How to clean chimneys in a stove with folk remedies

Proven folk ways

The most effective methods include the following:

Rock salt... It perfectly cleans the channel, removes accumulated soot deposits from the walls. The substance in the amount of 100-200 g is put into the firebox in a thin layer. This technique is consistent with preventive maintenance work to remove soot in the chimney.

Potato peel... This remedy gives very good results. The cleaning bucket must be placed in small parts into the burning firebox. They begin to burn together with the starch that is part of the potato. Hot air enters the duct and loosens the soot. This technology is considered preventive. The subsequent cleaning of the chimney is done manually.

Weight with a brush attached to a strong cord... This element is lowered into the pipe, cleaning the inner surface and removing existing layers.

Birch or aspen logs... It is enough to heat the pipe with such pieces of wood to a high temperature. As a result, the soot will start to burn out.

This technique should be used with caution. With large deposits and low strength of the chimney, dangerous situations may arise, since aspen logs have high heat transfer.

Naphthalene... This chemical preparation perfectly cleans the inner surface of the chimney. To use it, you must first check the pipe for cracks. If there are any, they must be repaired. A naphthalene tablet is thrown into the furnace. The heated soot begins to fly out of the pipe in the form of white flakes.

It is important to remember that it is not safe to use mothballs as it can destroy pipes and ignite soot deposits. One of the disadvantages of this technology is an unpleasant, pungent odor.

High cleaning efficiency is achieved with a plaque thickness of no more than 10 mm.

Walnut shell... This is an excellent product with high heat dissipation. No more than 2 liters of a hard walnut shell should be thrown into the firebox. During combustion, the temperature rises to critical values, which can lead to deformation of the pipe and the appearance of cracks. Therefore, such a limitation is established. Due to the strong burnout, the soot is completely removed from the pipe.

Aluminum... Parts made of this material burn well in high heat and prevent the formation of soot. To prevent aluminum from changing its color and burning, the fire must be on coals. For example, it takes only five minutes to burn a can made of this non-ferrous metal.

How to clean a chimney in a private house

In case of severe clogging of the smoke channel, the first operation is to pierce the carbon with a core without additional devices. Only then are brushes of various sizes and designs consistently used.

When performing work, care should be taken to create a safe working environment.

When working at height, be sure to fasten with a safety rope.

Video: how to clean a chimney in a private house

Chimney cleaning in the bath

The chimney in the bath is usually simpler. And most often it is made from stainless pipes, which requires special attention to its cleaning. In order not to negate its main advantage - high quality of the inner surface - you should clean only with soft plastic or brushes made of natural materials. The easiest way to handle straight pipelines, and in the presence of elbows - recall that there should be no more than two of them - you may have to dismantle the chimney if it does not have special windows for cleaning during installation.

Otherwise, preventive measures and cleaning are done in the same way.

Cleaning the chimney from tar

Considering the composition of flue gases, you need to pay attention to two main components - water vapor from the fuel and vapor of hard-to-ignite creosote. Mixing and settling on the walls of the smoke channel, they form a resin that is difficult to remove due to its viscosity and good adhesion to various types of surfaces.

The only effective way to combat resin deposits is to prevent its formation. For this, various means are used, produced specifically for this case.

HANSA effectively protects chimney walls from tar formation

For example, the known composition of HANSA is a fine crystalline substance. Part of it turns wood into resin and water vapor, and the second, reacting with the resin substance, promotes its decomposition and combustion at the temperature in the oven. Residual resin on the walls turns into a brittle crystalline composition that crumbles inside the furnace.

This composition is placed inside a burning firebox. The frequency of use at the beginning of the operation of the heating unit is daily, then you can switch to use once a week.

Clearing a bent chimney

The bends of the flue duct are always a forced measure due to the structural features of the building. However, periodic cleaning is necessary. For this, elements are provided in the pipeline design, using which this operation can be performed easily and simply. These are special hatches, when opened, it becomes possible to access the straight section of the bend. It is not recommended to make the length of inclined sections more than a meter in size. The number of bends on one pipe should not exceed two.

If there is no window for cleaning on the outlet bend, then the chimney will have to be disassembled

How to clean the chimney of a gas column

The reason for cleaning the chimney of the gas column is its banal clogging with a deterioration in draft. In a city apartment, this is all the more dangerous because the threat arises for many people at the same time. One of the signs of a deterioration in thrust is the "flapping" of the column igniter.

