What is a chimney ruff, and how to make it yourself? Chimney brush with a convenient immersion device Chimney brush made of metal brush

A chimney brush is a tool with a long handle, a working element with metal or polymer bristles and an addition in the form of a load. For manufacturing, a minimum of time and physical investments is required, as a result, a universal design is obtained for high-quality maintenance of the chimney system.

The clogging of the chimney duct is caused by a number of reasons:

  1. Soot accumulates due to the deposition of solid particles of combustion products on the inner surface of the mine.
  2. Condensation is formed, the cause of which is the lack of proper thermal insulation of the chimney, and therefore the effect of soot and soot sticking is enhanced.
  3. Low quality fuel is used. For example, prolonged burning of damp firewood leads to intense clogging of the chimney system.
  4. Resinous fuel resources are used - firewood, lumber and briquettes from spruce, fir, pine.
  5. Waste with a high content of hydrocarbons is burned in the furnace in the form of household waste from polymers - plastic bottles, polyethylene, rubber products.
  6. The heat generator is operated in an incorrect mode, fuel loading is carried out in violation of the rules, the ash pan is rarely cleaned.

Another possible reason for clogging the chimney is hidden in the design of the heater, the essence of which is errors in the construction or installation of the heat generator, or the wrong structure of the chimney.

Clogging the smoke line is fraught with negative consequences:

  • the run is clogged to remove the gas-containing flow, traction deteriorates;
  • the energy efficiency of the heat generator is reduced, which is associated with insufficient traction force;
  • the presence of significant accumulations of soot contributes to the formation of reverse thrust, and carbon monoxide can seep into the room.

The most dangerous situation is when the soot in the chimney ignites with the formation of a large number of sparks, this can provoke a fire in the roof or neighboring buildings. To eliminate the problem, it is required to remove soot and soot in the gas outlet channel in a timely manner, using chemical compounds or home-made devices for mechanical cleaning of the chimney.

Features of mechanical cleaning of the chimney from soot using a ruff

Before starting work, perform the preparatory stage:

  • close the blower, the firebox door, cleaning hatches;
  • all the above points are equipped with an elementary filter in the form of a dense wet cloth;
  • fully open all valves and views of the furnace.

The vertical part of the chimney is treated with a ruff with a core to weight the tool. The structure is equipped with a long cable or a rope, rope or strong cord is used. It is recommended to choose a rope option 2-3 m longer than the height of the pipe in order to secure the outer end to the base of the shaft, otherwise there is a risk of dropping the device into the channel due to the gravity of the core.

To clean the vertical section of the chimney, the device is lowered down the channel, pushing and rotating the rope in different directions. After the structure with the load and the brush is at the bottom of the shaft, they lift it back, making the same movements with the help of a rope. If the tool does not pass due to dense deposits of soot in a certain area, the cable is lifted and sharply lowered into the pipe to break through the blockage.

Cleaning of the horizontal channels of the flue is carried out using a brush with a rigid handle. Most often, the device is equipped with a solid or type-setting rod, the length of which is selected in accordance with the parameters of the processed plane. Since the rotary chimney units provide for special doors, moving along them, it is easy to clean all horizontal sections. In the absence of rotary openings, a brush with a cable is used. Performing circular-rotational movements, the structure is pushed into the depth of the channel and back.

How to make a ruff yourself

Although a chimney brush is not a scarce product in Moscow and other regions of the country, most owners of private houses prefer to make this device with their own hands.

A home-made ruff for cleaning chimney pipes is performed taking into account the specifics of the application. For maintenance of metal and asbestos-cement smoke channels, a brush with a polymer brush should be made. To clean a brick chimney shaft clogged with years of soot, you need to make a solid device from metal raw materials.

Steel wire options

To make a chimney brush with your own hands, the following materials and tools are required:

  • a coil of spring steel wire with a cross section of 1-2 mm or a piece of steel cable with a diameter of up to 10 mm;
  • threaded stud - 60-80 mm long, 1 pc.;
  • washers for the bolt - d50 mm, 2 pcs.;
  • nuts - 2 pcs. ordinary, 2 pcs. cap with a ring;
  • hammer;
  • pliers;
  • chisel;
  • wrench 14.

