chimney. In the absence of revisions, the old-fashioned method will do: lowering the brick on a rope into the chimney. If the blockage is severe, the brick will begin to get stuck. By the way the rope loosens and jerks again, you can feel the condition of the chimney. Today's advanced homeowners use a video camera on a flexible cable.

A clogged chimney is a risk factor and a threat to fire safety. This stove cannot be used until the chimney is completely cleaned.

How to clean a chimney pipe in a private house

Any method is good when the clearance in the chimney is restored, after which combustion in the stove or fireplace occurs with maximum heat transfer.

You can hire professional chimney sweeps, but the work itself is not difficult. If you have free time and simple equipment, doing the cleaning yourself will save the family budget and give you skill and understanding of how stove heating works.

Chemical cleaning methods

Industrial chemistry comes to the rescue. The homeowner's efforts are reduced to purchasing the product and filling it into the firebox according to the instructions.

Typically, chemical reagents are added directly while wood is burning. There is a combination of business and pleasure. The chemical assistant decomposes under the influence of high temperature, releasing active components that convert the amorphous carbon of soot into solid fractions that lose adhesion to the walls of the chimney and crumble into the firebox. They are then removed along with the ash.

The following chemical products are popular:

1. The anti-carbon chemical composition (PCC) is available in powder form and is strictly dosed. When packaged in paper bags, the packaging cannot be opened. One bag is placed along with firewood. There are options plastic containers, to which dispensing spoons are applied. Usually 200 grams of powder is designed for 1 ton of fuel. Before use, you must carefully read the instructions.
2. The Czech chimney sweep "Kominicek" is also packaged in sachets of 14 grams each. One sachet is enough for a fireplace or stove, two for a central heating boiler. It is laid once every two weeks.
3. A log is a briquette made from coal dust and sawdust mixed with active chemicals. They are produced by many manufacturers and vary in size, weight and shape. Can be laid together with firewood or separately.

Dry cleaning is effective as a preventive measure even with a soot layer of up to 2 mm. It cannot completely replace mechanical cleaning.

Photo gallery: chemical chimney cleaning products

Inside the package 20 gram sachets 80 g in one package Powder comes with a dispensing spoon Effective against creosote deposits

Video: log chimney sweep

Mechanical cleaning

There are traditional sets of professional chimney sweeps - weights, brushes, scrapers and brushes on chains and flexible cables. They are not consumer goods, so they are purchased in specialized stores or ordered directly from manufacturers. Modern industry also offers sophisticated devices for large volumes of work: vacuum cleaners, vacuum units, smoke and ventilation ducts, live steam generators.

The chimney sweep is depicted on the 1 lat coin

The technique of work is simple, the main thing is to remove as much as possible the accumulated soot and other layers of products of incomplete combustion. The chimney sweep climbs to the roof, where, using cables (chains), he sharply lowers a weight with a brush into the chimney. The brush knocks off the soot and it falls into the firebox. Additionally, scrapers and brushes on long flexible poles are used. If the chimney has openings for inspection, which are normally closed with dampers, they are also used for cleaning and inspection. In fireplaces and in some types of stoves or boilers, there is the possibility of partial penetration into the chimney from the firebox side.

In the absence of household You can make do with special tools using improvised means. Any chain will do; it can easily be replaced with a plumbing cable, hose or strong rope. Instead of a weight, they tie an old barn lock, a dumbbell, a plastic bottle with sand, or a stone in a stocking. You can’t make a metal brush quickly, but the same plastic bottle will help out.

Video: cleaning with a plastic bottle brush

If you create a powerful draft in the chimney, the soot will rush up the pipe naturally. Craftsmen use vacuum cleaners, fans, chainsaws and grinders for this. True, this method is not always practical, since clouds of black smoke rush into the atmosphere, and soot falls on the plot and neighbors. In this case, reasonable care and approval is required.

Devices that can create a sharp shake inside the chimney have a good effect in collapsing soot. They even use firecrackers.

Video: cleaning a chimney with firecrackers

Burn out the soot with fire

For chimneys made of refractory bricks, dry wood from alder and aspen is used. They quickly burn out with a flame temperature of up to 1100 o C. At this temperature, the soot completely burns out. The method is ancient, but is rarely practiced nowadays due to fire safety restrictions.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Collect aspen and alder firewood and dry it well.
2. The firebox is cleaned of coals and ash, fully loaded with prepared firewood and ignited.
3. Fire-fighting equipment is brought to readiness.
4. During combustion, sparks from the chimney are monitored and care is taken to ensure that sparks do not accidentally ignite the roof or nearby buildings.
5. If necessary, reload the firebox and repeat ignition.
6. The work is considered completed if white flakes fly out of the pipe and the characteristic hum from burning soot stops.

This method was developed using other means of burning soot. Gasoline, diesel fuel, and naphthalene were used. But it’s better not to take risks and experiment. Such flammable substances are not safe; their vapors are capable of a volumetric explosion. It will blow away not only the soot, but also the entire chimney.

Folk remedies

It is unknown who first used potato peelings; the method is truly folk and appeared as by-effect from burning household waste in a stove.

It was noticed that after the combustion of potato peelings, soot falls abundantly from the chimney into the firebox, from where it is removed along with the ash. The point, of course, is not the peelings, but the starch contained in potatoes. It is starch that successfully binds and collapses soot.

It is not necessary to use cleaning specifically. Potatoes themselves will do if they are in excess and require disposal. As well as other starch-rich foods that must be soaked before use. These are legumes - peas, soybeans, beans, lentils and cereals - corn, buckwheat, rice. Or directly pure starch.

From a practical point of view, potato peelings are the most profitable material. They throw them away anyway. It is enough to accumulate about the size of a bucket and pour it into a fired oven to get an excellent result.

In addition to starch, you can use table salt and baking soda from what is always on hand. They also act on soot, helping it fall off.

Folk remedies are preventive, allowing to reduce chimney blockage. The same good old mechanical cleaning gives the best results.

Sleeve in the chimney

It has long been noticed that better traction produce oval-shaped pipes, and less soot deposits on smooth, glossy surfaces.

Brickwork, which is most often used for the construction of chimneys, lacks such advantages. This is where the idea of ​​a pipe in a pipe arose, especially when the industry began to offer pipes and connection elements made of galvanized sheet metal, stainless steel and ceramics as a set. In the future, pipes made of heat-resistant plastic that does not decompose at high temperatures are expected to appear.

A lined chimney is a structure in which the outer part is made of brick or concrete as architectural element for decoration and protection of the internal chimney - sleeves.

Lined chimney - a chimney in a closed shaft

The advantage of sleeves is obvious:

• improved traction and reduced soot accumulation;
• heat conservation;
• removal of condensate, eliminating the formation of an aggressive acidic or alkaline environment inside the chimney;
• reduction of thermal loads on brickwork;
• simplification of cleaning and inspection of the chimney.

Since the sleeve consists of prefabricated elements, its installation, maintenance, and replacement of defective parts do not require the involvement of qualified repairmen.

The most popular material for lining is stainless steel. Ceramics in themselves are good, but only for an individual project. Material and work will be very expensive. You can use galvanized sheet, it is cheaper than stainless steel, however, the service life will be shorter and there is always a risk that the sheet will not hold up and will burn out.

