Skip the brush when creosote is packed, use a chain knock first

I kept fighting heavy creosote with wire brushes and getting nowhere. After three separate callbacks on the same flue in Akron, I tried a length of chain with a small weight on the end, just dropping it from the top to break the crust loose before brushing. That stuff came off in big chunks, not dust, and the brush actually cleaned the liner instead of just skating over the glaze. It felt rough on the tile edges at first, but I checked after and found no scoring or damage. Now I do the chain pass on any job where I can't see daylight through the flue from below. Has anyone else tried this, or do you stick to chemical treatments for the hard stuff?

1 comments

1 Comment

max38816d ago

Whoa, hold on there. Dropping a chain down a flue sounds like a great way to turn a simple cleaning into a liner replacement job. I get that the brush was skating, but that heavy crust is usually there for a reason, and knocking it loose with something that heavy feels like playing roulette with the tile. You said you checked for damage, but I’d be more worried about a hairline crack that doesn't show up until the next heating season. Chemical treatments are slow and messy, sure, but at least they don't involve me swinging a wrecking ball in someone's chimney. I guess if you've done it a bunch with no issues, more power to you, but that's a hard pass for me.