Sequence of work:

  1. Cut the wire taking into account the cross section of the chimney. In the case of a cable, blanks are made 10% less than the diameter of the pipe.
  2. At the center point of each element, the fibers are pulled apart to make a hole and placed on a hairpin. The wire is simply wrapped around the rod.
  3. The stud is equipped with steel nuts with washers, clamping the structural elements.

For greater strength, flexible elements can be fixed by welding.

When deciding how to make a chimney brush with your own hands, you can choose another version of the product in the form of a spiral brush. In this case, you will need a lathe or a home-made rigid structure to tension the rod. For the manufacture of bristles, steel wire d1-2 mm or a cable is suitable, and a twisted rod is made of steel wire with a cross section of 6 mm.

Steps for making a spiral brush:

  1. The required number of blanks of the required length are made from the cable.
  2. Steel wire d6 mm is folded in half, one end of which is welded, and a loop is twisted on the other.
  3. The design is fixed in the machine. It is necessary to pull the rod well between the cartridge and the tailstock and give the correct position to its cores.
  4. Next, workpieces are placed in the gap between the cores, evenly distributing them along the entire length of the stretched rod, and fixed with hot glue.

When the spindle rotates, the rod twists into a spiral, firmly clamping the wire bristles between the wires.


How to make a homemade ruff from a plastic broom

This will require the following materials and tools:

  • kapron broom, cord;
  • hairpin - up to 10 mm;
  • washers - d5 cm 2 pcs.;
  • nuts - 2 pcs., one of them with a ring.

They remove the broom from the handle, unbend the bristles on the sides, fix the position of the product, heating it with a hairdryer. Make a hole in the center of the broom holder with a drill or a hot nail, thread a hairpin, fix it on both sides with nuts and washers.


Plastic bottle brush

It is necessary to prepare:

  • plastic bottles with a volume of 1.5-3 liters;
  • cable, metal wire d2 mm;
  • knife, scissors.

Cut off the top of one bottle, this will be the base of the polymer brush. For several containers, the bottom part is removed, the body is cut into strips vertically to the neck. The blanks are placed on the base, the strips are fixed in several bundles with a wire. The base is fixed to the cable.

The nuances of using ruffs

To clean the horizontal cavities of the chimney, the ruff is equipped with a long rod. A device with metal bristles is recommended for removing soot and soot in vertical pipes. If you have to work on the processing of horizontal or inclined channels, you should take into service a brush with a polymer brush.

Stove heating not only does not lose ground, but is also experiencing its rebirth. For this reason, the issues of proper operation and maintenance of solid fuel units are no less acute than several centuries ago. With how to heat the stove, and what kind of wood is best to use, the owners of private households have no difficulty. Problems begin when the draft disappears and the smoke begins to go into the room. And the whole reason is the smoke channel clogged with soot and soot. It is problematic to find a chimney sweep today, so you will have to carry out maintenance of the chimney yourself. All you need is a chimney brush that you can make yourself.

What causes clogged chimneys

Such advantages of furnace heating as efficiency, autonomy and the ability to create a special, homely atmosphere cannot be surpassed by any modern heating device. Thanks to this, stoves and fireplaces are still widely used both in rural areas and in cities. At the same time, the use of solid fuels has many disadvantages, one of which is the need for regular cleaning of smoke channels. But the frequency of their maintenance can be significantly reduced if you know where so much soot and soot come from.

Deposits in the chimney can completely block the smoke outlet

So, the main factors that contribute to the clogging of chimneys are:

  • incineration of waste, which consists of high-carbon materials (all types of plastic, polyethylene, foam, cardboard, etc.);
  • use of wet firewood;
  • violation of the operating mode of the heating device;
  • firewood firebox that contains a large amount of resins (pine, spruce, fir, etc.);
  • ash is rarely removed from the working chambers of the furnace;
  • violation of the fuel supply regime;
  • foreign debris.