An even greater effect can be obtained from pipes and connection elements made in the form of a sandwich, that is, two-layer with an insulating non-flammable material inside, for example, mineral wool.

Video: pipe lining

When constructing a new chimney, the pipe lining is done simultaneously with the laying. It is more difficult when the chimney has already been built and was in operation. But this is not an insurmountable obstacle, because individual parts of the system are manufactured specifically for installation inside a brick or concrete shaft. Lining is performed as follows:

1. Mechanical cleaning of chimneys and its inspection are carried out.
2. The possibility of passing the sleeve from the top of the chimney to the firebox is determined.
3. When there are no bends in the chimney that prevent the free pushing of the liner, it is assembled by connecting the elements and gradually lowered into the chimney to the firebox.
4. During operation, it is recommended to be careful not to accidentally drop the unassembled sleeve. This can significantly complicate further assembly.
5. The sleeve is flexible, allowing for simple bends. If a blockage occurs, you can try to approach the bend from the side of the firebox. The elements are articulated and gradually pushed upward.
6. If it is not possible to pass the bend, then partial disassembly of the chimney is carried out in problem area. You can knock out a few bricks or make a technological cutout to provide access to the connection.
7. In pipe bends, the connection is made by elements such as an elbow or a bend.

The sleeve is secured with clamps, an apron and a fungus are installed on top, protecting the chimney and sleeve from precipitation. Installation on the firebox side should ensure the removal of combustion products through the liner system, preventing them from entering the chimney shaft.

The sleeve elements are made in such a way that they fit tightly into one another and firmly hold their shape. The dimensions are standard, this makes it easy to replace individual parts or modify them if it is necessary to rebuild the chimney.

A hearth in the form of a fireplace or stove not only serves as a means of heating the room, but also creates a unique coziness in the house. However, the use of fire inevitably generates the need for chimney maintenance. Chemical and mechanical cleaning agents are available. And besides them, there are folk remedies that have been proven over centuries. Each method is good in its own way, but with certain limitations. Using them in combination allows you to operate the system stove heating with the greatest return.

To clean a chimney pipe in a private house, you need to know some nuances, otherwise you risk damaging the structure and wasting your time by performing this time-consuming work poorly. If you are faced with a choice between chemical and mechanical cleaning, feel free to choose mechanical, as it is much more effective. If necessary, consult a specialist.

A clogged chimney occurs for a number of reasons. Often the culprit may be a foreign object getting into the pipe. For example, birds or other animals that bring with them nesting material that completely blocks the smoke escape. Excessive soot accumulation (a natural byproduct of the combustion process) can also cause blockages. Finally, large amounts of leaves, branches and other debris can block the chimney vent.

Sometimes incorrect design during construction can cause further frequent blockages. This is the most difficult reason to eliminate, since in most cases it will not be possible to get rid of it on your own, and contacting qualified specialists can cost a lot of money. Often, to completely eliminate the problem, it is necessary to completely dismantle the stove or fireplace in order to build a new firebox and smoke exhaust system. If you do not have the relevant experience and do not know how to clean a chimney, under no circumstances try to do it yourself.

Why is soot dangerous?

During the combustion of wood or coal, amorphous carbon (soot) is formed, containing small particles of solid matter. Soot occurs when hot particles interact with cold air, causing condensation. Because this process occurs in the air inside your home, the soot is virtually invisible until it begins to settle on walls and other surfaces as a black residue.

When interacting with moisture in a room, soot can significantly deteriorate the quality of water and damage houseplants and make the surrounding air unbreathable.
Staying in a room with high levels of soot in the air for a long time can cause coronary heart disease, asthma, bronchitis and many other respiratory diseases.

The most dangerous effect of fumes is on people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, increasing the risk of a heart attack.

If newborn children are in a contaminated room, this may affect the development of their upper and lower respiratory tract.

The danger of carbon monoxide poisoning is a major concern when it comes to heating a room with wood or coal.

Traditional methods of contactless cleaning

Please note that contactless cleaning eliminates the problem only for a while. If you have difficulty with mechanical cleaning, use the services of professionals.

People often use the following methods to combat soot and burning:

• Burning potato peels together with firewood;
• Placing a bag filled with bricks into the pipe;
• Using pine firewood to clean the chimney.

Please be aware that none of these methods are foolproof cleaning methods and are not guaranteed to be completely safe. The best methods are mechanical or chemical cleaning. In some cases, you can combine several options if your design allows it.

Chemical cleaning

Sodium chloride

Sodium chloride, also known as table salt, is a simple chemical that is easy to find. Place some salt on the fire while it burns. The salt will begin to react with the water in the burning wood, which will create a weak acid that will move up the chimney and dissolve a small amount of soot. Use this method with caution. Do not use sodium chloride if you have a metal chimney, as the acid will cause corrosion when it interacts with metal.

Copper sulfate

When choosing an industrial flue gas scrubber, one of the most effective ingredients is copper sulfate. This material reacts chemically with the soot and causes it to burn at a lower temperature than normal. Like table salt, copper sulfate combines with water to create sulfuric acid, or sulfuric acid, which can damage the inside of your chimney.

While chemical cleaners can prevent soot buildup, the only way to effectively remove the clog is to manually clean the inside of the pipe with a special brush. Chemical cleaners should never be the only cleaning method. In addition, excessive use of chemicals can damage the chimney, especially chimneys with metal cladding, which will significantly reduce their service life. Before using any chemical cleaner, read the instructions carefully to avoid fire. If the chimney is not working properly and smoke is coming back, do not use chemicals under any circumstances, as this may cause serious poisoning.

Mechanical chimney cleaning

Do-it-yourself mechanical cleaning of a chimney is a very labor-intensive task that requires considerable effort and time. There are four general cleaning methods. Some of them require the presence of more than one person, but all four methods involve a set of the same tools.

To clean the chimney you will need:

• Brush for cleaning the chimney;
• Smoke exhaust rods, rope and traction rings (depending on the method);
• Pipe plug;
• Fabric for flooring and furniture;
• Ribbon;
• Mirror;
• Metal bucket;
• Shovel and broom;
• Flashlight;
• Protective mask/goggles;
• Ladder.

Measure the width of the chimney before purchasing a special brush to choose the right size.

Never skimp on the quality of consumables. This can affect both the quality of cleaning and the integrity of your structure.

Basic mechanical cleaning methods

• Top-down rod method. For execution this method cleaning must be on the roof. Insert the brush into the hole to clean the inside walls by lifting the brush up and down several times. The brush should be connected to flexible metal rods to increase the length of the brush as it moves further down the chimney. Use this cleaning method if you want to avoid getting soot on furniture and walls in your home. It is recommended to close the firebox to completely prevent soot from getting from the walls of the chimney onto things in the living room.
• Bottom-up rod method. This method is similar to the previous one, but to clean you need to be in the house, not on the roof, working with the rod from below. This is much safer since you don't have to climb onto the roof, but it means it's impossible to avoid soot and dust getting on things in your home. To significantly reduce contamination, use a tarp to protect your furniture from excess fumes.

