Thread: chimney flue sweep

I also advocate getting up on the roof and doing it yourself, particularly if you have a straight steel flue and a slow combustion heater. I got my flue brush from a shop that sold slow combustion heaters etc. It is like a big bottle brush, about 600 mm of bristles on a wire twisted stem that has interlocking loops at 1/2 the length so you can fold it in half, a wooden handle on the other end. All up about 4-5m long.

As previously mentioned if you burn good wood you will not have to do it very often.

I just clean the ash out of the firebox, remove the plate that stop the heat going straight up the flue, place a cardboard box inside the firebox, close the door to the firebox, run flue brush down the flue from the roof. Allow dust to settle, take cardboard box out of firebox, dispose of cardboard box and contents. I have never had a dusty/sooty deposit in the box. Early in my firewood burning days I got little deposits of a shinny brittle substance that was extending from the flue wall radially, as soon as I ran the brush it broke it all off and fell into the waiting box. I think this was creosote.

The main cause of build up in the flue I have found to be due to burning wood that has not been seasoned well enough. Wood with a high moisture content will not burn as hot as drier wood. A cool burn results in more creosote condensing in the flue. Don't be too stingy either, by closing the fire down too much this results in a poor burn with cooler smoke.

If you have a really hot fire on a regular basis any deposits will burn off the inside of the flue. If you let it go too long there will be a build up of creosote and carbon loaded soot substances that will burn out of control as a flue fire. If lucky you may choke it before it gets going otherwise the flue will glow, the top of the flue will spit sparks and you will s..t yourself and i8f really lucky the fire will eventually go out. If your not lucky, the flue will roar and glow and your roof timbers will catch fire and your house will burn down.

If your not confident enough to clean your flue or at least examine it, then make an annual appointment with a chimney sweep.