In addition, rapid fouling of the chimney can be caused by increased roughness of the flue walls and their incorrect configuration. For this reason, it is better to entrust the construction of the furnace to an experienced craftsman.

Dangers posed by soot accumulation

It is impossible not to notice problems with the chimney. Most often, they will indicate the following signs:

  • traction decreases;
  • firewood does not light up well when kindling;
  • smoke is coming into the room;
  • decrease in the thermal efficiency of the furnace.

All these factors indicate such a strong clogging of the gas duct that only a narrow hole remains for the exit of combustion products. The use of the heater in such conditions is prohibited, since this often leads to tragic consequences:

Chimney cleaners

Remove deposits from the chimney can be chemically and mechanically. The first involves the combustion in the furnace of substances whose combustion products soften soot deposits and contribute to their combustion and removal in a natural way. The second is to remove soot from the walls of the chimney with various scrapers, brushes, etc.

Chemicals for cleaning the chimney allow you to do without mechanical devices, but have a fairly high cost

Practice shows that mechanical cleaning is best done with a hard brush, similar to that used for washing dishes with a narrow neck. A variety of materials are suitable for the manufacture of such a tool:

  • steel rope;
  • plastic bottles;
  • pieces of steel wire;
  • thick fishing line or plastic rods;
  • springs;
  • thick rubber;
  • metal chain or strong rope;
  • various weights and weights.

The choice of one or another material for the manufacture of a chimney brush depends on how persistent soot deposits will have to be removed. For regularly maintained chimneys made of steel or asbestos-cement pipes, a tool with soft bristles is suitable, while brick flues with many years of soot deposits can only be cleaned with a metal wire brush. It is best to have several devices of varying degrees of hardness in your arsenal or make one combined tool.

How to make a stove tool

Before proceeding with the manufacture of a device for removing soot deposits, it is necessary to consider its design and dimensions. In this case, it is necessary to take into account:

  • chimney length;
  • flue diameter;
  • amount and persistence of deposits.

Based on the input data, conclusions are drawn about the length of the cable, the mass of the load, the size of the brush and its rigidity.

The design of the device for cleaning soot mechanically

The length of the rope or cable used to hold the brush is taken with a margin of 2–2.5 meters. This will allow you to hold the device more firmly in your hands, and if necessary, make a loop around the chimney so as not to drop the tool into the chimney. Any load can be used as a weight - from a specially cast lead blank to some heavy nut or a car part that has become unusable.

Making a plastic ruff

A budget brush for removing soot from a chimney can be easily made from improvised means. To make a plastic ruff you will need:

  • broom made of polypropylene rods;
  • plumbing cable of the required length;
  • metal hairpin with a diameter of 8 mm with an eyelet;
  • nut with a diameter of 8 mm with an eye;
  • washer with a diameter of at least 50 mm with a hole of 8 mm;
  • 2 carabiners;
  • load of 0.5–2 kg.

If you can't find a stud and lug nut, don't despair - a regular bolt will do. Loops for fastening the cable and cargo can be made of steel wire.

Materials that will be needed to make a plastic chimney brush

The diameter of the brush made of plastic elements should be slightly larger than the cross section of the smoke channel. This will provide increased pressure of individual rods on the walls of the chimney and increase the speed of cleaning.

The work is performed in the following order:

  1. A stalk is cut off or twisted from a synthetic broom - it will not be needed in the future. To make it more convenient to work, the rest is clamped in a vice.
  2. The bristle of a round broom is unbent to the sides. To make the material more pliable, the brush is dipped in boiling water or heated with a building hair dryer.

    Plastic broom bars need to be straightened

  3. If there is no hole inside the holder, then a hole with a diameter of 8 mm should be made.
  4. On the side where the handle is attached, a steel pin with an eye is inserted into the hole.

    The hairpin allows you to fix the bristles in the desired position

  5. From the side of the rods, a washer is installed on the stud and pressed with a nut with lugs.

    The eye nut allows not only fixing the ruff rods, but also attaching a load and a cable to it

  6. The rods are cut, focusing on the diameter of the chimney.

    Excessively long rods should be cut

  7. A loop is made on one side of the cable, securing the metal edge with knitting wire.
  8. With the help of carbines, a cable is attached to one eye, and a load to the other.

