Like a brush for cleaning a chimney. Cleaning chimneys: several methods that really work. Brush made from plastic bottles

When using any solid fuel, products of incomplete combustion accumulate in the chimney, which settle on the walls in the form of a soft coating. If cleaning is not carried out in time, the clearance will decrease, which will significantly worsen traction. And so much so that smoke will go into the room. In the worst case, the soot can catch fire, which can lead to pipe destruction or even fire. Chimney cleaning is practically the only way to avoid this. It is necessary to inspect the condition of the pipe twice a year - before and after the heating season. How often you will have to clean depends on whether you use preventative chimney cleaning methods or not.

This is the result of soot igniting

There are two types of chimney cleaning:

Chimney sweeps have been cleaning soot this way for centuries. Cleaning is carried out from the roof. A special projectile is lowered into the pipe - a core, to the center of which a flexible cable is welded/attached. Above the core there is a brush that brushes away soot, and the core is a weighting element that simultaneously checks the permeability of the pipe. When working, you need to be careful: if the traction is good, soot and other debris will fly into your face. Therefore, first put on goggles and a respirator, and also stay attached to the pipe: with a sudden release in the face, a person involuntarily makes a sudden movement. You can probably imagine how this could end up on the roof.

This design - a ruff with a core on a cable - can be made independently, but the main catch is in the correct load. It should be round and centered. No ordinary weights or heavy pieces of iron are suitable. They work for the time being, and then the tied load becomes “stupid” in the pipe and cannot be removed from there by any effort. Often, in order to remove the projectile, disassembling a fragment of the chimney is required. If you are going to clean the chimney yourself, either make or buy a “correct projectile” that will under no circumstances get stuck in the chimney. Wrapping a brush, making it out of metal or synthetic bristles - these are details that usually do not cause difficulties.

Sometimes the pipe is too high to be reached even from the roof. In this case, the chimney is cleaned from below. If the chimney is metal and there is a cleaning glass, unscrew it and insert a brush on a flexible rod into the pipe. In some cases, not rods are used, but rigid wire. If there is no glass, maybe there is a cleaning hole, but if there is none, then you will either have to disassemble the beginning of the chimney, or clean it through the firebox, which is completely inconvenient.

There is one more point: if the pipe is metal, cleaning with a brush is not enough - a large amount of plaque remains on the walls. To ensure high-quality cleaning, instead of a brush, wrap a ball of rags around a wire or rod. This chimney cleaning leaves behind almost perfectly clean walls.

Homemade brush for cleaning the chimney

One option is to make a cleaning brush from polypropylene pipes. The pipes are cut into fragments of approximately 1.5 meters. Threaded fittings are installed at the ends. A metal brush for an angle grinder is attached to one of them.

First, the wire on the brush is fluffed using pliers or pliers. It turns out to be a homemade telescopic cleaning rod for the chimney.

Watch the video to see how to make a chimney cleaner from a plastic bottle.

How to clean a very tall or curved chimney

Sometimes the pipe rises very high above the ridge. Why not call a special machine with a lifting platform every time to clean the chimney? The issue is resolved with the help of a very long cable, in the middle of which a brush of a suitable diameter is attached.

Attached to the end of the cable small size load, throw it into the pipe, pull it out from the other end. The cable remains inside, and its other end hangs outside. When the need arises to shake the soot, simply pull first one end, then the other, moving the brush tied to the cable. The total length of the cable is three pipe heights.

The problem of a pipe with a bend is solved in the same way - you only have to somehow pull the cable through the bend the first time, and then you only need to pull the ends of the cable.

Chemicals for cleaning soot

Any chemicals are only preventive measures and a way to make mechanical cleaning less frequent. Can handle it without mechanical removal Plaque is possible only if you have a stainless steel or ceramic chimney, and then only with regular use of one or more products from this category.

Keep in mind that if you haven't had your chimney cleaned in a while and you start using one of the chemicals, there is a chance that you will completely “shut up” the cravings. These substances do not remove or dissolve deposits, but only soften them. The softened soot and soot either flies away in the form of flakes into the chimney or falls down. If the stove is reversible, with long curved smoke channels, soot can clog the clearance. It will be necessary to open the cleaning windows, rake out the soot and everything that has fallen there. If the pipe is straight, after using these products you need to clean the firebox - within a few days the fallen sediment will fall into it.

Folk chemicals

Let's start with “folk” remedies for dissolving soot. Our grandmothers also periodically sprinkled some salt on burning wood. To ensure that the soot flies into the chimney and does not fall inside, the chimney is heated very well, with the fireman at full power for some time. Then half a kilogram or a kilogram of salt is poured into the fire and the fire continues for another hour and a half. If the pipe is hot enough, gray or black flakes begin to fly out into the pipe. Over the course of several days, residues may fall inside, but the bulk burns in the pipe.

