Chimney cleaner: what to use and how to clean

If stove heating is installed in the house or a fireplace is installed, their long and effective work cannot do without regular system maintenance. smoke removal. This will require means for cleaning chimneys.

Chimney cleaner in action

What are the dangers of an uncleaned chimney?

Of course, provided the right chimney system built with taking into account of all existing rules, it remains clean long enough when observed certain conditions:

- the use of dry and high-quality firewood with a small processnt cmholiness;

- timely cleaning of the furnace and blower chamber from ash;

- if household waste is not used for heating;

- Periodically, special cleaning chambers are checked and cleaned from soot deposits.

But unfortunately, these conditions are not always met in practice. Many do not even think about the fact that burned in the firebox, fabric, cellophane or the use of low-quality raw firewood create unwanted growths of burning in the inner channel of the chimney, which overlap each other and narrow the cross section of the channel. results narrower chimney soot can be as follows:

• In the furnace, draft is reduced due to poorly heated chimney walls, and smoke in the room cannot be avoided in this case.
• Decreased efficiency of the heating system.
• The fire safety of the house decreases and during the operation of the furnace, the risk increases.sk dlI health and even the life of its residents.
• The collected thick layer raid when fired, it can catch fire from sparks, which will lead to damage and maybe even to the destruction of the chimney system, as well as to her destruction.
• A fire hazard can arise both for the house itself and for nearby buildings, and create her may red-hot soot particles flying out of the chimney.

In addition to burning deposits, a variety of debris and autumn falling leaves can get into the head of the pipe, and also during the spring and summer period, birds can choose the pipe and build a nest in it, or cobwebs can gather. Therefore, experts recommend cleaning annually, before the start of the winter period.

Today, in specialized stores, you can buy different chemicals for the cleaning process, or you can use folk methods that have been used for centuries.

Chemical cleaning

Major cleaning can be delayed if soot build-up is not allowed. layers. And this can be done by preventing their formation. A similar result can be achieved by applying chemical compounds added to the firebox flame. Thus, it is possible to avoid labor intensive and quite expensive mechanical cleaning., if you use such tools with each firebox.

The chemical components of such special equipment operate at elevated temperatures. They are destroys layers of soot of any thickness on the walls inside the chimney, but it is better not to allow the formation of large deposits.It should be noted that these wood additives — environmentally friendly fundsbecause they are completely harmless to the environment and human health. Some of the most used and effective of them are the following tools:

• «Chimney sweep-log " — a tool that is produced in the form of a bar or briquette, as well as in the form of a log. It is laid with fuel, and during active combustion, the substances released by it contribute to drying out layers soot and shedding them into the furnace. This cleaner can be used both for preventive purposes and for already polluted pipe. 

A tool with a very eloquent name

With regular prophylaxis, it does not gives capabilities creosote deposits linger in the pipe, those. deprives them of their adhesion properties. It will prevent a fire if soot layers in the pipe have already been deposited, thereby preserving the structure from damage and extending its functionality. A similar tool can be used in chimneys made of different materials, but it works especially effectively in brick pipes.

This cleaner contains: wood chips, urea, zinc chloride, ammonium sulfate, amorphous silica, sodium sulfate, phosphorus oxide, coal dust and wax.

A real testimonial-experiment of the work of the “Chimney sweep-log” tool:

• «Smoke " — this is more one remedy — chimney cleaner, produced in the form of a log. It can also be used to prevent and clean deposits that have already arisen, and will easily cope with these problems. Using it, you can refuse mechanical cleaning of the pipe using brushes. When burning activated carbon, metal salts and special additives that make up the simulated log, a beautiful blue flame will burn in the firebox.

Another proven cleaner

It is excellent for cleaning pipes of fireplaces and boilers., how with closed and open fireboxes. Not only that This product does not emit unpleasant odors, it more and decorate with your fire evening by the fireplace.

Cleansing chimney a log pipe is laid in the furnace when the fire flares up. One and a half hours of active burning of this agent is enough for the pipe chimney channel has been cleared. For such, not quite clean work, as mechanical cleaning, not have to waste time and energy — it is enough just to kindle a fireplace or stove, wait until it flares up and lay down a cleaning agent. It will do everything for the owner of the house.

• «Kominichek» — cleaner, produced in the Czech Republic also became popular among Russian homeowners. You can buy it in a package. — the product is packaged in sachets weighing 14 grams. To free the pipe from soot, you need to use one bag per kilogrammm drov.

A very small amount is enough

It must be said that this tool is not as strong as the above, and can remove soot deposits with a thickness of no more than 1.5—2 millimeters. It works like this: when burning, it creates conditions for the reaction, which helps to transform the layers of soot into oxide, and it easily burns out at fairly low temperatures. It is very easy to use this compound. — it is enough to lay the bags in the firebox when the fire breaks out, and be sure to close the door well. Do not clean the chimney with this product with the furnace door open, and means and in an open hearth fireplace.

If the heater is not used every day, cleaning smoke exhaust systems can be carried out once a two three of the year. If a the stove is heated regularly during the cold season, especially when it is the only source of heating, you need to monitor her condition very carefully and carry out cleaning annually.

Be sure to conduct a thorough audit of the channel

Before flooding the heater and cleaning the chimney, it is very important to inspect the channel for serious blockages by fallen leaves or other debris that could get into the inside. If one is found, it must be removed mechanically.

The cleaning agent can be stacked with firewood, or you can burn it separately, those. do not flood the stove at full capacity, but only carry out maintenance work by preparing the heater for winter.

The effect of the cleaning agent on the soot layers will continue for seven — ten days, peeling off the collected soot deposits.