    Ruff for the chimney can be made by hand

In addition to a synthetic broom, plastic containers from soda water are a good material for making a soft brush. To make a "lush" brush, you will need 5-6 of these vessels and a sharp knife. It is necessary to cut off the bottom of all bottles, and dissolve the walls into strips with a width of 3 to 10 mm. After that, all containers, except for one, cut off the neck, getting a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the neck. Assembly into a single structure is carried out by fitting the parts onto the remaining threaded part and fixing them with a cover. After that, drilling is done for a hairpin and the ruff is attached to the cable and weight in the manner described above.

To make the bristles from a plastic bottle more rigid, they are heated with a burner or a building hair dryer. The same method can be used to give the brush the desired shape.

How to make a metal brush

To make a metal cleaning tool, you can use pieces of steel wire (cable) or use a wire brush for a grinder. In the latter case, the angle grinder is simply mounted on a cable with a load and fastened with a wire. If the use of a working tool for other purposes is unacceptable for you, then you can make a metal ruff with your own hands. For this you will need:


The manufacturing technology of a metal brush is not difficult:


The simplicity of this method makes it extremely popular among home craftsmen. And at the same time, there is another very interesting tool that combines both a brush for removing soot and a load. In addition to the tools and materials described above, you will need:

  • steel pipe with a diameter of more than 50 mm;
  • electric drill;
  • high carbon steel core;
  • drill for metal, the diameter of which corresponds to the cross section of the wire or cable;
  • sand-cement mortar.

To make a brush, in the same way as in the previous case, prepare the required number of flexible elements. Next, they act like this:

  1. Through holes are made in the walls of the steel pipe. The density and uniformity of the bristles depend on the accuracy of this work and the step between drillings, so this stage should be taken as responsibly as possible.
  2. Wire elements are threaded into the holes, placing their edges symmetrically with respect to the pipe.
  3. A steel bar is installed in the center, to which the retaining cable will be attached in the future.
  4. The inner surface of the pipe is filled with mortar, which will ensure the fixation of the flexible elements and make the fixture heavy enough.

The tool can only be used after the cement-sand mixture has set and acquired the necessary strength.

Video: how to make a ruff to remove soot from a chimney

What you need to know before lowering the tool into the chimney

The chimney should not be cleaned at the end of the heating season, but at the very beginning. This will allow you to be completely sure that there is no bird's nest, cork from cobwebs and leaves or other debris in the chimney. One of the warm and windless days in early autumn is best suited for this.

When cleaning the chimney, take care of the appropriate equipment and insurance.

Before changing into a chimney sweep suit and proceeding with the maintenance of the chimney, it is necessary to close all dampers and oven doors. Soot is the smallest particles that can seep into any cracks and pollute the room and the objects that are in it. If you have to service the fireplace pipe with an open firebox, then it is sealed with a plastic film and adhesive tape.

The process of cleaning the chimney is not difficult. Ruff is repeatedly lowered into the smoke channel, knocking deposits from the walls. To enhance the effect, alternate reciprocating movements with twisting the cable in different directions. The soot falls down. You can remove it through the revision hatch, using a scoop, poker and whisk.

There are situations when the device in the middle of the path stumbles upon an insurmountable obstacle. It can be any voluminous object - some kind of rag, a bird's nest or a piece of brick that has fallen out of the masonry. In this case, the ruff is unfastened and the resulting congestion is knocked out with only one weight, in the expectation that the cork will fall into the stove. After that, the brush is returned to its place and cleaning activities are resumed.

Even where the latest, high-tech solid fuel equipment is used, regular soot removal will be required. Ruff, which you can make with your own hands, will cope with dignity even with the most persistent deposits. It is only important not to postpone the work of cleaning the chimney indefinitely - not only the thermal efficiency and efficiency of the stove, but also the safety of your family depends on this.

