Stove heating not only does not lose ground, but is also experiencing its rebirth. For this reason questions correct operation and maintenance of solid fuel units is no less acute than several centuries ago. Owners of private households do not have any difficulties with how to light a stove and what kind of firewood is best to use. Problems begin when the draft disappears and smoke begins to flow into the room. And the whole reason is a smoke duct clogged with soot and soot. It is difficult to find a chimney sweep today, so you will have to carry out the maintenance of the chimney yourself. All you need for this is a chimney brush, which you can make yourself.
What causes clogged chimney pipes?
Such advantages stove heating, such as efficiency, autonomy and the ability to create special, homely atmosphere, cannot be surpassed by any modern heating device. Thanks to this, stoves and fireplaces are still widely used in both rural areas and cities. However, the use solid fuel has many disadvantages, one of which is the need to regularly clean the smoke channels. But the frequency of their maintenance can be significantly reduced if you know where so much soot and soot comes from.
Deposits in the chimney can completely block the smoke exit channel
So, the main factors that contribute to chimney clogging are:
- burning of waste, which consists of high-carbon materials (all types of plastic, polyethylene, polystyrene foam, cardboard, etc.);
- use of wet firewood;
- violation of the operating mode of the heating device;
- burning wood that contains a large number of resins (pine, spruce, fir, etc.);
- ash is rarely removed from the working chambers of the furnace;
- violation of the fuel supply mode;
- ingress of third-party debris.
In addition, rapid contamination of the chimney can be caused by increased roughness of the walls of the flues and their incorrect configuration. For this reason, it is better to entrust the construction of the furnace to an experienced master.
Dangers of soot accumulation
It is impossible not to notice problems with the chimney. Most often they will be indicated by the following signs:
- craving decreases;
- firewood does not light well when kindled;
- smoke is coming into the room;
- reduction in the thermal efficiency of the furnace.
All these factors indicate that the gas duct is so clogged that only a narrow hole remains for the combustion products to escape. Using a heating device in such conditions is prohibited, as this often leads to tragic consequences:
Chimney cleaning equipment
You can remove deposits from the chimney using chemicals and mechanically. The first involves burning substances in a furnace, the combustion products of which soften soot deposits and promote their combustion and removal naturally. The second is to remove soot from the walls of the chimney using various scrapers, brushes, etc.
Chemicals for cleaning the chimney they 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, like the one used for washing dishes with a narrow neck. A wide 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 sinkers.
Choosing a particular material for making a cleaning brush chimneys depends on how persistent the 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 in your arsenal several devices of varying degrees of rigidity or make one combined tool.
How to make a stove maker's tool
Before you start making a device for removing soot deposits, you need to consider its design and dimensions. In this case, it is necessary to take into account:
- length of the chimney;
- flue diameter;
- quantity 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.
Design of a device for removing 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 weight can be used as a weight - from a specially cast lead blank to some heavy nut or one that has become unusable car parts.
Making a plastic brush
A budget brush for removing soot from a chimney can easily be made from available materials. To make a plastic brush you will need:
- broom made of polypropylene rods;
- plumbing cable required length;
- metal pin with a diameter of 8 mm with an eye;
- 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 carbines;
- load 0.5–2 kg.
If you can't find a stud and lug nut, don't despair - a regular bolt will do. Loops for attaching the cable and load can be made of steel wire.
Materials 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 on the individual rods on the walls of the chimney and increase the cleaning speed.
The work is performed in the following order:
- The stem of a synthetic broom is cut off or unscrewed - it will not be needed in the future. To make it more convenient to work, the remaining part is clamped in a vice.
- The bristles of the round broom are bent to the sides. To make the material more pliable, the brush is dipped in boiling water or heated with a hair dryer.
The rods of the plastic broom must be straightened
- If there is no hole inside the holder, then drilling with a diameter of 8 mm should be made.
- 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
- From the side of the rods, install a washer on the stud and press it with an eyelet nut.
The eyelet nut allows you not only to fix the rods of the brush, but also to attach a load and a cable to it
- The rods are cut based on the diameter of the chimney.
Excessively long rods should be trimmed
- A loop is made on one side of the cable, securing the metal edge with a knitting wire.