Video presentation - how the chimney cleaner works

After this period, you need to clean chimney knee and chambers where soot usually collects — they may be from three up to five pieces, depending on the design of the furnace. With a vacuum cleaner or fireplace brushes all raid and from the oven damper, as it must open and close freely — this is very important for the safety of the residents.

When buying such products, you must definitely read the instructions on the packaging for subject application technologies given means and its composition, especially if it is based on chemicals.You also need to know that not every remedy fit specifically to your heater, so you should pay attention to all the nuances, for example, for which chimney designs it is intended.

Cleaning the chimney with folk remedies

There are several folk ways of the cleaning process. Many homeowners settle for them because they don't trust the newfangled methods. It should be noted that they have shown their effectiveness, as they have been used for decades.

• One of the most well-known preventive methods, used very often, is sprinkling firewood with salt during the burning of the hearth. But this method is good only as a preventive measure, and will not help get rid of serious problems.
• A well-known method among stove-makers for direct cleaning of raid considered to be the burning of potato peels. They do a great job of keeping the chimney clean. soot buildup.

Another modern method of burning soot is demonstrated in this video clip:

First, the stove is melted and warmed up well, and only when the fire is actively burning, potato skins or finely chopped potatoes are poured into the furnace in the amount of one bucket (at least half). Evaporation that will come from under under the influence high temperatures, contain starch. Climbing up the chimney, they will peel off soot, and small particles will go with smoke into the chimney, and larger pieces under their own weight will fall into the furnace and are removed together with the ash after the furnace has cooled down. But finally the pipe will not be cleared from frompositions, especially if raid reached a large size, but it softens well. After that, using a special brush, the chimney is processed mechanically.

One of the types of brushes used

• It is good to clean the chimney with aspen or alder firewood. If you burn several kilograms of firewood at once, they will not only bring heat to the house, but at the same time rid the stove of soot deposits.

It is very important to proceed with extreme caution, since the high temperature from a large amount burnt firewood will heat up the deposits in the chimney, and they may ignite. Therefore this method fit if the layer raid not too thick, the pipe is enough reliable, and there are no buildings of flammable material or other fire hazardous objects near the house.

• More one way to clean — With using naphthalene, can be applied if the pipe is not cracked or damaged.

A tablet of this substance is thrown into a heated oven. When she will start emit fumes, soot will lag behind the walls and come out in small pieces along with smoke. But, naphthalene has a specific smell, and it cannot be avoided that it enters the premises, and this must be taken into account.

• The method of cleaning with a composition containing copper sulfate has long been used. This mixture consists of powdered coke, saltpeter and vitriol, mixed in proportions of 2:7:5. The number of such composition is taken from calculation 20 grams per 100 kilograms firewood, those. it takes very little. The mixture is added to a heated, burning stove and the firebox door is tightly closed. In an open fireplace, this composition cannot be used.

Sometimes the chimney is brought to such a state

• A safe and relatively simple way to get rid of soot deposits is the method using very hot water. Her only three liters are needed. water carefully, splashing on the walls of the chimney, poured from above into the pipe and then melted the stove. Evaporation should destroy the structure of soot, and the gas emanating from burning wood will help to destroy the unpleasant smell of burning. This option is used if the pipe passage is almost completely closed. By applying this method, you can see how during the heating of the furnace soot will fly out with smoke.

And here's what should happen ideally

mechanical cleaning

fixtures

Mechanical cleaning is used for large growths in the canal, and for her some tools are required: brush, scraper, ruff, kettlebell, rope, flexible shafts and flexible rods.

Cleaning accessories

• A scraper is needed to clean soot in accessible places in the chimney.
• brush and ruff lowered on a rope, at the end which the weight is attached to.
• A core or weight is also needed to break through the channel, if in German a blockage has already formed due to debris or soot deposits. The size of the weight should be large enough (occupying about two-thirds of the channel section), and it should have a solid weight.
• A weight is attached to the cable, ruff or brush by using reliable carbines.

Sometimes one of the devices is enough, but more often you have to use several of them.

Process purges

Clean chimney the pipe should be started in calm weather, when it is not windy outside, as have to carry out workstanding on the roof.

• The first thing to do when getting started — is to close all the doors. If an open fireplace is cleaned, then its firebox is closed with a damp dense cloth. This is done to prevent soot from entering the premises, since we must not forget that soot has a greasy texture and can easily ruin clothes or upholstered furniture.
• Then a weight on a cable is lowered into the chimney channel. At the narrowest point of the pipe, where the largest build-up of soot or other contamination has formed, the weight will stop and means, here you need to start cleaning, punching a hole with the same weight.
• It also happens that with the help of weights not succeed to break through the blockage, then you have to disassemble a separate part of the chimney to get to the right place. Therefore, it is better not to bring the chimney channel to such a state, but to regularly carry out preventive maintenance.
• If the blockage is successfully broken by a plumb line with a weight, you can start working with brushed. It should be slightly larger than the diameter of the chimney in order to her bristles scratched along the inner walls, removing soot deposits from them.
• After cleaning is completed, you need to wait for the soot to finally settle, and only after that you can open all the doors and remove the settled soot from the chambers.
• Fireplaces with open fireboxes can be cleaned not through the pipe, but from below, through the firebox, using brushes on a compound handle that can be extended to the desired height

The fireplace can also be cleaned from below

• It should not be thought that the work of mechanical cleaning of the chimney — it's easy and simple. If there is no experience in this matter, and Maybe — even the concept of German, then it is better to entrust it to an experienced chimney sweep.

Knowledgeable specialist will hold preparatory work, assess the condition chimney channels and pipes, and will hold high-quality cleaning of everything superfluous that has accumulated inside. Therefore, in this responsible and even dangerous business, it is better to trust a professional.

Share with us your chimney cleaning method from soot in the comments, thanks!