Stove heating not only does not lose ground, but is also experiencing its rebirth. For this reason, the issues of proper operation and maintenance of solid fuel units are no less acute than several centuries ago. With how to heat the stove, and what kind of wood is best to use, the owners of private households have no difficulty. Problems begin when the draft disappears and the smoke begins to go into the room. And the whole reason is the smoke channel clogged with soot and soot. It is problematic to find a chimney sweep today, so you will have to carry out maintenance of the chimney yourself. All you need is a chimney brush that you can make yourself.

What causes clogged chimneys

Such advantages of furnace heating as efficiency, autonomy and the ability to create a special, homely atmosphere cannot be surpassed by any modern heating device. Thanks to this, stoves and fireplaces are still widely used both in rural areas and in cities. At the same time, the use of solid fuels has many disadvantages, one of which is the need for regular cleaning of smoke channels. But the frequency of their maintenance can be significantly reduced if you know where so much soot and soot come from.

Deposits in the chimney can completely block the smoke outlet

So, the main factors that contribute to the clogging of chimneys are:

  • incineration of waste, which consists of high-carbon materials (all types of plastic, polyethylene, foam, cardboard, etc.);
  • use of wet firewood;
  • violation of the operating mode of the heating device;
  • firewood firebox that contains a large amount of resins (pine, spruce, fir, etc.);
  • ash is rarely removed from the working chambers of the furnace;
  • violation of the fuel supply regime;
  • foreign debris.

In addition, rapid fouling of the chimney can be caused by increased roughness of the flue walls and their incorrect configuration. For this reason, it is better to entrust the construction of the furnace to an experienced craftsman.

Dangers posed by soot accumulation

It is impossible not to notice problems with the chimney. Most often, they will indicate the following signs:

  • traction decreases;
  • firewood does not light up well when kindling;
  • smoke is coming into the room;
  • decrease in the thermal efficiency of the furnace.

All these factors indicate such a strong clogging of the gas duct that only a narrow hole remains for the exit of combustion products. The use of the heater in such conditions is prohibited, since this often leads to tragic consequences:

Chimney cleaners

Remove deposits from the chimney can be chemically and mechanically. The first involves the combustion in the furnace of substances whose combustion products soften soot deposits and contribute to their combustion and removal in a natural way. The second is to remove soot from the walls of the chimney with various scrapers, brushes, etc.


Chemicals for cleaning the chimney allow you to do without mechanical devices, but have a fairly high cost

Practice shows that mechanical cleaning is best done with a hard brush, similar to that used for washing dishes with a narrow neck. A variety of materials are suitable for the manufacture of such a tool:

  • steel rope;
  • plastic bottles;
  • pieces of steel wire;
  • thick fishing line or plastic rods;
  • springs;
  • thick rubber;
  • metal chain or strong rope;
  • various weights and weights.

The choice of one or another material for the manufacture of a chimney brush depends on how persistent soot deposits will have to be removed. For regularly maintained chimneys made of steel or asbestos-cement pipes, a tool with soft bristles is suitable, while brick flues with many years of soot deposits can only be cleaned with a metal wire brush. It is best to have several devices of varying degrees of hardness in your arsenal or make one combined tool.

How to make a stove tool

Before proceeding with the manufacture of a device for removing soot deposits, it is necessary to consider its design and dimensions. In this case, it is necessary to take into account:

  • chimney length;
  • flue diameter;
  • amount and persistence of deposits.

Based on the input data, conclusions are drawn about the length of the cable, the mass of the load, the size of the brush and its rigidity.

The design of the device for cleaning soot mechanically

The length of the rope or cable used to hold the brush is taken with a margin of 2–2.5 meters. This will allow you to hold the device more firmly in your hands, and if necessary, make a loop around the chimney so as not to drop the tool into the chimney. Any load can be used as a weight - from a specially cast lead blank to some heavy nut or a car part that has become unusable.

Making a plastic ruff

A budget brush for removing soot from a chimney can be easily made from improvised means. To make a plastic ruff you will need:

  • broom made of polypropylene rods;
  • plumbing cable of the required length;
  • metal hairpin with a diameter of 8 mm with an eyelet;
  • nut with a diameter of 8 mm with an eye;
  • washer with a diameter of at least 50 mm with a hole of 8 mm;
  • 2 carabiners;
  • load of 0.5–2 kg.