• Cleaning with additional weight. It is recommended that this cleaning be carried out using the same algorithm as the top-down rod method, but instead of using a smoke brush, rope, pull rings and weights must be attached to the flexible metal rods. Add rings and any weight of at least 9 kilograms to the end of the rope, then lift and lower this structure into the chimney from the roof. Don't forget to close the firebox in your home to prevent dust from getting on your interior items.
• Double line method. This method requires the participation of two people. Thread the rope through your brush (use a tension ring to hold it in place if necessary). One person takes the brush and rope to the roof and, holding one end, lowers the installation down the pipe. The person in the house grabs the other end of the rope. Each person takes turns pulling the rope to thoroughly clean the chimney with a brush. Be prepared for a lot of dust in the house after the procedure. Be sure to use a tarp or any other fabric to cover the floor and furniture.

Step-by-step instructions for mechanical cleaning

1. Prepare a cloth to collect dust and lay it in front of the fireplace (stove).
2. Wear a mask and gloves.
3. Light the pipe carefully with a flashlight to accurately determine its size.
4. Make sure your cleaning brush is at least slightly longer than your chimney.
5. Place a tarp or old, unwanted sheet over the fireplace. Use fire-resistant tape for these purposes to avoid incidents with flames (especially if you use a torch or candle instead of a flashlight).
6. Push the brush up the chimney, turning it inside if necessary.
7. Repeat this process until you reach the top of the chimney.
8. Take a look at the chimney using a flashlight. If the walls are still dirty, repeat the previous procedure again.
9. Use a hair dryer to heat the chimney. Direct the heat source towards the chimney for approximately 8 minutes.
10. Light a small piece of paper in the firebox to check the quality of the work done. If the smoke rises up and does not return, then the cleaning has been successful. Otherwise, you can repeat the previous steps.
11. To make sure your chimney is intact, have someone look outside at how the smoke is coming out. If smoke comes out of several holes, then the chimney is most likely damaged. In this case, do not try to do anything yourself, but contact qualified specialists to avoid a fire.
12. If everything went well, remove all dust and fumes from the firebox using a vacuum cleaner.
13. This procedure must be carried out at least once every month and a half.

• When cleaning, wear clothes that you don’t mind throwing away after completion, as you will have quite dirty and dusty work ahead of you;
• Measure the width of your chimney before purchasing a special chimney brush to ensure you choose the right size. If the brush is too large, it may get stuck during cleaning;
• Do not use water to start a fire as it may deform the metal chimney;
• You can make a chimney brush with your own hands using steel cables, waste wire and a metal weight. Make sure you use a weight that weighs at least 8 - 9 kilograms.

Checking the quality of cleaning

The easiest way to check is to shine a flashlight into the chimney. If you don’t find any gray, brown or black deposits on its walls, it means the cleaning was done efficiently. Absence unpleasant odor when burning wood also indicates that there is no fire left in the chimney harmful substances. During cleaning, foreign objects may enter the chimney (for example, a piece of rope, fibers from a brush, etc. Consumables). Before lighting the wood and making the first check, carefully ensure that the chimney is free of foreign debris.

If you suspect that the chimney was damaged during cleaning, do not use it under any circumstances until a preliminary inspection. Carry out a thorough check yourself or invite a specialist.

Remember - if diagnostics or cleaning were carried out incorrectly, it is not recommended to use such a chimney in the near future.

Follow these tips to avoid soot buildup:

• Check the chimney regularly for blockages and, if necessary, contact a specialist;
• Do not burn cellophane, foil and other foreign objects in the firebox;
• Make sure that the entire system from the firebox to the chimney is installed correctly;
• Make sure that all wood is sufficiently dry before lighting;
• Choose the appropriate size stove or fireplace for your room;
• Make sure the fire is completely extinguished before going to bed or leaving the premises;
• If your stove is located in the country and you do not use it for a long time, do not forget to close the pipe with a cap while you are away.

Prices for professional chimney sweep services

If you use your fireplace more than four times a week, you will need to have your chimney cleaned on a regular basis. This is one of the most important factors determining the cost of chimney sweep services, since the more often your fireplace or stove is used, the more clogs will form on the walls of the chimney.

In order for the cleaning to be as effective as possible, it is advisable to clean from both the house and the roof.

If you have been using your fireplace for many years and have never had it cleaned, the cost of a professional may be much more expensive than any subsequent cleaning, as long-term clogs are very difficult to remove.

Approximate prices for chimney sweep services

Prices may vary depending on your region. The table below shows prices in Moscow and the Moscow region.

Dry cleaning is not carried out by specialists and is strictly not recommended for independent use. For an additional fee, a specialist can advise you on how to clean a chimney pipe in a private home yourself.

Always remember that even with proper care, you will not be able to avoid dirtying your chimney, it is just a matter of time. Clean every few months to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning and indoor odors. Despite the apparent effectiveness of home remedies and the use of chemicals, nothing can replace high-quality mechanical cleaning.

Owners of stoves and fireplaces are well aware of the need for regular maintenance of their heating boilers. No matter how perfect the design, the chimney will definitely need to be cleaned. The speed of its clogging is influenced by various factors: operating conditions, device design, quality and type of fuel, etc. However, even in the most ideal conditions, the chimney must be cleaned at least once a year. Often this operation is carried out by employees of special companies, but if you wish, you can do it yourself.

Why is it necessary to clean your chimney at all?

When fuel burns in a heating appliance, soot is released. Warm air lifts it up, where it settles on the walls of the chimney. Over time, soot accumulates, its layer becomes more and more powerful. This leads to unpleasant consequences:

• The smoke exhaust channel narrows, which reduces draft.
• The wear of the chimney walls accelerates.
• The efficiency of the heating device decreases.
• The likelihood of a fire inside the smoke exhaust duct increases.

You can prevent troubles only by promptly and efficiently cleaning the chimney from accumulated soot.

You may also find this article useful on how to properly make a brick chimney:

Methods for cleaning a chimney

All options for cleaning the smoke channel can be divided into three groups.

Option #1 - folk remedies

The most common remedy for soot accumulation in a chimney is rock salt. It is usually sprinkled onto the fuel during the combustion process. However, this option can be considered, rather, as a prevention of soot formation. It will not help to radically clean the pipe.

A more effective means for cleaning chimneys is potato peelings or simply chopped potatoes. Their number is determined by the size heating device, but on average it usually takes about a bucket. The peelings are poured directly into the fire. The starch released along with the steam softens the soot and it comes out of the pipe. After the procedure, you need to clean the oven. Sometimes this operation is carried out before mechanical cleaning, which is much easier.

Another remedy is aspen firewood. Several armfuls of such fuel are burned in a furnace. However, we must immediately make a reservation that this is a rather dangerous method. It involves heating the chimney to very high temperatures, as a result of which the soot begins to burn out. Before using this method, you should make sure that the chimney is strong. In addition, soot deposits must be small, otherwise even the most durable pipe will not withstand the loads and will collapse.