Many people are well familiar with the effects of potato starch. In the same way, with a well-heated oven, pour about a bucket of potato peelings onto the firewood (you can use chopped potatoes, or you can use starch). The effect is almost the same, with the only difference being that almost everything falls inside.

Another option for “folk” chemicals for cleaning chimneys is burning several aluminum cans. In this case, the fire must be really hot: you need firewood with high heat capacity. Then the aluminum really burns - the can disappears in 5-7 minutes. If it just darkens, there will be no effect.

Store-bought drugs

There are various chimney cleaning products available in stores. Some of them are produced in the form of powder packaged in bags, others - in the form of logs or briquettes. Please read the instructions before purchasing. There are preparations intended for open fireboxes, such as a fireplace, and others for closed ones, such as bathhouses or heating stoves. It is not recommended to replace them - after all, chemistry...

The range of chemicals for cleaning chimneys is constantly updated, but there are drugs that have existed for decades. Their effects have already been well studied. Below we will talk about the most popular and common ones.

The composition of these products, of course, is not disclosed; the principle of operation is described rather poorly: under the influence of gases released during combustion (safe for humans), the soot dries out, burns out, becomes brittle and flies out into the chimney or crumbles down. For an overview of the Chimney Sweep Sazhinet chimney cleaning log, watch the video.

Thermal chimney cleaning methods

The action of this method is based on the fact that soot is a high-calorie combustible substance. The temperature in the chimney is brought to the point where it flares up and burns out. The problem is that the combustion temperature of soot is about 1100°C and few chimneys and fire stops (when passing through a ceiling or roof) are able to withstand such heat.

Her one is very unpleasant and dangerous feature- if a lot of soot has accumulated, the moment of ignition is very similar to an explosion. Almost the same sound is heard, and the air wave is noticeable. So to the utmost high temperatures a significant shock load is also added. There were cases when even rough stoves fell apart. So this method is a dangerous undertaking.

Thermal cleansing is simple: take dry aspen firewood and turn on the stove. Their combustion temperature is very high, and after a while the soot ignites. If you burn aspen periodically, the deposits simply do not have time to be deposited in sufficient quantities to cause any noticeable harm during combustion. But it is dangerous to use this method on a clogged chimney.

Good day to you, readers and DIYers.
The author of the following homemade product very often clogs the chimney in his garage stove. That's why he decided to make a homemade brush for cleaning the chimney. Of course, such brushes can be purchased at a hardware store or bought online, but why buy something that you can relatively easily make with your own hands. And the price tag of such a homemade product will be tens of times less than a device purchased in a store.

After using his homemade product for some time, identifying all the pros and cons, he came up with a device for more convenient chimney cleaning.

I suggest you read about production in this article.

Necessary materials and tools.
-Dumbbell
-Cable - length 0.5-0.6 meters (diameter 5mm)
-Cable length depends on the height of the air duct (diameter 2mm)
-Nuts M10 2pcs
-Cable clamps 3 pcs.
-Profile pipe 20x20mm
-welding electrode 3mm
-Welding machine
-Bulgarian
-Hammer
-Vise

Manufacturing process part one.
The brush device itself will be based on an old rusty dumbbell, which was purchased at the nearest scrap metal collection point at a very reasonable price. The author uses a dumbbell with a total weight of 5 kg; the diameter of the dumbbell balls should be less than the diameter of the pipe being cleaned. For the device, you only need one half of a dumbbell, so you can make two brushes at once from one dumbbell.

First of all, clamp the dumbbell in a vice and cut off one ball of the dumbbell with a grinder.

An M10 nut is welded to the cut part of the dumbbell, and the brush load is ready, isn’t it easy?

Now you should start making the brush itself.
To do this, he will use a piece of cable with a diameter of 5mm. You can use a cable with a larger diameter, since the thicker the cable, the thicker and stronger the veins in it.

The author cuts the cable into 10cm pieces. The length of the sections must match the diameter of the chimney pipe.

Now the chopped pieces need to be dissolved into individual fibers. It is better to carry out this procedure with gloves, as the likelihood of injuring your hands is very high.

The cable is loose, now you need to make a frame for the brush.
A 3mm electrode will be used for the frame.
The coating from the electrode is beaten with a hammer.

Since the electrode core is made of fairly stiff wire, it bends and breaks poorly. To soften the wire, you need to heat it until red and let it cool, in other words, let it go. You can heat it in peli coals, with a gas burner, but the author will heat it with welding machine.

We clamp the electrode in a vice to which the mass of the welding machine is connected. We connect the clamp from the welding machine to the free end of the electrode and heat the wire until red. The heating procedure lasts about 15-20 seconds. Now you should let the wire cool on its own.

After cooling, the wire became soft, and now you can continue working with it. The author bends the wire in the center, at the point of bending there should be a small eyelet.

Now you need to place the previously prepared cable fibers into this bracket. You should get a similar structure, the edge of which must then be clamped in a vice, moving 2 cm away from the edge.

Then, inserting a large nail or screwdriver into the eyelet, you need to tighten this structure.