- Using carabiners, a cable is attached to one eye and a load to the other.
You can make a chimney brush yourself
In addition to a synthetic broom, plastic soda water containers are a good material for making a soft brush. To make a “lush” brush, you will need 5-6 such vessels and a sharp knife. It is necessary to cut off the bottom of all bottles and dissolve the walls into strips ranging from 3 to 10 mm wide. After this, the neck of all containers, except one, is cut off, leaving a hole slightly larger diameter neck. Assembly into a single structure is carried out by pushing the parts onto the remaining threaded part and securing them with a lid. After this, drilling is done for the pin and the brush 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 torch or a hair dryer. The same method can be used to give the brush the desired shape.
How to make a metal brush
To make a cleaning tool from metal, you can use pieces of steel wire (cable) or use a wire brush for an angle grinder. In the latter case, the angle grinder device is simply mounted on a cable with a load and secured with wire. If using a working tool for purposes other than its intended purpose is unacceptable to you, then you can make a metal brush with your own hands. For this you will need:
The technology for making a metal brush is not complicated:
Simplicity similar method making it extremely popular among DIYers. And at the same time, there is another very interesting tool that combines both a brush for removing soot and a weight. In addition to the tools and materials described above, for its manufacture you will need:
- steel pipe with a diameter of more than 50 mm;
- electric drill;
- high carbon steel core;
- a metal drill whose diameter corresponds to the cross-section of the wire or cable;
- sand-cement mortar.
To make a brush, in exactly the same way as in the previous case, prepare required amount flexible elements. Then proceed like this:
- In the walls steel pipe do through holes. The density and uniformity of the bristles depends on the accuracy of this work and the step between drillings, so this stage should be treated as responsibly as possible.
- Wire elements are threaded into the holes, placing their edges symmetrically with respect to the pipe.
- A steel bar is installed in the center, to which the holding cable will later be attached.
- The inner surface of the pipe is filled with mortar, which will ensure fixation of the flexible elements and make the device quite heavy.
The tool can be used only after the cement-sand mixture has set and acquired the necessary strength.
Video: how to make a brush to remove soot from a chimney
What you need to know before lowering the tool down the chimney
The chimney should not be cleaned at the end heating season, and at the very beginning. This will allow you to have complete confidence that there is no bird's nest, cobwebs, leaves or other debris in the chimney. The best time for this is one of the warm and windless days in early autumn.
When cleaning a chimney, you should take care of the appropriate equipment and insurance.
Before you change into a chimney sweep suit and begin maintenance chimney, it is necessary to close all dampers and oven doors. Soot is tiny particles that can seep into any cracks and pollute the room and objects that are in it. If you have to service a fireplace pipe with an open firebox, then it is sealed using polyethylene film and tape.
The process of cleaning a chimney is not difficult. The brush is lowered repeatedly into the smoke channel, knocking deposits off 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 inspection hatch using a dustpan, poker and broom.
There are situations when a device encounters an insurmountable obstacle halfway through its journey. This 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 brush is unfastened and the resulting jam is knocked out with just a weight, in the expectation that the cork will fall into the stove. After this, the brush is returned to its place and cleaning activities are resumed.
Regular soot removal will be required even where the latest, high-tech solid fuel equipment is used. The brush, which you can make with your own hands, will cope with even the most stubborn deposits with dignity. It is just important not to put off the work of cleaning the chimney indefinitely - not only the thermal efficiency and economy of the stove, but also the safety of your family depends on this.
Living in a private home means having necessary tools, which must be at hand at any time to carry out repair work. Especially when it comes to such an issue as the removal of waste gases from stove or gas heating.
Causes of clogged chimneys
The main cause of clogging is the deposition of soot and soot on the inner walls of the pipe. Soot is formed from combustion products - exhaust flue gases. As a result, the traction becomes weaker, exhaust ventilation starts to work poorly, combustion products are not removed outside, but remain indoors, which can lead to poisoning of the body.
Untimely maintenance of the chimney pipe can lead not only to its complete blockage, but also to failure home system smoke removal
To avoid this, it is recommended to clean the chimney pipe at least once every six months - and this applies not only to stove heating, but also country houses with a fireplace inside. You can entrust the cleaning to professionals, or you can try to remove the soot on your own. To do this, you will need a very ordinary brush for cleaning chimneys, which you can make yourself.