Soot is deposited inside the chimney and closes the exhaust channel space. The draft deteriorates, the efficiency of the heating device decreases and the risk of fire increases

Option #2 - chemical compositions

The industry produces many products designed to clean chimneys. These are a variety of powders, liquids and briquettes. They are added to the firebox during fuel combustion. They light up and release substances that are harmless to humans, destroying deposits on the walls of the smoke channel, which crumble down. Popular products include PHC or anti-carbon chemical composition. A special powder is placed in the firebox along with firewood. Its quantity is strictly standardized: no more than 200 g per ton of fuel.

When looking for how to clean your chimney from a small layer of soot, you should pay attention to the Czech product Kominichek. This powder, when heated, causes a catalytic reaction, causing the soot to burn at a lower temperature. The most popular is the “Log Chimney Sweep”, which can be used in all types of appliances operating on liquid and solid fuels. The product should be used as deposits accumulate. On average, a fireplace that is lit once or twice a week will require one briquette for six months. But for a boiler that is constantly used, you will need one log every two months. In large fireplaces and stoves, two packages are burned at once.

Before using the “Log Chimney Sweep” for the first time this heating season, you should inspect the chimney to be sure that it is not clogged with debris or foreign objects. The briquette can be burned with or without fuel. However, for maximum effectiveness, it is placed on hot coals. Before this, the log is removed from the packaging, but the wrapper is not removed. You should wait until the briquette flares up; if this does not happen, the wrapper is set on fire on both sides. Action active substance lasts for two weeks. During this time, soot may fall out. After this period, you should inspect the pipe and clean the firebox.

An effective means for cleaning a chimney is a special log. When burning, it releases volatile substances that destroy soot deposited in the smoke channel

However, it’s worth saying a few words about safety precautions (more details in the video):

Although, there is an opinion that all this is written with a pitchfork on the water:

It's up to you to decide who to believe.

Option #3 - mechanical cleaning

No matter how advanced humanity has become in terms of technology, mechanical cleaning of chimneys, just like hundreds of years ago, remains the simplest, most reliable and effective way to remove soot and deposits. Depending on which gas ducts need to be cleaned - vertical or horizontal - a variety of scrapers, blades, brushes and brooms are used. You can make a tool for servicing furnace channels yourself or buy it in specialized departments of construction markets. Most often, a brush-brush is used to remove soot in vertical flues, and a poker and a brush with stiff bristles are used in horizontal flues. If necessary, attach a handle of the required length to the tool.

A brush for cleaning a chimney can easily be made from scrap materials.

Previously, you could call a chimney sweep to clean your chimney. Since today people of this profession are extremely rare, we will tell you in detail how to properly clean soot from a stove or fireplace:

1. Clean the firebox from ash and unburnt solid fuel residues.
2. Close the ash pan, firebox and all cleaning doors tightly - remember that soot consists of microscopic particles that can penetrate into the narrowest cracks. An open fireplace should be curtained with thick cloth, which should be moistened generously with water.
3. Following safety precautions, climb onto the roof. You should have a brush with you, tied to a long rope.
4. Inspect the vertical flue for contamination with large debris. If large foreign objects get into the chimney, or the smoke channel is blocked by a broken half of a brick, then it can be freed using a cable with a heavy weight in the shape of a ball. Use objects for these purposes complex shape(with a shifted center of gravity) is not recommended. They often turn and get stuck in the oven channels, requiring additional effort and time to remove.
5. After removing the blockage, lower the bristled brush into the chimney and, using progressive up and down movements, clean the walls along the entire height of the pipe. If the chimney has not been cleaned for a long time, or if damp wood with a high resin content was used for the firebox, then a thick layer of deposits can only be removed with a metal scraper.
6. Check the result of your work and go down. Your next goal is the remaining vertical and horizontal channels. They can be accessed through the cleaning doors. Opening them one by one in the direction from the chimney to the mouth of the stove, remove carbon deposits with scrapers and hard brooms and scoop them out of the channels with a poker.
7. Stoves with a wide firebox, as well as fireplaces, are also cleaned from the firebox side. Lastly, carbon deposits are scraped off the walls of the fuel chamber and the ash pan, after which the soot is scooped out and the under and grate is cleaned.

When finished with the work, close and carefully seal the cleaning doors, carry out a full wet cleaning premises. The cleaning procedure is usually carried out twice a year, before starting heating season and at its end.

Fireplaces with straight chimneys can be cleaned from below, through the firebox. To do this, use a special metal brush, the handle of which is extended using special extensions.

The problem of cleaning a chimney is easily solved. You can choose from several cleaning options. You just need to take into account the amount of deposits that have accumulated on the walls of the smoke channel. All work, including mechanical cleaning, can be carried out independently. You should read the instructions and follow them carefully. However, those who are not confident in their abilities or do not want to do dirty work can invite a professional. In any case, a clean chimney will delight its owner with excellent draft and long service life.

How to reduce soot deposits

Soot and carbon deposits are deposited even in the pipes of gas-fired furnaces. What can we say about the combustion of solid fuel - for it this is an even more natural process. At the same time, the amount of combustion products deposited on the walls of the chimney can be significantly reduced. To do this, you should follow a few simple rules:

1. No trash. Do not burn plastic, foam, rubber and other substances with a high carbon content in the firebox of a solid fuel stove.
2. Prepare firewood in advance. Remember that high-quality dry wood burns with virtually no residue, with minimal release of soot and substances that cause soot formation. Among other things, this is facilitated by a higher combustion temperature, which affects the course of pyrolysis processes. Concerning raw firewood, then when they are used, water vapor is released in excess, as well as substances such as tar, creosote, etc. - they simply do not have time to burn due to the low temperature. Subsequently, all these resin-like substances fall out in the form of a difficult-to-remove deposit on the flue ducts and cause rapid overgrowing of the ducts with soot - it sticks to the sticky substance much more readily.
3. Use hardwood. Anyone who lights a stove on their own knows that the best firewood is oak, hornbeam, beech, aspen and acacia. In second place is wood from walnut, apple, cherry, larch, poplar, plane tree, etc. But firewood from coniferous trees (spruce, pine, juniper, etc.) contains a lot of resins, so when using them, you will need to clean the stove significantly more often. As, indeed, when burning birch logs, which have a high tar content. By the way, fashionable today fuel briquettes or pellets are also subject to careful inspection at the time of purchase. If they are made from pine sawdust or sunflower husks, then it is better to avoid such fuel due to the high content of resins and oily substances.
4. Make sure the wood burns in optimal mode. This corresponds to a flue gas temperature of 150 to 350 degrees. With reduced heat generation, wood carbon does not have time to burn in the firebox and flies away with smoke, simultaneously falling out in the vertical and horizontal channels of the furnace.

In order to achieve the most complete combustion of wood, follow these tips: experienced stove makers. Here's what they recommend:

• Before putting firewood into the stove, keep it indoors for at least 2-3 days. During this time they will dry out and warm up to room temperature, which means that they will not only burn better, but will also not require additional waste of heat for preheating;
• before laying the main batch of wood, heat the combustion chamber by burning wood chips, pieces of cardboard, etc. in it;
• As the wood burns, regulate the combustion process using a damper or ash door. Of course, a high temperature in the furnace is good because less soot is formed, but in this case the heat will not have time to accumulate in the body of the furnace, and will simply fly away into the atmosphere;
• Install a combustion indicator on the chimney. With its help, you can more accurately monitor the temperature of the smoke and maintain the heat release process within optimal limits.