If you can't find a stud and lug nut, don't despair - a regular bolt will do. Loops for fastening the cable and cargo can be made of steel wire.


Materials that will be needed to make a plastic chimney brush

The diameter of the brush made of plastic elements should be slightly larger than the cross section of the smoke channel. This will provide increased pressure of individual rods on the walls of the chimney and increase the speed of cleaning.

The work is performed in the following order:

  1. A stalk is cut off or twisted from a synthetic broom - it will not be needed in the future. To make it more convenient to work, the rest is clamped in a vice.
  2. The bristle of a round broom is unbent to the sides. To make the material more pliable, the brush is dipped in boiling water or heated with a building hair dryer.


    Plastic broom bars need to be straightened

  3. If there is no hole inside the holder, then a hole with a diameter of 8 mm should be made.
  4. On the side where the handle is attached, a steel pin with an eye is inserted into the hole.


    The hairpin allows you to fix the bristles in the desired position

  5. From the side of the rods, a washer is installed on the stud and pressed with a nut with lugs.


    The eye nut allows not only fixing the ruff rods, but also attaching a load and a cable to it

  6. The rods are cut, focusing on the diameter of the chimney.


    Excessively long rods should be cut

  7. A loop is made on one side of the cable, securing the metal edge with knitting wire.
  8. With the help of carbines, a cable is attached to one eye, and a load to the other.


    Ruff for the chimney can be made by hand

In addition to a synthetic broom, plastic containers from soda water are a good material for making a soft brush. To make a "lush" brush, you will need 5-6 of these vessels and a sharp knife. It is necessary to cut off the bottom of all bottles, and dissolve the walls into strips with a width of 3 to 10 mm. After that, all containers, except for one, cut off the neck, getting a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the neck. Assembly into a single structure is carried out by fitting the parts onto the remaining threaded part and fixing them with a cover. After that, drilling is done for a hairpin and the ruff is attached to the cable and weight in the manner described above.

To make the bristles from a plastic bottle more rigid, they are heated with a burner or a building hair dryer. The same method can be used to give the brush the desired shape.

How to make a metal brush

To make a metal cleaning tool, you can use pieces of steel wire (cable) or use a wire brush for a grinder. In the latter case, the angle grinder is simply mounted on a cable with a load and fastened with a wire. If the use of a working tool for other purposes is unacceptable for you, then you can make a metal ruff with your own hands. For this you will need:


The manufacturing technology of a metal brush is not difficult:


The simplicity of this method makes it extremely popular among home craftsmen. And at the same time, there is another very interesting tool that combines both a brush for removing soot and a load. In addition to the tools and materials described above, you will need:

  • steel pipe with a diameter of more than 50 mm;
  • electric drill;
  • high carbon steel core;
  • drill for metal, the diameter of which corresponds to the cross section of the wire or cable;
  • sand-cement mortar.

To make a brush, in the same way as in the previous case, prepare the required number of flexible elements. Next, they act like this:

  1. Through holes are made in the walls of the steel pipe. The density and uniformity of the bristles depend on the accuracy of this work and the step between drillings, so this stage should be taken as responsibly as possible.
  2. Wire elements are threaded into the holes, placing their edges symmetrically with respect to the pipe.
  3. A steel bar is installed in the center, to which the retaining cable will be attached in the future.
  4. The inner surface of the pipe is filled with mortar, which will ensure the fixation of the flexible elements and make the fixture heavy enough.

The tool can only be used after the cement-sand mixture has set and acquired the necessary strength.

Video: how to make a ruff to remove soot from a chimney

What you need to know before lowering the tool into the chimney

The chimney should not be cleaned at the end of the heating season, but at the very beginning. This will allow you to be completely sure that there is no bird's nest, cork from cobwebs and leaves or other debris in the chimney. One of the warm and windless days in early autumn is best suited for this.

When cleaning the chimney, take care of the appropriate equipment and insurance.