The process of cleaning the chimney from the gas unit is practically no different from such an operation with conventional chimneys. The same brush is used. Recently, vacuum cleaners of a special design are often used, which reliably clean the pipe surface and collect pollution products. In difficult cases, when the layers cannot be removed with a brush or vacuum cleaner, special chemical agents are used to soften and remove them. Given that the use of prophylactic agents on the column pipe is impossible, urgent measures should be taken if signs of clogging are detected.

It must be admitted that the success of the use of solid fuel furnace equipment to the greatest extent depends on the correct operation of the units and the careful selection of fuel for it. In addition, it is necessary to regularly use preventive measures and know how to get rid of problems with clogged chimneys. Then stoves and fireplaces will delight you for a long time with the gracious warmth in the house. I wish you success!

Soot control chemicals

To reduce the need for chimney sweep services, you can use chemicals to prevent the formation of carbon deposits - liquids, powders or briquettes that must be added to burning wood. All of these means break down the soot layer and shed it down the walls of the chimney.

Most popular remedies:

• PKhK anti-fire powder - is burned simultaneously with wood, 150-120 g is enough for one ton of fuel;
• Kominichek cleaner - a product made in the Czech Republic and sold in a package with five sachets weighing 14 g;
• log Chimney sweep - in the form of a bar, when burned, substances are released that clean out carbon deposits along with the flow of combustion products coming out through the chimney;
• powder Cheerful chimney sweep - contains resins that lower the temperature and help burn out carbon deposits, is not a toxic agent, which makes it stand out from competitors.

You can buy all of the above chemicals at any household supermarket.

According to the instructions, one bag is enough to clean the stove or fireplace; two are required for a wood-fired heating boiler. The bag should be thrown on the burning wood without opening and the door of the firebox should be closed. The dose cannot be increased.

If the soot layer is very thick, it is better to repeat the procedure. For prevention purposes, it is advisable to burn one sachet every two weeks. In addition to removing soot, this product increases the efficiency of wood-burning heaters and saves money when purchasing fuel.

The second most popular tool is the "Chimney sweep" log - a bar (briquette), during the combustion of which substances are released that affect soot deposits and contribute to their shedding down. The main purpose of this chemical cleaner is to prevent narrowing of the chimney section due to soot and carbon deposits.

Stove-maker's note: in large Russian stoves it is necessary to burn two "Chimney-sweep" briquettes at one time.

"Chimney sweep" consists of sawdust, coal wax with coal dust, ammonium sulfate, urea, zinc chloride, sodium sulfate, silica and phosphorus oxide. This agent is especially effective for brick chimneys.

Before using the Chimney Sweep for the first time, be sure to make sure that there are no loose bricks, debris, bottles or bird nests in the chimney. The most efficient burning of a briquette is on hot coals. Additives entering the pipe affect its inner surface for up to two weeks. All this time, soot falls into the furnace from above. After two weeks, it is advisable to clean the knee and the smoke damper.

What tools are needed

It is important to prepare all the necessary equipment for cleaning work, including the following:

• metal brush;
• a brush with very stiff bristles;
• flexible clamps;
• scraper;
• bucket;
• chemical substances;
• a metal ball with a diameter equal to 2/3 of the chimney.

The steel core is used for various purposes. Its main function is to remove blockages. But if you attach a brush to it, this element will become much heavier, respectively, the efficiency of cleaning the walls of the chimney will increase several times. If you connect all the parts with a metal cable and use carabiners, you can adjust the length of the cleaning tool.

Why does soot form in the chimney

The reason for the formation of soot in the chimney is incomplete oxidation of carbon. Soot is the carbon associated with pollutants and other unburned substances. Insufficient oxidation can occur for two reasons: lack of oxygen and insufficient temperature. And in fact, and in another case, there is an active formation of soot.

