Chimney/Flue Cleaning

[nantmoel]

Does anyone here clean/sweep their own chimney/flue? I have a 6" liner fitted to a 'Stovax' stove, the flue now need cleaning/sweeping what do you recommend, purchase some rods and brush or get someone to clean it?

[Big Bolt]

I got some rods from car/boot i find the cane ones best , but the brush one is plastic a bit more give on the bends . and a good 6 inch brush very stiff . the pipes are cleaned 2 times a year mid winter and end of may . Before i brush i get the fire roaring and place a packet of fire witch into flames then next day brush the pipes never had a proplem in 15 years. fire witch is a chemical which turns all the soot in the system to a crispy powder which makes it easy to clean ,

[slasherscot]

just bought 10 superflex rods and free brush.....£10 a rod....some of the woodstove sites sell them for £20 a rod......ideal for liners more flexible and will get round bends better

[Marko]

We clean both our own flues once a year. Fitted an access point on the outside of the chimney wall just above the sealing plate which makes brushing very easy and stops any chance of making a mess in the front room.

[County4x4]

I'm kinda between two camps on this one - as I've swept my own chimneys in the past, and I'm also looking at chimney sweep training at the moment with a view to offering it as a service.

 

For what it's worth, I'm guessing if the question was asked on a chimney sweep forum (if there was one) then the response there would be pretty much the same as if Joe Public posted on here that he had a massive pop in his back garden hanging over his conservatory and he was thinking of hiring a ladder....

 

A proper chimney sweep has a lot more knowledge than just how to stick rods together - he'll be trained in all sorts of stuff relating to flues and how they work, how to spot any potential problems that could affect the fabric of the building, and in extreme cases, problems that could gas the occupants! He'll also have the correct equipment for sweeping your particular chimney, with different rods and brush types for cast, brick and lined flues, a proper sweeps vacuum (usually over £700) to remove all the soot and dust without blowing it round your house, soot cloths and so on. He may well have camera gear that he can put up your chimney to inspect it. If he uses the wrong gear, and puts a hole through your lovely new stainless steel liner, he'll also have insurance to cover it! He'll probably issue you with a certificate that will stand up in court too if necessary, to say that your flue has been cleaned to the required standards.

 

As always - it's down to the individual at the end of the day, but having started looking into it, there's a lot more to the job than just sticking a brush up a chimney - and for the sake of £30 - £40 - it might be a better, and possibly safer option to get someone in. The superflex rods that slasherscot mentioned are the ones to use with flexible liners btw - Wakefield Brush sell them via ebay cheaper than on their own website, with a free brush and free postage too IIRC.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

[slasherscot]

whats where i got them,,,,,£119 10 rods and 2 brushes delivered i dont think u will beat that anywhere

[smiles]

I've been doing mine for the last eight years with only two problems early on,Apparently you can get rod that lock together rather than just screwing up tight,therefore not ridking them coming undone in the flue,a momentary loss of concentration could have disasterous results!!

 

I would also use right size brush for the liner,if it's too big then trim it down - otherwise the brush could get wedged so tight that you have to remove the liner to free it,this being based on a very personal experience:blushing:

[clueless]

i had to do it when i was fitting a liner last year as we couldnt get the liner up due to a blockage (even though i had it swept by a proper bloke a couple of months before).

 

I used the drain rods with a brush on the end and whilst your bog standard 'keep brushing till its clear and the brush is poking out the top" was effective at that time, i had to make sure i wasnt around when the mrs got in from work and whilst hiding in the boozer i rang a carpet cleaning company and got the living room booked in.

 

no substitute for experience and the right gear. The same as someone getting a chansaw from argos and calling themselves a tree surgeon.

 

that said, it would probably have been a lot less messy if i had an outside rodding point.

[County4x4]

 

I used the drain rods with a brush on the end and whilst your bog standard 'keep brushing till its clear and the brush is poking out the top" was effective at that time, i had to make sure i wasnt around when the mrs got in from work and whilst hiding in the boozer i rang a carpet cleaning company and got the living room booked in.

 

 

:biggrin: Quality reply!!

 

Andy

 

PS - Smiles - the rods you mentioned are called "lockfast" rods if you're looking for them

[smiles]

PS - Smiles - the rods you mentioned are called "lockfast" rods if you're looking for them

 

 

Cheers for that Andy,will get a set at some point,but for now just keep repeating "twist right,twist right " everytime I give them a yank !