Anyone know the make?

[Steven P]

Are they going up an unlined or a lined chimney?

 

The ones I just saw on Toolstation quotes a 400mm sweeps brush? That set?

 

Lined chimney - the liner will be 6" / 150mm and you will struggle to get that in there. With a chimney stove I'd prefer a more flexible rod than standard drain rod types - in mine I have about 35cm at the base for the rod to make a 90 degree bend to go up the chimney - too tight for 'drain' rods, with no allowance at the chimney liner - 6" brush into a 6" hole doesn't have a lot of wriggle room. Open fire with an unlined chimney the bending radius is OK for a 'drain rod' - I think upstairs I have about 1m to bend it the full 90 degrees.

 

As for the actual brush, a smaller middle will let it makes the bends up the chimney easier. Mine has a dog-leg at first floor level to get around, got to account for what goes on up the chimney

[Peasgood]

8 hours ago, Zombosis said:

I’ve just bought a pack of three brushes from toolstation. They have the larger wooden centre part, and traditional black bristles. Why are they not going to be suitable? 😳

On an unlined chimney it will be fine. Those type of brushes act as wispy things that knock the soot off, they shouldn't be in chimneys so tight as the middle bit makes any difference.

The brushes for lined chimneys are much stiffer and are more aimed at scrubbing the soot off rather than just dislodging it and as such are a much tighter fit. For lined chimneys you should have the appropriate size brush, a 6" brush isn't suitable for a 5" liner for example.

The bristly thing you speak of will pretty much do any size of unlined chimney.

 

(All references to lined in this post refer to flexible metal liners rather than premade ceramic section liners.)

[openspaceman]

37 minutes ago, Peasgood said:

On an unlined chimney it will be fine. Those type of brushes act as wispy things that knock the soot off, they shouldn't be in chimneys so tight as the middle bit makes any difference.

The brushes for lined chimneys are much stiffer and are more aimed at scrubbing the soot off rather than just dislodging it and as such are a much tighter fit. For lined chimneys you should have the appropriate size brush, a 6" brush isn't suitable for a 5" liner for example.

The bristly thing you speak of will pretty much do any size of unlined chimney.

 

(All references to lined in this post refer to flexible metal liners rather than premade ceramic section liners.)

I have a 8" chimney, the lining is a concrete which was pumped in round an inflated liner (I do not recommend this I was young and naive), I did manage to get a traditional brush with a wooden boss up it once but it wouldn't come down and had to be unscrewed from the top.

 

I now use a brush which is more like strimmer lines and an electric drill.

[Peasgood]

What will go up a chimney down but won't go down a chimney up?

[Yournamehere]

35 minutes ago, Peasgood said:

What will go up a chimney down but won't go down a chimney up?

Um... have to think about that

[openspaceman]

I'm not sure what you mean and I don't know exactly where the problem was but the flue rises vertically till the loft then bends right about 45° to the centre of the house then 45° back and then vertically to the chimney pot. I suspect the inflated sausage did not  maintain its position concetrically with the old chimney and more concrete ended up on the outside of the bend and when the rod was in tension it jammed the brush to one side but was able to push it out the pot.

[Peasgood]

My post wasn't related to your chimney @openspaceman, your post reminded me of that question my Dad used to ask me when I was a kid.

The answer is an umbrella.

[Zombosis]

On 19/03/2025 at 21:26, Peasgood said:

What will go up a chimney down but won't go down a chimney up?

Floella Benjimen?