It's not good already. The next cleaning of the chimney is required

Here are the specific situations that lead to soot in the pipe:

• Using raw firewood. When laying undried firewood, they dry out in the flame for some time, then begin to burn. It takes a certain period of time to dry, but the main thing is that raw firewood knocks down the temperature. And this means soot is deposited on the walls of the chimney.
• Furnace operation in smoldering mode. In this case, the fuel decomposes with a lack of oxygen, which contributes to the formation of soot. Also, the smoke temperature in such modes is not higher than 100 ° C, and more often even lower. It also contributes to the formation of soot. So if you operate the stove in the smoldering mode, be prepared for the soot to be regularly scared.
• Incineration of plastic and other waste. Substances that are formed during the incineration of garbage, like cement, cement the existing deposits. So it is better to throw away the trash containing plastic.
• Plywood, chipboard, OSB and other glue-containing materials are also carbon black glue. Plaque becomes very dense and poorly removed.
• Insufficient traction. This flaw in the furnace design is not only unpleasant, it is dangerous. Since it does not guarantee the timely and complete removal of combustion products. The slow progression of combustion products also contributes to the deposition of soot.

The deposition of soot in the pipe is also facilitated by some types of firewood - containing resins. The more tar, the more plaque is likely to appear. If the pine or spruce is dry, there will be no problem. But raw resinous wood very quickly shortens the time before the next chimney cleaning.

How can you clean the chimney manually?

The most reliable and effective way is to scrape off the soot from the pipe walls. But it is advisable to use it only if the thickness of the soot deposits has exceeded 2 mm.

Immediately, we note that it would be more correct to entrust this task to a professional chimney sweep (yes, they still exist), who not only has special skills and tools, but can also correctly assess the condition of the chimney and tell the owners where to repair.

When cleaning, pay attention to the following guidelines:

1. If cleaning is supposed to be carried out from above, that is, from the roof, do not forget to first close all cleaning holes inside the house - through them a fair amount of soot can get into the room.
2. If the chimney to be cleaned is part of a fireplace or other installation, the firebox of which cannot be closed by a door, cover the loading opening with a damp cloth. If there is a door, it must be closed.
3. For safe work on the roof, perform them only in dry, calm weather and with compulsory insurance.

If the chimney is cleaned after a long period of inactivity of the stove, first of all, you should check if there is a bird's nest in the chimney. In some cases, it cannot be pulled out through the head - then the socket is pushed through the entire pipe to the very bottom.

Round chimneys are cleaned with a metal bristle brush, the diameter of which is about 1 / 5th the inner diameter of the pipe.

To clean brick chimneys with a rectangular cross-section, use a brush - also metal.

The ruff is suspended on a cable and lowered under its own weight, while the brush has a type-setting (composite) handle, which is gradually built up.

A particularly thick and dense layer of soot must first be cleaned off with a special scraper before using these tools.

Sometimes in the pipe, due to accumulated debris or bricks that have fallen out of the masonry, difficult-to-pass areas are formed.

In this case, the chimney sweep has another tool - a heavy steel ball (called a core) suspended from a cable. In the old days, the diameter of such balls was standardized and amounted to 85 mm. Today, kernels of various calibers are used. Selection condition: the ball should overlap the chimney lumen by 2/3.

If an obstacle is detected, the core should be thrown into the pipe. At the same time, it must be oriented so that it does not hit the chimney wall - best in the center. Also, the core is very often cling to a ruff or brush as an additional load.

Do not try to use dumbbells or weights instead of the core: such objects can simply get stuck in the chimney.

Homemade pipe cleaning brush

If the chimney is installed on a fireplace with a large open hearth and is straight along the entire length, it is more convenient to clean it with a brush from below.

Upon completion of work, it is necessary to open the cleaning holes, avoiding sudden movements, and free them from crumbling debris. It is convenient to do this with a special spoon specially designed to remove soot, but in the absence of one, you can use a regular brush and scoop. After removing the bulk of the cleaned off soot, the holes can be vacuumed.

Also, do not forget to use a scraper or brush (you can use an ordinary spatula) to clean the furnace or fireplace insert.

High-quality mechanical cleaning

Gentle mechanical cleaning is one of the most popular ways to remove soot from the chimney. When the wall scale becomes 2 mm or more, such manipulations are already considered necessary. In such a situation, other methods will only serve as prevention and a means to delay a little time. The following are used as effective tools for such cleaning:

Convenient metal brush with a load.