A temperature indicator installed on the chimney will help maintain combustion within optimal limits.

The symptoms of an “overgrown” chimney cannot be ignored. First of all, the color of the smoke changes. If the smoke exhaust channel is clean, it will be light, transparent or white. The accumulated soot begins to burn, which changes the color of the smoke. It becomes denser and darker. The shade of the flame in the stove may also change. IN normal conditions it will be light orange. If a rich shade of dark orange appears, then it’s time to think about how to clean your chimney.

What is better to choose for heating wooden house, which option is more economical and profitable, you will find out in our next material: .

In any case, even if warning signs do not appear, experts recommend inspecting the smoke exhaust duct at least twice a year. It should be taken into account that cleaning may be necessary not only in case of a build-up of a layer of soot, but also from debris, bird nests, cobwebs, etc. that accidentally got inside. There are many cleaning methods and you can choose the optimal one only after determining the level of contamination, inspecting the condition of the chimney, etc.

Any fireplace requires maintenance, regardless of its size and design. One of the main methods of maintenance is cleaning the chimney from soot. The question of how to clean a chimney using folk remedies worries many owners of fireplaces and stoves, and most turn to specialized services. However, you can perform such an event as cleaning the chimney in a bathhouse yourself in various ways.

How to heat to avoid soot? And how can you tell if your chimney needs to be cleaned?

The degree, speed of clogging and the need to perform such an action as cleaning the chimney with your own hands depend primarily on the fuel burned. The better the fuel and the higher the quality of the technology for constructing a fireplace or stove, the less often cleaning is required. Better to refrain from burning synthetic materials, plastic and polyethylene elements (garbage, bags) in the fireplace. Firewood for fuel, regardless of the type, must be dry. It is better to refrain from using softwood as fuel. They usually contain a large amount of resinous substances, which settle on the walls of the chimney every time the stove is fired. You can focus your attention on hardwood - this is the most suitable fuel. You should also avoid painted paper and cardboard boxes - they also leave behind a lot of soot. The same applies to low-quality coal.

A chimney sweep cleans the chimney from soot and soot

High-quality fireplaces, when used correctly, can avoid cleaning procedures for the first few years. However, even if the fireplace is relatively new, but the following symptoms were noticed, it is better not to delay cleaning.

Symptoms of a clogged chimney:

• worsening traction;
• the fireplace (or stove) began to heat the room worse. As a result, an increase in the required amount of fuel;
• the appearance of smoke in the room;
• change in smoke color. A normally functioning heating device should produce white or light gray smoke. The darker the smoke, the worse it is, and the sooner you need to start clearing the chimney of soot;
• change in flame color. When the stove is functioning normally, the flame is light orange, but when there is a lot of accumulated soot, it turns dark red;
• the appearance of sparks flying out of the pipe.

The best time of year to hold the event is considered to be the beginning of autumn and the end of spring, but any cloudy, not hot day will do. It is necessary to clean the chimney about twice a year, even if there is no obvious reason for this.

Methods for cleaning a chimney

How to clean a chimney is a question that causes confusion among most stove owners. There are three main cleaning methods:

1. Cleaning traditional methods. How to clean a chimney from soot using folk remedies? It’s quite simple, but it would be more accurate to call this method not cleaning, but preventing chimney blockage. Some folk methods will be available to everyone, and some of them are risky, so they should be treated with caution;
2. Mechanical cleaning – the right way getting rid of solid layers of soot, which you can do yourself. Requires special equipment, time and effort;
3. Chimney cleaning using chemicals. Similar to traditional methods, chemical methods will be an excellent option for preventing the accumulation of soot. However, some preparations will be able to cope with small (several millimeters) layers and relieve the stove owner from the hassle associated with mechanical cleaning.

Cleaning the chimney using a brush and extension sections of the handle

What happens if you don't clean the chimney?

Consequences of neglecting cleaning:

• probability of fire. No matter how incredible it may sound, in some cases it is the neglect of timely cleaning of the chimney that causes a fire. IN large quantities soot on the chimney walls can ignite when exposed to high temperatures. Even if it is possible to avoid a fire, the smoking soot will cause the chimney to crack, and over time it will begin to collapse;
• poor draft and smoke penetration into the room. An obvious consequence of a poorly cleaned chimney. The settling soot, which becomes more and more abundant with each use of the fireplace or stove, gradually fills the chimney and the space intended for the passage of smoke narrows.

Methods for cleaning a chimney: traditional methods

If it’s obvious that it’s time to clean the chimney, then you can try traditional methods - it’s inexpensive and accessible to everyone. So, how to clean a chimney in simple ways:

• rock salt. An unexpected option, but nonetheless popular. Rock salt is generously sprinkled onto the fuel during the combustion process. Salt needs to be sprinkled regularly, every time the hearth is lit. During the combustion process, a chemical reaction will form, due to which the soot deposited on the walls of the chimney will be destroyed. This method is not suitable for long-uncleaned chimneys, but it is good and in an inexpensive way pollution prevention;
• naphthalene. A fairly effective option, but in a certain sense risky. Before you start cleaning the chimney with naphthalene, check that the pipe is intact and has no obvious cracks on the outside or inside. If there are any defects, they must be patched and the insulating materials allowed to dry. If any defects are missed or the chimney cannot withstand the high temperature, then it may be completely destroyed and/or a fire may occur. In addition, there should be no foreign objects in the chimney, and the soot layer should not exceed ten centimeters. After the precautions have been completed, you can throw mothballs into the melted fireplace. Important: use no more than one tablet at a time! Naphthalene is an explosive substance and you need to be very careful when using it. When cleaning with mothballs, soot will fly out of the pipe in the form of white particles, and the fuel will emit a characteristic bad smell. Perhaps cleaning the chimney with mothballs is the most unsafe option, but quite effective;
• using aspen or alder as fuel. The difference between the type of fuel is small: alder burns a little hotter, the flame burns brighter, the draft works better, but it will be more difficult to control such a fire. It is also important to take precautions here: not every pipe can withstand cleaning soot with aspen or alder. Before using the method, it is necessary to ensure that the pipe can withstand very high temperatures. The consequences of failure to comply with safety precautions are unpleasant: a destroyed pipe and a fire. It is worth noting that although soot burns well, and this method is considered one of the most effective, it is fraught with a fire in the house and neighboring buildings. Therefore, before ignition, it is worth closing the valves;
• using potatoes or potato peelings is an original method, known since ancient times. You will need about a bucket of potatoes (or potato peelings). Potatoes or peelings are poured into a well-burning flame: the steam released will clean the chimney well, while the remaining soot will fall into the hearth itself - cleaning may be required after the procedure. Just like rock salt, potato peelings are more of a preventive remedy, but relatively safe. In addition, it is convenient not to throw away potato peelings after each preparation of potatoes, but to use them - a kind of waste-free production; and the chimney will be fine;
• shells from walnuts. In large families, these shells can accumulate in bags, and now there is a way to use them. The shell burns well, but in this matter it is important not to overdo it: it is better not to use the husk as the main fuel, but to add no more than one and a half liters to the burning wood at a time;
• birch logs. Less effective than aspen ones, and more suitable for preventing chimney clogging. To get the desired result, you will have to remove the bark and throw in the logs only in their “naked” form;
• cans made of aluminum. No place to put the cans? No problem. Now they can also be used for preventive work.

