Chimney power sweeping

[scbk]

Do many folks on here do their own chimney(s) with a power sweeper, if so what kit are you using and do you recommend it? Would rather buy good quality that lasts a long time.

 

For use in clay lined type chimneys.

 

[trigger_andy]

Do many folks on here do their own chimney(s) with a power sweeper, if so what kit are you using and do you recommend it? Would rather buy good quality that lasts a long time.
 
For use in clay lined type chimneys.
 

This is a very Scottish-centric question I feel.

But no, I don’t do my own. Purely because the local sweep swaps a couple of clay lined chimneys in the house each year for larch backs. Win/win.

In Englandshire they need their hands held. Bless. [emoji16]

[neiln]

Yes.  Bosch blue battery drill and a kit that iirc I spent about £80 on.  Your can get cyclone/power sweeps from £30 to to £300.  I didn't fancy a cheap one breaking but don't need a professional one to use once a year.

 

I need to dig it out and do the 2 flues, I'll see if I can find a make/model/name for you.

[Haironyourchest]

I got a one, think it's called a tornado. €80. Like it. Be careful with Chinaman's hat cowls. I did one chimney where I was meeting resistance and thought the brush was stuck in a bend. Turns out it was hitting the cowl. Forced it and could feel the rods winding up, then the head popped out between the cowl and the fluepipe (as we discovered later), and sheared the head off. Cowl was undamaged.

[Baldbloke]

Yes, got the Tornado type of kit and run it off a drill. I feel it’s good for a gentle loosening of loose soot from a narrower flue, but slightly ineffective on the 9” jobs. But there again, had a professional in to check on the liners this year and he uses a very similar piece of kit so am now more assured of its capabilities.

 

[openspaceman]

I have this kit

 

Big Button Lock 12mm Liner Kit Flu-Flex Rods – Chimney Rods Direct

WWW.CHIMNEYRODSDIRECT.CO.UK

 

Expensive at over 200 quid but seems to work well with a cordless drill.

 

I have used id with 5" liner and a 9" concrete lined chimney.

 

I remove my stove and register, tape ply to the bottom of the  builders opening and run 2 vacuum cleaners into the opening while I am working, with dust sheet over the top gap and rods fed in under that.

 

Not really worth it to save £45 but not having to wait in for the appointment suits me.

[neiln]

I do mine through the plate in the flue.  I tape up the hole so it's just big enough to slide the flexy rods in, and let the soot fall to the stove.  No mess.  Takes about an hour to do two stoves.

[Steven P]

3 hours ago, neiln said:

I do mine through the plate in the flue.  I tape up the hole so it's just big enough to slide the flexy rods in, and let the soot fall to the stove.  No mess.  Takes about an hour to do two stoves.

I don't have a power sweeper, just a normal brush but am intrigued how well they work... would you get the chimney cleaner or do they just save time and effort.

 

Just to add to the taping up the flue, I have a piece of plywood that I strap to the front of the stove with a small hole for the rods, once the brush is in the liner that works well, and of course, the soot falls into the stove, not much escapes. This winter I'm going to try to put an elasticated curtain over the hole. Likewise, I also have the hoover running for any escaping dust (I clean the filters first to get maximum suction)

 

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Steven P said:

would you get the chimney cleaner or do they just save time and effort.

How clean does it need to be?

 

To my mind an annual sweep is to knock the build up of soot off so as it cannot support a fire so a bit of a cover remaining is not significant.

 

A neglected chimney is a different kettle of fish as it could be close to being blocked with soot at some points ( I have seen a gas cowl used on a pellet stove so blocked the boiler room filled with smoke.)

 

Similarly a tarry deposit from burning wet wood is going to be hard to shift.

[scbk]

On 30/09/2021 at 10:47, openspaceman said:

I have this kit

 

Big Button Lock 12mm Liner Kit Flu-Flex Rods – Chimney Rods Direct

WWW.CHIMNEYRODSDIRECT.CO.UK

 

Expensive at over 200 quid but seems to work well with a cordless drill.

 

I have used id with 5" liner and a 9" concrete lined chimney.

 

I remove my stove and register, tape ply to the bottom of the  builders opening and run 2 vacuum cleaners into the opening while I am working, with dust sheet over the top gap and rods fed in under that.

 

Not really worth it to save £45 but not having to wait in for the appointment suits me.

Cheers, they look good. The now retired chimney sweep, think he said his set was approx £750, so knew it asn't going to be cheap.

Not sure if it's better to go for 12mm/14mm/16mm rods

 

 

Think the going rate round here now is about £60 a chimney, and the sweeps are booked out for months.