It looks like a small ruff with metal bristles, which is suspended from a strong cable or rope. From the bottom of the brush, a load is strengthened, as such an ordinary core or a metal weight can act. Only objects with a stable center of gravity can be used as a reliable load for the brush, otherwise there is a risk that the selected load can simply get stuck in the passage and it will be possible to remove it only when the pipe is completely disassembled.

With the help of this ingenuous design, you can not only effectively pierce the clogged pipe, but also clean the chimney from soot. Thanks to the convenient carabiner connections, all components of the brushes are easy to assemble and disassemble, which makes this design very convenient to store.

Sturdy brush with collapsible handle.

In the arsenal of many houses, there is also an ordinary brush design with a convenient removable handle. This handle lengthens significantly to facilitate the cleaning process. Such a tool allows you to clean the oven not only from the outside, but also from the inside. If there is a screw connection inside the chimney sections, it is undesirable to rotate the brush, since there is a risk that part of the tool may be firmly stuck in the passage. Such devices have been used before by everyone who first wondered how to clean a chimney.

Compact scrapers.

If the carbon deposit in the furnace has a thick layer, then more serious measures of the cleaning plan are required. For example, to better remove accumulated fumes, you can use a conventional scraper, which looks like a construction chisel. The handle is also made composite with the possibility of extension, so that you can reach the outermost sections of the pipe. With this robust scraper, even the most voluminous deposits of oily fumes can be removed. With this tool, there will be no questions about how to clean the pipe yourself with minimal effort.

Before starting mechanical cleaning, make sure that all openings of the stove are tightly closed. If desired, the firebox can be covered with a rag. All these measures allow you to avoid contamination of the room by burning particles. When the chimney is completely cleaned, the remaining ash is collected through special holes. The firebox itself must be cleaned at the end of the entire procedure. For this purpose, you can use a special handy vacuum cleaner with the function of cleaning fireplaces or stoves. After the appropriate method has been chosen, how to clean the chimney from all unnecessary, you need to familiarize yourself with some safety measures that must be followed during cleaning work.

How to clean the chimney?

Before figuring out how to clean the chimney from soot (chimney pipe), let's find out why it is needed at all. So, first of all, let's figure out why it is necessary to maintain relative cleanliness in the chimney.

There are several reasons:

1. Soot has thermal insulation properties and if the chimney is located inside the dwelling, the latter will not receive some of the heat produced.
2. A layer of soot in the chimney can flare up, which can lead to a decrease in the service life of the chimney, or even fire.
3. The smoke channel overgrown with soot has a smaller cross-section, which means that the draft in it will be worse.

This has two undesirable consequences:

• due to insufficient oxygen supply, the fuel will not burn completely, therefore, the efficiency of the furnace or boiler will noticeably decrease, and soot formation will increase markedly ;;
• there is a danger of poisonous carbon monoxide entering the room.

As you can see, a seemingly harmless layer of soot not only worsens the characteristics of the heat generator, but also endangers the lives of the inhabitants of the house. Let's see how you can get rid of it.

Mechanical cleaning sequence

Oven doors must be tightly closed to prevent soot from falling out.

If plaque is removed in the fireplace, a damp cloth must be placed on the combustion compartment. To make the channel cross-section larger, you need to open all the available dampers. It is required to put on and fasten a safety harness on the body.

• A chimney inspection is carried out on the roof. If the soot layer is less than 2 mm thick, it is removed using chemicals. The trash is simply pushed down.
• The head is removed. All layers are removed with a stiff brush or scraper.
• Hard-to-reach places are cleaned using a flexible brush. You can also use a cable that has a special nozzle at the end. With each turn of the handle, the device moves down.
• Moving the suspended metal ball can remove soot and other large blockages
• Work must be done carefully so as not to compromise the integrity of the brickwork. After opening the chimney door, the soot layer is completely removed. The blower and combustion chamber are cleaned.

If plaque is removed in an open fireplace, the treatment is carried out with a wire brush from the side of the firebox.

At the end of the procedure, it is necessary to heat the stove to check the draft. Then the head is set in place.

Determining the cleaning time

Over time, deposits will form on pipes made of any material. It must be cleaned, otherwise the chimney will not work efficiently. When clogged, a back draft effect is formed and smoke enters the room, and not to the street. This can also lead to failure of the oven.