The most popular and effective folk way- chimney cleaning with potato peelings

Do-it-yourself manual chimney cleaning: tools and technology

Manual chimney cleaning is a complex but effective method. The devices that will allow you to clean the chimney are very diverse and can be found in every home. Among them:

• scrapers;
• chimney cleaning brush (sandwich type);
• brushes and brushes for cleaning large chimneys;
• weights on ropes - can be used for particularly dense blockages to clear chimney pipes that cannot be cleared with anything else. When using, care must be taken not to damage the integrity of the pipe.

It is worth noting that it is better to buy any tool for cleaning the chimney (brush, special firewood) from special stores. Making, for example, a brush or brush for cleaning a chimney with your own hands is not easy. How to clean a chimney to remove soot and how to clean it will be discussed below.

Cleaning the chimney from soot, the main stages and how to properly clean the chimney in a bathhouse:

1. Before direct work, you need to make sure that the position of the ladder on the roof is stable and that you have insurance. Do not neglect eye and respiratory protection: a respirator is suitable, or at least you should arm yourself with gauze. The most suitable weather is a cool, cloudless day. It is unsafe to be on the roof in the rain, and in hot weather you can get heat or sunstroke;
2. The doors of the stove or fireplace close tightly, but the dampers, on the contrary, should be as open as possible. Otherwise, some of the soot will accumulate on the dampers, while the rest will dirty the room, and it is not easy to get rid of it. The fireplace hearth is covered with a thick cloth, which is pre-soaked in water (it will be impossible to clean the cloth after use). This will maximize the protection of the space around the fireplace from soot. The head of the chimney is removed while the chimney is being cleaned;
3. Chimney cleaning is where you need to start. Removal of soot from chimneys is carried out from top to bottom: starting from the end of the pipe, gradually moving down. The soot is first scraped off with available tools for cleaning the chimney, then the space is cleared with brushes and pipe cleaners.
4. If the tool gets stuck, you can use a chimney weight. It must be lowered sharply, but carefully, so as not to touch the walls of the stove chimney;
5. Similar to chimney cleaning, start cleaning the chimney through the stove doors to remove soot from the chimney;
6. The fireplace hearth or chimney is cleaned last. If possible, it is convenient to use a suitable vacuum cleaner - this will allow you to get rid of soot as quickly as possible;
7. Cleaning the chimney from soot is completed, now you can check the draft. If during the fire the draft is still not very good, and the room is filled with smoke, then the fire must be extinguished immediately and contact an experienced specialist - here you cannot do without his help.

Chimney cleaning with chemicals

More convenient and practical way, rather than mechanical - chemical agent for cleaning chimneys. These can include chimney cleaning powders and liquids that are commonly used while fuel is burning. Often, if you use a chemical type chimney soot cleaner, the flame will take on an unusual color - green or blue. This is normal. Such a change in flame color is evidence of an ongoing chemical reaction.

Before you start cleaning the chimney with chemicals, you need to check that there are no foreign objects in the pipe and the fireplace.

How to clean a chimney with chemicals? The most popular and effective chemicals:

• cleansing logs. So the firewood is simply thrown into the main fuel, along with which it burns. When burning, a log releases substances that provoke chemical reaction. The burned soot is not thrown out into the street along with the smoke, but falls into the fireplace. When using such a chemical composition, the fireplace or stove is heated for several hours to get the desired effect. Chemical firewood is used mainly to prevent blockages in chimney pipes; they will not clear a serious layer of soot exceeding two millimeters. For prevention, it is enough to burn one piece of such log every six months. Ideal for stoves and fireplaces made of brick;
• PHC - anti-carbon chemical composition - perhaps the most popular chemical composition to clean the pipe. It is a powder mass that can be burned either separately or together with firewood. It has strict dosage indications, which are usually indicated on the packaging;
• Kominichek powder is a Czech-made chemical pipe cleaner with a charming name. One package of product is enough for for a long time use.

So, it is obvious that you can clean the chimney using folk remedies yourself. The main thing to remember is that the better you care for your stove or fireplace, the less often it will require radical cleaning, which will require a lot of effort, time and money. Properly maintained furnaces with regular clog prevention (twice a year) may not require cleaning for several years, and their owners do not have to think about how to unclog the pipe or why it became clogged at the last moment.

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How to clean a chimney pipe on your own and without much expense

IN old times cleaning a chimney pipe was a common, ordinary task for any owner. After all, there was a wood-burning stove in every home and the subtleties of this process were passed down from generation to generation. Now these skills are known only to a narrow circle of professionals, whose services are quite expensive. However, there is nothing particularly difficult in this activity. In this article I will talk about how to clean up a chimney with your own hands using traditional devices, as well as accessible old-fashioned cleaning recipes.

Indirect signs of a clogged chimney

You should not be negligent in cleaning the chimney, because a pipe overgrown with soot or even clogged can lead to the fact that at some point carbon monoxide, which has neither color nor odor, enters the room. And this is no longer just a mild poisoning with a headache, but a real mortal danger for you and your family.

• The first thing you should pay attention to is traction. Any person who regularly has to light a stove or light a fireplace knows that in addition to the firebox itself, stoves have a vent that provides air flow and a damper on the pipe. This damper is needed to adjust the cross-section of the chimney; without it, the lion's share of the heat will literally fly out into the chimney.
  The position of the damper is usually determined by eye, empirically. So, if to ignite the stove you need to open the damper more than usual, it means that the cross-section of the pipe has become smaller and it needs to be cleaned;

• Another indirect sign of the need for such cleaning may be the color of the smoke.. When wood burns, the smoke is usually light, almost white, and at high burning intensity it can even be transparent. If dark smoke is pouring out of your chimney, and patches of soot appear on the roof and in the yard, then it’s time to get down to business;
• You can also determine if the system is clogged by the color of the flame.. Under normal conditions the fire will be light yellow color. If the burning intensity has dropped and the flame has become bright orange, it means that the fuel is not burning out completely, therefore, the stove needs to be cleaned.

Methods for cleaning a chimney

Over the thousands of years of existence of stove heating, many different methods have accumulated in the treasury of folk wisdom. Didn't stand aside modern science, on this moment A number of formulations are available to solve this problem.

What does the modern market offer us?