How is the brush used?
Its function is to scrape off soot build-up from the walls of the chimney pipe. The principle of operation of any brush is quite simple: the scraper is inserted into the chimney opening, then deposits are scraped off with its help - combustion products are swept down to the hatch to collect contaminants.
When cleaning work on the roof it is necessary to use insurance
The simplest stove brush is a structure made of a cable (or rod), brushes and a suspension (or weight). A suspension is required only in cases where vertical pipe cleaning is intended - to adjust the gravity of the cleaning element. For work in a horizontal position, the sinker suspension may not be used.
A long rod with bristles at the end is simplest design brush
Technology for using a brush in in general terms is as follows:
Vertical cleaning consists of forward and downward movements of the brush on a cable with a suspension
The horizontal cleaning process involves using a brush to push existing dirt around the hatch
As weights, you can use ordinary weights that are compact in size and have sufficient weight for cleaning.
Materials for the brush
Cleaning brushes can be made of steel or plastic, and you can make both with your own hands.
Table: advantages and disadvantages of metal and plastic brushes
None of the materials can be used simultaneously for vertical and horizontal methods of cleaning deposits. Therefore, experts recommend using both metal and plastic brushes for both methods, respectively.
Making your own brush for cleaning the chimney
Two options are being considered: metal (metal rod) and plastic, each of which has its own nuances.
Made of plastic
The set of necessary tools and materials includes:
Manufacturing technology
Step-by-step images will help you make your own light brush for cleaning the chimney; the brush is attached not to the lids, but with a wire
The tool is ready, now you can begin the cleaning procedure.
Made of metal
Some owners of private houses use disc brushes for grinders as cleaning tools. This method is much simpler - you don’t need to make the brush itself, you just need to secure the load well to the cable.
However, this option is not suitable for those who use an angle grinder constantly. In this case, you can try to make a metal brush yourself.
For it you will need:
Manufacturing technology
Making a metal brush is even simpler than a plastic one, and consists of the following:
The rolled wire is cut into equal pieces
For good cleaning, it is required that the brush occupies at least 80% of the internal volume of the chimney
The open end of the bolt is designed to attach a cable of the required length to it
During manufacturing, it is advisable to take into account the following points:
Video: how to quickly make a brush for cleaning a chimney with your own hands
A chimney brush is a tool needed in every home. With its help, the condition of the walls of the chimney pipe is significantly improved, and this automatically increases the draft for removing exhaust gases. Self-made brushes are in no way inferior to store-bought counterparts - in manufacturing technology it is important to follow the recommendations in order to obtain high-quality material that will last for many years.
Stove heating not only does not lose ground, but is also experiencing its rebirth. For this reason, issues of proper operation and maintenance of solid fuel units are no less pressing than they were several centuries ago. Owners of private households do not have any difficulties with how to light a stove and what kind of firewood is best to use. Problems begin when the draft disappears and smoke begins to flow into the room. And the whole reason is a smoke duct clogged with soot and soot. It is difficult to find a chimney sweep today, so you will have to carry out the maintenance of the chimney yourself. All you need for this is a chimney brush, which you can make yourself.
What causes clogged chimney pipes?
The advantages of stove heating, such 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 in both rural areas and cities. However, the use of solid fuel has many disadvantages, one of which is the need to regularly clean the smoke channels. But the frequency of their maintenance can be significantly reduced if you know where so much soot and soot comes from.
Deposits in the chimney can completely block the smoke exit channel
So, the main factors that contribute to chimney clogging are:
- burning of waste, which consists of high-carbon materials (all types of plastic, polyethylene, polystyrene foam, cardboard, etc.);
- use of wet firewood;
- violation of the operating mode of the heating device;
- heating with wood that contains a large amount of resin (pine, spruce, fir, etc.);
- ash is rarely removed from the working chambers of the furnace;
- violation of the fuel supply mode;
- ingress of third-party debris.
In addition, rapid contamination of the chimney can be caused by increased roughness of the walls of the flues and their incorrect configuration. For this reason, it is better to entrust the construction of the furnace to an experienced craftsman.