Then you need to make another eye, on the opposite side of the brush. To do this, clamp a nail between the two ends of the wire, clamp the ends in a vice and tighten the structure with the inserted nail.

The result was a pretty decent brush with a diameter of 100mm with two rings at the ends.

Now you need to connect the brush with the load. Connects them using a small piece of cable (diameter 2mm). The ends of the cable are clamped using a screw clamp.

You also need to attach a cable to the second eye of the brush. The length of the cable should be 2-2.5 times longer than the height of the chimney pipe.
This is the kind of brush the author came up with, and he ran off to test his product to celebrate.

And here is a deposit of soot in the chimney pipe.

Now you should install a ladder, climb along it to the top of the chimney and begin this labor-intensive, inconvenient and, one might say, dangerous cleaning process. Hard? Hard.

Realizing that this method of cleaning the chimney is, to put it mildly, inconvenient, I came up with another device. This is a device for immersing a brush into a chimney.

The manufacturing process part two.
It’s very difficult to call it a manufacturing process, but still. To make the device, the author bought profile pipe 20x20mm, 3.5 m long. Of course, the length of the pipe should depend on the height and location of your chimney.

A piece of pipe bent into a half ring was welded onto the edge of the pipe; the tube has a diameter of 10 mm. A cable with a brush connected was passed inside the pipe.

At first the author wanted to make a release mechanism using rollers, but he was unable to weld them. And the design itself would be too complex and unreliable.

Even lower, a kind of hook was welded onto the pipe. The hook should be welded lower than the bottom of the brush when raised.

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 of the home smoke removal system

To avoid this, it is recommended to clean the chimney at least once every six months - and this applies not only 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

The technology for using a brush in general terms is as follows:

The brush is inserted into a vertical outlet channel, where deposits are knocked off the walls by forward-return movements. To achieve a greater effect in cleaning the walls, a sinker is attached to the brush.

Vertical cleaning consists of forward and downward movements of the brush on a cable with a suspension

Next, the horizontal areas should also be cleaned with a brush. To do this, it is introduced into the hatches and makes translational movements in the horizontal direction. Solid particles of soot and soot are removed through the channels with a scoop or scraper.

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:

steel cable (the length of which must be greater than the length of the chimney);

pair plastic bottles with lids with a volume of 1 to 2 l;

steel wire with a cross section of 1–2 mm;

load - it is recommended to select a load of such mass that it would easily pass into the chimney opening when suspended from a cable.

Manufacturing technology

Remove the bottom of plastic bottles.

Cut the walls of the bottles vertically up to the neck from the bottom into strips like Chinese lanterns. The width of one strip is 3–5 mm.

Punch a hole in the covers, the size is the same as the diameter of the cable.

String the resulting caps with holes onto a cable, and screw the bottles cut into slices onto them. The cut bottles are inserted into one another with the caps in one direction and open in the manner of a hedgehog. To securely attach the homemade brush, the lid is fixed to the bottom with a self-tapping screw.

The free end of the cable can be attached to a large handle - one that will be convenient to operate in the chimney.

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:

a coil of steel wire;

a large bolt for the rod and a washer for fixing the brush;

pliers.

Manufacturing technology

Making a metal brush is even simpler than a plastic one, and consists of the following:

First, a coil of wire is taken and unwound (or uncoiled) into individual threads.

The rolled wire is cut into equal pieces

Steel threads are cut into equal lengths. The length of one segment should be such that the future brush fits into the chimney hole.

For good cleaning, it is required that the brush occupies at least 80% of the internal volume of the chimney

The wire is wound onto the bolt and secured with washers. The wire sections are wound along almost the entire length of the bolt.

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:

It will be better if several brushes are used to clean the chimney. So, the average diameter should be 80–120% of the internal diameter of the chimney pipe. In the first case, it will be convenient to use a brush to break through thick layers of growths and deposits, in the second - to scrape off small dirt.

The size of the load can be within 0.3 - 0.35 of the chimney diameter. This value is average; loads with this diameter are well suited for both punching and cleaning work.

The length of the cable should be 10–15% greater than the length of the chimney. This is necessary so that if solid deposits break through the walls of the pipe, the cable passes to the hatch, collecting all contaminants along its path.

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 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 both in rural areas, and in 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

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 chimney cleaning 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 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:

1. 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.
2. 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

3. If there is no hole inside the holder, then drilling 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, 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

6. The rods are cut based on the diameter of the chimney.

   Excessively long rods should be trimmed

7. A loop is made on one side of the cable, securing the metal edge with a knitting wire.
8. 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, in exactly the same way as in the previous case, prepare required amount flexible elements. Then proceed like this:

1. 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.
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 holding cable will later be attached.
4. 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 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 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’s just important not to put off the work of cleaning the chimney indefinitely - not only does it depend on thermal efficiency and the efficiency of the stove, but also the safety of your family.

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 the plastic elements of its structure.

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.