The simplest, although not very cheap way Cleaning fireplaces and stoves involves using a variety of chemical mixtures that can, to one degree or another, actively destroy soot deposits in chimneys and fireboxes:

• The domestic company “Dymovoy” produces a number of similar devices. A cleaning box is considered a serious preventative measure against soot. This is normal cardboard box, with a flammable chemical inside, which must be placed in the firebox and set on fire.
  The whole process lasts about one and a half hours. After this, within 2 weeks, the soot will actively fall off and pour into the firebox or burn inside the channel, poured through the chimney;

• If the cardboard box does not help, there is a more radical remedy, the so-called “Smoke” log. This is a briquette of compressed chemicals, decorated to look like an ordinary log. The developers claim that this is one of the most powerful tools. In addition to practical benefits, the burning of such a log is accompanied by interesting visual effects; it produces an original flame with a pronounced turquoise shade, children will simply be delighted with such cleaning;

• In the product line of this famous manufacturer There are also special cleaning pellets designed to prevent clogging of pellet heating boilers and stoves. For supporting normal operation boiler, the instructions instruct you to mix a ten kilogram package of the product with a ton of ordinary pellets. To clean conventional stoves with such pellets, it is necessary to burn a kilogram of this chemical in the firebox for 5 days;

• Approximately the same line of products is offered by the concern, which operates under the widespread brand “Chimney Sweep”. This brand is the result of cooperation between our manufacturers and the famous German company Hansa. If you believe the advertising, then their products are capable of destroying not only layers of soot, but also reacting with creosote, which is the basis of a dense and viscous substrate under a layer of this very soot;

• The products of the Czech company Kominichek have gained popularity among Russians for quite some time now. One package contains 5 sachets of the mixture, 14 g each. Used at the rate of 1 sachet per 1 kg of firewood.

The advantage of this mixture is its reasonable price, as well as the ability to decompose soot even at relatively low temperatures. But the product has a pungent odor, which is why it can only be used in tightly closed fireboxes; it is not suitable for open fireplaces;

• In addition, one of the most affordable means is an anti-carbon chemical composition or PCC. The compound is effective, but quite aggressive; no more than 150g of powder is used for 1 ton of fuel. It is sold and used in the same way as Kominichek, in paper bags that are burned without opening.

This entire powerful arsenal of modern chemistry, according to the manufacturers themselves, is more designed to prevent chimney clogging. If the thickness of the carbon deposits in your pipe does not exceed 20 mm, then the chemistry will cope with it. Large blockages can only be removed mechanically, that is, with your own hands.

Traditional methods of cleaning pipes

Fortunately, not all of the grandfather’s recipes were irretrievably lost and in the treasury of folk wisdom, there are still many effective recommendations left. Personally, I trust folk methods more than aggressive chemistry:

• The simplest remedy is ordinary table salt. It is poured onto burning coals and as it evaporates, it gradually destroys the soot layer. There are two opinions on when exactly you need to add salt. I was taught that you should sprinkle salt on the smoldering coals in a dying furnace.
  At the same time, I have met masters who, on the contrary, claim that salt should be poured over high heat. Apparently the truth, as always, is in the middle. After all, no matter what you pour, at the moment of maximum combustion the thrust will be maximum, therefore, most of the composition will simply fly out through the pipe;

• In parallel with salt, I use potatoes, or rather potato peelings, to soften and destroy the soot layer. They are thrown closer to the end of the firebox and, according to the rules, must burn out completely. Destruction occurs due to the absorption of starch into a loose layer of soot. The method is completely safe and requires virtually no costs;

• One of the most common in the past old-fashioned ways chimney prevention was to periodically heat it with dry firewood from aspen, alder or birch, and this firewood must be cleared of bark. During such a fire, the dampers must be periodically gradually closed and opened completely.
  As a result, when you close the valve, the temperature rises, and when you open it completely, you get maximum draft. Such “swings” lead to complete burnout of the layers. But for old stoves this is dangerous, as the walls of the chimney may crack;

• Light soot deposits can be destroyed by naphthalene vapors. According to experienced cleaners, it is supposedly enough to burn one tablet in the firebox for 3-4 days in a row and within two weeks after that all the soot will burn out and the channel will become clean.
  But I have doubts about the safety of this method. Firstly, naphthalene is a rather harmful and smelly compound, and no matter how hard you try, some of the vapor will end up in the room anyway. And secondly, at high concentrations, naphthalene vapors are considered explosive;

• There is another radical method: cleaning the chimney with boiling water. As a rule, it is used for serious blockages, as a temporary measure until you get around to cleaning it mechanically. It’s simple, three liters of boiling water is poured into the pipe of a heated stove, the steam shock simply knocks the plug out, plus the structure of the entire layer is disrupted and part of the soot burns;
• If we talk exclusively about cleaning stoves, then you can use a mixture of crystals copper sulfate(5 parts) with saltpeter (7 parts) and coal or coke powder (2 parts).
  Such a product is burned at the moment of maximum temperature in the firebox. For 100 kg of fuel, 20 g of powder is enough. But keep in mind that this product is not suitable for fireplaces;

• I don’t know how true this is, but I was assured that periodically burning aluminum cans, for example, beer cans, in the firebox, cleans the chimney perfectly. Only thin aluminum should not melt, but burn. You can achieve this effect only if you heat the stove with good coal or coke, you won’t get that temperature with wood.

All traditional cleaning methods are good only as a preventive measure or preparation for general mechanical cleaning with your own hands. So there is no need to place high hopes on them.

Cleaning the pipe yourself

Cleaning pipes and chimneys with chemical or old-fashioned methods, of course, a good thing, but as I already mentioned, in case of large blockages, you can only clean up the mess manually. And the first thing you should take care of is the tool.

What you need to clean your pipe yourself

The most common, one might say classic, chimney sweep tool is a wide brush. To be honest, despite the development of scientific and technological progress, the same way chimney pipes in private houses were cleaned with pipe cleaners and brushes 100 years ago, they are cleaned to this day.

Of course, to be fair, it should be noted that in addition to metal brushes, their plastic counterparts are now actively used. By the way, chimneys made of stainless steel can be cleaned, but with plastic brushes or metal bristles you will completely ruin the structure, but such pipes cost serious money.

The design of this device is extremely simple. A round core weighing from 2 to 5 kg is fastened to a brush with horizontally oriented bristles from below with a carabiner, and from above this whole miracle of design is suspended on a cable or rope. Such brushes can be round or square, but in any case, they must be at least 20% wider than the chimney in size.

The lower core does not have to be round, it can be cone-shaped, oval, in general, anything, the main thing is that the weight is well centered, otherwise it may jam in the channel. That is why you cannot hang sports weights or dumbbells here.

Another useful device This is a scraper; in itself it resembles an ordinary chisel screwed to a long stick. To be honest, when I was faced with the problem of cleaning a chimney at my dacha, special devices I didn’t have it at hand, so I did just that, screwed a carpenter’s chisel with wire to a long pole, in my case to a bamboo rod.

A complete set for high-quality chimney cleaning consists of three main devices. I have already talked about the brush with a core. In addition to this, you will need approximately the same brush, only attached to an elastic metal or fiberglass cable. The same device, only with a different nozzle, is used to pierce sewer pipes.

The fact is that a straight chimney, that is, going vertically upward from the combustion chamber, is rare. Usually between the camera and vertical pipe the so-called “coarse” is installed in stoves and fireplaces; it is needed to increase heat transfer.

In this segment, the gases heated in the furnace move along a broken trajectory, in other words, like a snake. So, in all the problem points of this snake, technological windows are made, through which the chimney channel is cleaned. A flexible but elastic cable with a brush is exactly what is needed to clean hard-to-reach places in the chimney, from below through technological windows.