Dangers of soot accumulation
It is impossible not to notice problems with the chimney. Most often they will be indicated by the following signs:
- craving decreases;
- firewood does not light well when kindled;
- smoke is coming into the room;
- reduction in the thermal efficiency of the furnace.
All these factors indicate that the gas duct is so clogged that only a narrow hole remains for the combustion products to escape. Using a heating device in such conditions is prohibited, as this often leads to tragic consequences:
Chimney cleaning equipment
Deposits can be removed from the chimney using chemical and mechanical methods. The first involves burning substances in a furnace, the combustion products of which soften soot deposits and promote their combustion and removal naturally. The second is to remove soot from the walls of the chimney using various scrapers, brushes, etc.
Chemicals for cleaning the chimney allow you to do without mechanical devices, but are quite expensive Practice shows that mechanical cleaning is best done with a hard brush, like the one used for washing dishes with a narrow neck. A wide 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 sinkers.
The choice of a particular material for making a brush for cleaning chimneys 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 in your arsenal several devices of varying degrees of rigidity or make one combined tool.
How to make a stove maker's tool
Before you start making a device for removing soot deposits, you need to consider its design and dimensions. In this case, it is necessary to take into account:
- length of the chimney;
- flue diameter;
- quantity 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.
Design of a device for removing 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 weight can be used as a weight - from a specially cast lead blank to some heavy nut or a worn-out automobile part.
Making a plastic brush
A budget brush for removing soot from a chimney can easily be made from available materials. To make a plastic brush you will need:
- broom made of polypropylene rods;
- plumbing cable of the required length;
- metal pin with a diameter of 8 mm with an eye;
- 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 carbines;
- load 0.5–2 kg.
If you can't find a stud and lug nut, don't despair - a regular bolt will do. Loops for attaching the cable and load can be made of steel wire.
Materials 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 on the individual rods on the walls of the chimney and increase the cleaning speed.
The work is performed in the following order:
- The stem of a synthetic broom is cut off or unscrewed - it will not be needed in the future. To make it more convenient to work, the remaining part is clamped in a vice.
- The bristles of the round broom are bent to the sides. To make the material more pliable, the brush is dipped in boiling water or heated with a hair dryer.
The rods of the plastic broom must be straightened - If there is no hole inside the holder, then drilling with a diameter of 8 mm should be made.
- 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 - From the side of the rods, install a washer on the stud and press it with an eyelet nut.
The eyelet nut allows you not only to fix the rods of the brush, but also to attach a load and a cable to it - The rods are cut based on the diameter of the chimney.
Excessively long rods should be trimmed - A loop is made on one side of the cable, securing the metal edge with a knitting wire.
- Using carabiners, a cable is attached to one eye and a load to the other.
You can make a chimney brush yourself
In addition to a synthetic broom, plastic soda water containers are a good material for making a soft brush. To make a “lush” brush, you will need 5-6 such vessels and a sharp knife. It is necessary to cut off the bottom of all bottles and dissolve the walls into strips ranging from 3 to 10 mm wide. After this, the neck of all containers, except one, is cut off, leaving a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the neck. Assembly into a single structure is carried out by pushing the parts onto the remaining threaded part and securing them with a lid. After this, drilling is done for the pin and the brush 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 torch or a hair dryer. The same method can be used to give the brush the desired shape.
How to make a metal brush
To make a cleaning tool from metal, you can use pieces of steel wire (cable) or use a wire brush for an angle grinder. In the latter case, the angle grinder device is simply mounted on a cable with a load and secured with wire. If using a working tool for purposes other than its intended purpose is unacceptable to you, then you can make a metal brush with your own hands. For this you will need:
The technology for making a metal brush is not complicated:
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 weight. In addition to the tools and materials described above, for its manufacture you will need:
- steel pipe with a diameter of more than 50 mm;
- electric drill;
- high carbon steel core;
- a metal drill whose diameter corresponds to the cross-section of the wire or cable;
- sand-cement mortar.
To make a brush, exactly the same as in the previous case, prepare the required number of flexible elements. Then proceed like this:
- Through holes are made in the walls of the steel pipe. The density and uniformity of the bristles depends on the accuracy of this work and the step between drillings, so this stage should be treated as responsibly as possible.