When choosing a cleaning time, you need to pay attention to the following factors:

• Downtime. When was the last cleaning done, in what way.
• Chimney design. How can the pipes be cleaned. The smoothness of the walls is also taken into account.
• What kind of fuel is used. Was raw wood used for the firebox? Have plastic and other rubbish been thrown into the stove?

There are a number of signs by which one can understand that it is necessary to clean chimneys and chimneys from soot.

• Change in smoke color. With a clean chimney, almost transparent smoke comes out into the street. If it begins to blacken, soot has accumulated in the pipe, which must be removed.
• Changing the color of the fire in the furnace. Under normal conditions, it should be light orange, and the wood should crackle characteristically. If an orange color appears, the chimney should be cleaned.

The simplest and most reliable way is a preventive check of the chimney by specialists. For this they use special weights that are placed in the pipe. If they easily pass to the oven, there is no precipitation or they are minimal. In the event of obstructions, urgent cleaning is required.

Popular methods of non-contact cleaning

Please note - non-contact cleaning fixes the problem only for a while. If you have any difficulties with mechanical cleaning, use the services of professionals. It is not recommended to light a fire inside the chimney, as the flame can get out of the firebox into the living area!

It is not recommended to start a fire inside the chimney, as the flame can get from the firebox into the living room!

The people often use the following methods to combat soot and burning:

• Burning potato skins together with firewood;
• Placement of a bag filled with bricks in the pipe;
• Using pine wood to clean the chimney.

Remember that none of these methods are reliable cleaning methods and do not guarantee adequate safety. The best methods are mechanical or chemical cleaning. In some cases, you can combine several options, if your design allows it.

Loaded brush

Chimney cleaning with various mechanical devices has been known for a long time. It was this method that was imprinted on the folklore of many European countries. Monuments to chimney sweeps can be found not only in the west, but even in Russia.

Which once again speaks of the importance of their work. However, we will not be distracted from the main goal, namely, from the answer to the question of how you can clean the chimney.

For pipes with a circular cross-section, a ruff is best suited. This is a disc-shaped metal brush that is suspended from a cable or rope. A load is attached to the bottom of the brush - a core or a spherical weight. Other items can also act as a load.

But here it is important to remember that only objects with a stable and unbiased center of gravity should be used. Otherwise, such a load can get stuck in the pipe and then the problem can be solved only by completely disassembling the chimney. ... Gravity pulls the brush down the pipe

A rope is used for lifting. The core itself (without a brush) can be used to break through tight blockages and plugs. Thanks to the carabiner connections, the brush elements can be quickly disconnected and assembled in the desired sequence

Under the influence of gravity, the brush moves down the pipe. A rope is used for lifting. The core itself (without a brush) can be used to break through tight blockages and plugs. Thanks to the carabiner connections, the brush elements can be quickly disconnected and assembled in the desired sequence

How often should the pipe be cleaned

If the stove device is built correctly, the chimney will work well for 2-3 years, and without any cleaning. Nevertheless, this procedure should be performed every six months for confidence and peace of mind, because a lot depends on the fuel used: the pipe becomes clogged faster from burnt garbage, bags, plastic bottles. Over time, firewood also leads to pollution, no matter how high-quality they are, especially when laying them raw or heating a room with resinous spruces, pines. The best material for the firebox is considered to be dry logs that have lain in the woodshed for at least one and a half years. Only with such material the chimney clogs up much more slowly, there are practically no unburned particles left.

If the pipe is overgrown with soot, it is not difficult to determine: the smoke coming out of it will noticeably change its color, that is, it will become darker. Ideally, in the flue duct, it should be light, clean, and easily ventilated. When soot accumulates in the chimney, the plaque itself begins to smolder, the outgoing smoke becomes dense, dark, with strong soot. Moreover, the color of the flame itself also changes: instead of light orange, it becomes deeply dark, viscous. Such signs indicate that it is time to clean the chimney, otherwise it will not be possible to avoid a fire or smoke in the room.

Ideally, it is better to check the channel twice a year - in autumn and spring. It is necessary to inspect it not only for the presence of accumulated soot, but also for other waste products entering the hole from the outside: bird droppings, nests, cobwebs, dry branches, leaves.

There are many popular methods for cleaning a chimney. After checking the device, you just have to choose the best method and get down to business, removing all the dirt and other waste in the channel.