Before changing into a chimney sweep suit and proceeding with the maintenance of the chimney, it is necessary to close all dampers and oven doors. Soot is the smallest particles that can seep into any cracks and pollute the room and the objects that are in it. If you have to service the fireplace pipe with an open firebox, then it is sealed with a plastic film and adhesive tape.

The process of cleaning the chimney is not difficult. Ruff is repeatedly lowered into the smoke channel, knocking deposits from the walls. To enhance the effect, alternate reciprocating movements with twisting the cable in different directions. The soot falls down. You can remove it through the revision hatch, using a scoop, poker and whisk.

There are situations when the device in the middle of the path stumbles upon an insurmountable obstacle. It can be any voluminous object - some kind of rag, a bird's nest or a piece of brick that has fallen out of the masonry. In this case, the ruff is unfastened and the resulting congestion is knocked out with only one weight, in the expectation that the cork will fall into the stove. After that, the brush is returned to its place and cleaning activities are resumed.

Even where the latest, high-tech solid fuel equipment is used, regular soot removal will be required. Ruff, which you can make with your own hands, will cope with dignity even with the most persistent deposits. It is only important not to postpone the work of cleaning the chimney indefinitely - not only the thermal efficiency and efficiency of the stove, but also the safety of your family depends on this.

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Cleaning chimneys: a few ways that really work

Greetings dear readers. Today I'm going to talk about how to clean chimneys.. As a result, you can choose the method that is suitable for the heating system in your home. In addition to an overview of cleaning methods, I plan to talk about tools and accessories that can be useful for clearing chimney blockages.

Some useful information about the cause of blockage

In order to make it clear what we are fighting with, keep in mind that there are two types of smoke: white - consists of heated water vapor and black - consists of the smallest particles of soot suspended in the air.

By the way, if the question is why the stove is crying, then the main "culprit" in this situation is white smoke. It is he who contributes to the formation of condensate on the walls of the chimney, if there is no insulation on the surface of the pipe. However, black smoke, which is the cause, is much more dangerous.

During the operation of wood-burning stoves, a large amount of soot suspended in heated air passes through the exhaust gas system. The more bumps and roughness, the more soot is deposited and the sooner you have to start cleaning.

Traditional obstacles to the path of smoke are the fluffing of the chimney, the ordering of the otter and the turns of the smoke ducts. By the way, an incorrectly made or incorrectly installed spark arrester on the chimney also increases the intensity of the blockage.

How to eliminate blockage - an overview of current methods

Among the current methods, I note the following:

  • Mechanical cleaning - performed using special tools that come into contact with the inner walls of the smoke ducts and remove soot to the outside;
  • Chemical cleaning - is carried out using special tools that have a preventive effect and prevent the formation of blockages in the future;
  • Folk methods - based on the use of improvised obviously inexpensive, but sometimes effective means.

Mechanical clearing of blockages

To perform mechanical cleaning you will need:

  • Ruff with a weight on a cable;
  • A device for removing soot from the furnace and channels;
  • The vacuum cleaner is powerful, preferably with a bowl, as it is easier to clean it of soot;
  • Ladder and safety net for work at height.

Many owners of country houses neglect the means of ensuring personal safety when working at height, explaining this by the fact that the house is low. In fact, a fall from a height of 5-7 meters can result in serious injuries.
Therefore, we use a safety belt or, in the absence of such, we tie a rope around ourselves, the end of which we tie around the pipe.

Cleaning instructions are shown in the diagram.

Let's take a closer look at these steps:

  • First, we collect all the necessary fixtures in a bucket and raise it to the roof;

  • We are conveniently located near the chimney and fasten the insurance;

  • If the pipes are metal, then heads with spark arresters are installed on them, which means that such a device must be carefully removed;

  • After the headband is removed and the chimney is open, we lower the load and the ruff into it;
  • Holding the tool, gradually lower it by a meter and raise it by half a meter;
  • After the chimney is completely cleaned, we pull out the cable with a ruff and put it in a bucket;
  • This is followed by the installation of the previously dismantled headrest in its original place;
  • We untie the insurance and carefully descend from the roof;
  • Already in the house we open the cleaning doors and draw soot out of them;
  • We open the firebox of the furnace and select the crumbling soot from it.
  • After completing the above work, you will notice that the draft will increase and there will be no smell of smoke in the room.