- Wire elements are threaded into the holes, placing their edges symmetrically with respect to the pipe.
- A steel bar is installed in the center, to which the holding cable will later be attached.
- The inner surface of the pipe is filled with mortar, which will ensure fixation of the flexible elements and make the device quite heavy.
The tool can be used only after the cement-sand mixture has set and acquired the necessary strength.
Video: how to make a brush to remove soot from a chimney
What you need to know before lowering the tool down the chimney
The chimney should be cleaned not at the end of the heating season, but at the very beginning. This will allow you to have complete confidence that there is no bird's nest, cobwebs, leaves or other debris in the chimney. The best time for this is one of the warm and windless days in early autumn.
When cleaning a chimney, you should take care of the appropriate equipment and insurance. Before you change into a chimney sweep suit and begin chimney maintenance, you must close all stove dampers and doors. Soot is tiny particles that can seep into any cracks and pollute the room and objects that are in it. If you have to service the chimney of a fireplace with an open firebox, then it is sealed using plastic film and tape.
The process of cleaning a chimney is not difficult. The brush is lowered repeatedly into the smoke channel, knocking deposits off 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 inspection hatch using a dustpan, poker and broom.
There are situations when a device encounters an insurmountable obstacle halfway through its journey. This 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 brush is unfastened and the resulting jam is knocked out with just a weight, in the expectation that the cork will fall into the stove. After this, the brush is returned to its place and cleaning activities are resumed.
Regular soot removal will be required even where the latest, high-tech solid fuel equipment is used. The brush, which you can make with your own hands, will cope with even the most stubborn deposits with dignity. It is just important not to put off the work of cleaning the chimney indefinitely - not only the thermal efficiency and economy of the stove, but also the safety of your family depends on this.
A chimney brush is the main tool for stove hygiene. Its design is similar to a bottle brush - between two twisted thick wires that form a central rod, thin wire bristles are located perpendicular to the rod. The bristles create several round layers (2-3). The length of the bristles determines the diameter of the pipe that this tool will effectively clean. The central rod has an eye at one end and a thread at the other. The eyelet and thread allow you to attach extensions to the brush, which allow you to pull this tool inside the pipe to scrape soot from the walls.
Plastic brush
Some suggest making ruffs with your own hands from plastic bottles. Unfortunately, such a device containing plastic will in most cases be ineffective, since soot deposits on the walls of chimneys can be harder than the plastic tool itself. Soot deposits are especially strong after repeated heating firewood from pine and other coniferous species.
Not only the hardness of the cleaning element of the brush is required, but also the strength of the fastening of this element. The significant forces generated when dragging the brush inside the chimney will quickly destroy plastic elements its designs.
The same applies to devices with plastic bristles. Such brushes are cheaper than all-metal ones, but in terms of cleaning quality and service life they are noticeably inferior to all-metal ones. Brushes with plastic bristles are only suitable for cleaning chimneys after using chemical soot removal products. Since under the influence of such agents soot becomes brittle and is much easier to remove from the walls, a brush with plastic bristles may be quite sufficient.
If you have repeatedly used chemicals, and you are sure that the strength of soot deposits is low, you can make a brush with your own hands and clean the chimney with it.
Made from plastic
To make a ruff with your own hands you will need:
- thin steel cable, longer than the chimney, 2-3 mm thick;
- two plastic bottles of 1-2 liters, depending on the diameter of the chimney that needs to be cleaned;
- wire with a diameter of 1-2 mm;
- a used or damaged welding electrode with a diameter of 3-5 mm or a piece of straightened wire of the same diameter and length;
- two plastic bottle caps;
- a load weighing 2-5 kg, such that it can easily pass suspended into the pipe that needs to be cleaned;
- cut the wall of each bottle from the bottom to the neck in increments of 1.5-2 cm, like a Chinese lantern;
- make a hole in the center of each bottle cap so that an electrode or the same piece of wire can be inserted into it;
- Screw the caps onto the bottles tightly;
- insert one bottle into another with the caps in one direction;
- attach an electrode or a piece of wire at one end to the load so that, by grasping the electrode, you can lift the load;
- make a hole in the center of the bottoms of both bottles with a piece of wire or a heated electrode;
- pass an electrode or similar piece of wire attached to the load through the holes in the bottoms and caps of the bottles;
- bring the caps and bottoms of the bottles as close as possible and fix their position by bending the free end of a piece of wire or electrode into a ring;
- straighten the cut walls of the bottles, pulling them out;
- attach the cable to the ring on the electrode or the same piece of wire using a clamp;
- We attach any handle that is convenient to hold the cable to the free end of the cable.