In modern private houses with low floors, the stove or fireplace pipe turns out to be quite long, and if the blockage is severe, one brush on the cable may not be enough. In order for you to be able to clean the entire length of the chimney with a scraper, it would be a good idea to purchase a set of extendable meter rods made of fiberglass.

Of course, a factory-made specialized tool is a convenient thing. And although the price of this set is relatively affordable, our person allocates funds for such purchases last, and before that he will definitely try to make something with his own hands.

Here are a couple of recipes for such homemade products from my own experience. At first I tried to make a brush with a bristle from millimeter steel wire. I cut pieces of wire slightly wider than the chimney and in the middle I wrapped them in one ring around a stud with an 8 mm thread. Then, I tightened it all with nuts through washers.

Of course, such a device scrapes off soot quite well. But steel wire 1 mm is quite tough and not every brick pipe can withstand such a test. At home, this number still passed on the new chimney, but the old chimney at the dacha was almost crumbling from steel bristles. Therefore, I do not advise you to step on this rake; it is better to use the following recipe.

Plastic brooms are now on sale. So I decided to make the second brush from such a broom. Most of all I had to tinker with the disassembly, because those who did it apparently did not expect that they would disassemble it.

Then everything is simple. The broom's crown turned out to be a soldered monolith. In the center of this monolith, I drilled a hole the diameter of a metal pin, after which I put wide washers on both sides and tightened them with nuts. Under the pressure of the washers, the durable synthetic pile parted and assumed a horizontal position.

The weight was smelted from lead. I made a clay mold, inserted a pin with a ring at the end into the center and filled the mold with lead. I also screwed rings on both sides of the homemade brush. And he connected all these segments with carbines.

One of my friends “fished” from the Internet a scheme for making a brush from plastic bottles. There you need to cut off the bottom of two bottles and, not reaching the neck, lengthwise, cut the walls of the bottles into petals. Then, towards each other, so that the necks “look” in different directions, these two segments are placed on a stud and tightened with bolts.

All this was beautiful, cheap and attractive while this brush was being made, but when they tried to clean out dense carbon deposits with it, it turned out that this device was of little use. This “brush” is too weak to scrape off old carbon deposits.

There is another assembly diagram homemade brush. It will work well, but you will have to tinker with its creation. Thick steel rope disassembled into wires is used as bristles.

The hardest thing to disassemble is the rope itself. Such items are knitted on special machines and can take quite a long time to disassemble. You need to work slowly, wearing thick gloves, otherwise you will prick your fingers. The threads are tied there tightly, so that it is unlikely to be possible to disassemble with bare hands; it is better to use pliers.

When the rope is disassembled, a nut is screwed onto a threaded steel stud, a wide metal washer is put on it, on top of which the same washer is put only made of thick, dense rubber.

The wire is laid out from the center in a circle, after which another rubber gasket with a wide iron washer is put on top. Manufacturing is completed by tightening these two washers on both sides.

Chimney cleaning technique

First of all, remember that all work at height is dangerous. Believe me, it only seems from below that there’s nothing wrong on the roof two-story house no, in fact, a fall can lead to serious consequences, even death.

The first thing you need to take care of is insurance; the more reliable it is, the better. In addition, it is customary to clean pipes in calm, dry weather. Decide for yourself whether you should wear thick overalls and gloves, but a respirator and goggles will definitely not be superfluous.

Before starting work, first clean the firebox. In general, before I climb onto the roof, I “steam” the pipe for a week using traditional methods. Usually potato peelings and table salt are enough.

Immediately before starting active cleaning, the doors, vents and technological windows of the furnace must be closed and preferably covered with a damp cloth. We simply cover the fireplace opening with a thick, damp cloth.

Before you run a brush with a weight or a scraper into the pipe, make sure that there is nothing there other than soot. If the stove has not been heated for more than two weeks, birds may make nests or take up residence in the chimney. the bats. In addition, old brick pipes can crumble from the inside, and it is better to immediately notice a displaced brick and try to fix it, rather than turn it out with a brush and drop it down.

I warn you right away that cleaning a chimney is hard work and you will have to sweat a lot. First, lower one cannonball on a rope to the entire depth of the pipe, without a brush. Make sure it moves freely and doesn't get caught on anything. After this, you can attach the brush and, using a back and forth motion, from top to bottom, slowly clean the chimney.

If the core does not pass, then you need to use a scraper. In general, it is believed that the core diameter should be at least 2/3 of the cross-sectional dimensions of the pipe.

Of course, the brush can also be screwed to a long rod. But if with the core you expend effort only to lift it up, it will go down on its own, under the weight of the core, then in the case of a barbell you will have to spend 2 times more energy.

All the soot you clean off will naturally fall to the bottom. So don't wait until the pipe is filled with debris. Periodically you need to climb off the roof and clean out the soot through the service window.

When you are done with the pipe, start cleaning with a flexible cable with a brush at the end, “rough”. The firebox and vent are the last to be cleaned, despite the fact that you already cleaned them at the beginning, by this moment they will be dirty again.

Preventing blockages

Cleaning chimney pipes will be needed much less often if you adhere to the basic rules for operating stoves and fireplaces. First of all, forget about burning raw wood, especially softwood. Coniferous trees contain a large amount of resins.

These resins, dissolved in water vapor, are heavy compounds, so they will immediately settle on the walls of the chimney, forming a dense coating that is difficult to clean off. In the same time dry wood, even coniferous species, does not pose a great danger to stoves and fireplaces.

Another problem with modern stoves is the disposal of waste in the firebox. Old rags and paper, of course, do not pose a great danger, but synthetics and plastic bottles, sooner or later, may lead to the fact that you will have to completely refurbish your stove. And I’m not even talking about those harmful carcinogens that will literally irrigate you and your family in the yard.

The table below contains some standards for the operation of furnace equipment.

Name of event and type of equipment	Frequency of preventive maintenance
Inspection of furnace structures and equipment for them	Immediately after commissioning. And also after carrying out any preventive measures
Checking stove structures, boilers and fireplaces operating according to the season	Once before the start of the heating season
Checking chimneys in gas and solid fuel stoves and boilers	Within 2 years after commissioning, it is checked at least 2 times a year, then the frequency of checks can be reduced
Inspection of brick pipes, regardless of the type of fuel and system design	Visual inspection once every 3 months
Inspection of smooth-walled metal, heat-resistant concrete, asbestos-cement, and ceramic chimneys	1 time per year
Heating or heating-cooking stoves, as well as solid fuel boilers	Checked 3 times a year. Before and after the end of the heating season, as well as in the middle of the season at the discretion of the owners

Naturally, the above standards are valid for regular operation of stoves, boilers and fireplaces. During periodic use, say in a country house, bird nests and plugs from fallen leaves pose a great danger to the chimney.

Conclusion

As you can see, although cleaning a chimney pipe yourself is a physically difficult task, it is not particularly difficult from a technical standpoint. True, we should not forget that regular prevention can significantly reduce the frequency of DIY cleaning.

July 30, 2016

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