How to make ruff yourself

Ruff is selected in accordance with the configuration of the chimney trunk. That is, for a round section, a brush with a round shape is suitable, while for a chimney with a square section, there are ruffs with a square or rectangular shape.

The advantage of a properly selected brush configuration is that it will better pass through the channel, removing all deposits from the inner surface of the wall.

You can not buy a ruff for cleaning pipes, but make it yourself from a plastic bottle"one and a half". The instructions for making a ruff are as follows:

  • On the sides of the plastic bottle, vertical cuts are made at a distance of 3 cm from each other;
  • A hole is cut in the bottom of the bottle for a metal pin;
  • A metal pin with a hook is inserted into the bottle at one end;

  • Washers are put on the pin on both sides of the bottle, and the whole structure is tightened with nuts so that the bottle folds as shown in the photo;

  • From the side where there is no hook, an eye is installed on the stud for fastening the cable;

  • Before use, a cable is attached to one side of the structure, and a load is fixed to the other side on the hook.

As a load, you can use a large barn lock that is unnecessary on the farm.

Chemical cleaning of the chimney

If it seems to you that mechanical cleaning of the chimney is difficult and associated with the risk of working at height, I can recommend special chemicals made from coal and wood waste. The price of such funds is low, and therefore they can be regularly used for preventive purposes.

Means for chemical cleaning are a catalyst for the combustion of soot in solid fuel boilers. That is, if under normal conditions a temperature of +700 °C and higher is required for soot to burn out, then when using chemical cleaning agents, this figure drops to +300 °C.

Thus, under normal conditions, soot remains on the walls of the chimney and does not burn out, which means that we are forced to clean it off with a brush and similar means. The use of a catalyst leads to the fact that soot burns out barely having time to settle on the inner surface of the smoke ducts.

I immediately draw your attention to the fact that the Chimney Sweep Log and similar tools are not a panacea and they are unlikely to help if soot has been accumulating for several years. On the other hand, such funds can be used for preventive purposes, say, once a week, and soot can be forgotten forever.

Now about the effectiveness of the method. I bring to your attention a photo of the experiment at home:

  • Two glass lampshades were smoked on a kerosene lamp;

  • One lampshade was installed over a gas burner and the fire was turned on;

  • The second lampshade was held for some time over a lit catalyst;

  • As a result, the usual lampshade remained the same smoky, while the soot burned out from the second lampshade.

Soot burners are manufactured and sold in the form of pressed briquettes and in the form of granules. The consistency of the product does not affect the cleaning efficiency in any way, so choose the modification that, from your point of view, is more convenient for use.

Folk ways to deal with soot

Wood-burning stoves have been in operation for a long time, so it would be surprising if people did not come up with effective ways to clean chimneys.

There are many ways, but we will focus on two of them.

The classic way to prevent blockages is to regularly burn potato peels. Due to the availability of potato peelings, the method has become widespread. But, since the remedy is preventive, at the beginning and at the end of the heating season one way or another it will be necessary to perform mechanical cleaning of the pipes.

Another interesting way to prevent soot buildup is to burn aluminum cans. The method is equally good for both stoves and fireplaces.

The instruction is simple, it is enough to lay one or two cans with each kindling. But the jars should not be placed at the beginning of the kindling, but when the firewood has flared up well, and the temperature in the furnace is maximum. The use of such a simple method will reduce the frequency of cleaning to 1 time per season.

If you want the draft in the stove to be consistently high, use only dry hardwood firewood. Soot in the smoke generated when burning such firewood settles less on the walls of the chimney, while soot is guaranteed when burning wet wood.

Conclusion

In this article, I have listed the methods of cleaning chimneys that are relevant today. Do you know other equally effective ways? Write about them in the comments to the text. By the way, I recommend watching the video in this article , I hope you will be interested.