When burned in a furnace raw firewood and household waste releases a large amount of soot, which... Because of this, thrust decreases and the intensity of fuel combustion decreases. The result of this phenomenon may be poisoning of people carbon monoxide, which stops leaving the room. A chimney brush can solve the draft problem. This device is considered the most effective way to eliminate such problems. Let's look at what it is, its structure, types, advantages and disadvantages.
Boilers and stoves are installed in almost all private houses and cottages, bathhouses and garages. As a rule, firewood or coal is used to fire them. But, quite often, fireplaces are used to dispose of old tires, household items and construction waste. These items emit thick smoke, which settles as particulate matter on the interior walls. exhaust pipe. Gradually thickening, the soot completely blocks the exhaust duct.
In addition, chimneys become clogged for the following reasons:
- ingress of branches, leaves, small animals and bird nests;
- partial or complete destruction of the channel due to wear or improper assembly;
- , which upon contact with combustion products forms a viscous and sticky substance.
Signs of a clogged chimney include the fallout of soot fragments into the firebox during boiler cleaning, poor combustion of fuel when the ash pan is open, poor draft and heavy soot when burning fuel.
How can you clean a chimney?
In order to clean the pipe coming from the boiler, stove and fireplace, there are many ways and means.
They are divided into the following categories:
- Thermal. The essence of this method is to destroy the blockage high temperature. An object is placed in the firebox or directly in the chimney, which produces intense heat when burned. Good results provide termite blocks, anthracite and aspen firewood. The carbon deposits are burned off manually with a gas burner.
- Chemical. They are available in the form of tablets, granules and powders. The funds are placed on smoldering coals. Under the influence of heat, ingredients are released that turn soot into dust, which completely crumbles into the firebox within a few days.
- Mechanical. To remove blockages, scrapers, brooms and brushes are used. Foreign objects are removed with a hook or crowbar. Flexible materials are used as an auxiliary tool. garden hoses, hoes, logs and weights on a rope, poles and telescopic fishing rods, and other improvised means.
There are also folk remedies chimney cleaning. Carbon deposits are removed by burning potato peelings in a firebox, pouring water over it, and immersing compacted snow in a heated pipe.
Advantages and disadvantages of a brush
The most difficult thing to remove is soot that has filled almost the entire volume of the channel. In addition, the length of the chimney also plays a role. In some buildings it can be ten meters or more. It is simply impossible to work with poles of such length.
A brush on a cable has the following advantages:
- light and compact, easy to carry and transport;
- no restrictions on pipe height, shape and section size;
- the ability to adjust the weight of the load and, accordingly, the applied force.
The disadvantages of this device include its inability to break through solid blockages, remove condensation and remove foreign objects.
How the ruff works
The brush for cleaning chimney pipes consists of the following parts:
- Head. It is a hard pile fixed to the base, made of metal or plastic.
- Weighting agent. It is made in the shape of a ball or cylinder, made of iron or lead.
- Cable. It is the basis for fastening all parts. Made from iron or synthetic fiber.
- Hook. Located on the cable between the head and the load.
- Tubes They are mounted on a cable and are designed to create a dynamic force when pushing the brush down.
- Replaceable nozzles. Performed in the form of a pike or hook. Designed for breaking through obstacles and extracting dense objects.
To clean pipes of certain shapes, brushes with different parameters are used.
Types of ruffs
The selection of these devices is made according to the following criteria:
- Diameter. It can be small (up to 100 mm), medium (100 -250 mm) and large (more than 250 mm).
- Material of manufacture. Heads are made of copper, iron and polymer plastic.
- Form. Round, polygonal, oval, square.
- Type of cable. The working part is attached to a rope, plug tubes or cable located inside the tubes.
You should also pay attention to the weight of the sinker. It varies between 5-20 kg.
Make it yourself or buy it
This question invariably faces owners of property heated with coal or wood. If you have the skills to handle household tools making a pipe cleaner is not difficult.
But this will require spending time, which everyone is sorely lacking. Much easier to purchase ready product factory production. Fortunately, today retail stores offer a wide range of similar products, and their prices are quite reasonable.
When purchasing chimney cleaning devices, you should not focus on their cost. A cheap purchase may not be effective and will sit in the pantry for years.
The following factors need to be taken into account:
- can be processed with any material;
- To clean ceramic pipes, only a plastic brush may be used;
- steel chimneys can be cleaned with heads with bristles made of copper or brass;
It is better to purchase a weight with two eyes so that you can tie a rope to it and pull it down if it gets stuck.
The most popular brushes are from the following manufacturers:
- PCC (Poland) - plastic and metal, with a diameter of 120-400 mm;
- Hansa (Lithuania) - universal 150-400 mm;
- Chimney sweep (Russia) - set with replaceable nozzles.
Making a ruff with your own hands
This is a creative and interesting activity that you can do in your spare time. personal plot time or in the off-season. Before you start work, you need to prepare everything you need for this.
Required materials and tools
To make a chimney brush with your own hands you will need:
- hacksaw or grinder;
- pliers;
- adjustable wrench;
- steel washers;
- hard wire;
- hairpins;
- bolts and nuts;
If you have to clean ceramic pipe, then you will need scissors to cut plastic bottles.
Drawing and diagrams
To make the brush convenient, durable and functional, its design needs to be carefully thought out. As a basis for planning, you need to take a scale drawing of the chimney. Based on the available data, diagrams of individual components of the brush and the entire product as a whole are drawn up.
The following details are displayed in detail on paper:
- shape and size of the cargo;
- carabiner for attaching it;
- head device;
- carabiner loop;
- cable configuration.
After checking the schemes, final calculations are carried out.
Size calculation
The following table will help you make a design for a brush for cleaning a stove chimney:
How to make a ruff
Let's look at how a brush is made from plastic bottles.
- We take 5-6 containers of the same size, remove the lids from them and cut off the bottom at the same distance.
- Using scissors, cut strips 4-5 mm wide from the bottom to the neck.
- We join the resulting blanks together. We fix them with wide washers, a nut and a bolt with a head made in the shape of a loop.
- We make a weighting agent from an iron can, lead and a thick steel pond. We attach a durable carabiner to the ring.
- We string thin steel or aluminum tubes 80-100 cm long onto a plumbing cable. The cable is using an adapter with internal thread screw it to the head.
The chimney brush is ready.
Production video
Frequent mistakes and problems when making brushes
The main difficulty in making a brush is finding suitable material. The most difficult thing to make is the head of the device. At this stage, precision and considerable effort are required.
Most masters make the following mistakes:
- Short cable length. As a result, the brush does not reach the end of the pipe. As a result, the most inaccessible area near the firebox remains clogged.
- Poor tightening of the wire between the washers. This leads to the destruction of the homemade brush during the process of cleaning the chimney.
- The pole or plugs are not strong enough. When loaded, these parts bend, preventing the brush from advancing. In the worst case, the handle breaks and its fragments get stuck in the pipe.
- Selecting a cleaning material that is inappropriate inner surface chimney. Thus, a metal brush can hopelessly ruin ceramics.
- The head width does not match the channel parameters. The head either does not fit into it or does not reach the walls.
Rules for cleaning a chimney with a brush
Since access to the pipe is only possible from the roof, it is necessary to pay attention Special attention security measures. The worker must use a safety line; it is advisable to set up a temporary barrier.
- Before starting cleaning, tightly close the firebox and vent.
- Check the tool for serviceability. Test all parts for strength.
- After passing each meter of pipe, remove the crumbled soot from the firebox.
- After completing the passage of the pipe, use a hard brush to replace it with a soft one for final polishing of its walls.
Professional chimney sweeps know the secrets of quickly and efficiently removing blockages of any complexity.
