How to clean soot from a chimney pipe. How to quickly and effectively clean a chimney in a private house. Homemade brush for cleaning the chimney

A soot fire in a chimney is a daily nightmare for the inhabitants of any home with flaming heating and cooking appliances. Even if the fire can be extinguished before the stove (boiler) pipe burns out and there is no fire in the house, the costs of eliminating the accident will be prohibitively high, and the house will be left without heating and cooking facilities in the cold. However, regular cleaning of the chimney from deposits in it is necessary not only for fire safety: the efficiency and durability (lifetime before overhaul) of a stove or boiler are maintained only if the draft in the chimney corresponds to the nominal one; any blockage reduces the clearance of the chimney and, accordingly, the chimney draft.

Why get into the mud?

For the reasons stated chimney cleaning is absolutely necessary and scheduled technological operation during the operation of heating and cooking appliances using fuel combustion, and the profession of a chimney sweep remains in demand from the very beginning developed countries in an age when humanity is mastering quantum information systems and preparing for interstellar flights. Moreover, given the current state of affairs with energy resources in the world, the advantages of individual stove heating over centralized heating significantly outweigh its disadvantages.

But, the reader may object, when my sink siphon gets clogged, I call a plumber. And why do I need to know anything about such a much dirtier and unhealthy activity as cleaning chimneys from soot? Let the chimney sweeps do this, and I’ll pay within reasonable limits.

Firstly, what is a “reasonable limit” in this case? Chimney sweep services in the Russian Federation are considered perhaps the cheapest in the world. But even in Russia, cleaning a chimney from soot costs at least 10,000 rubles. This is if there is a chimney sweep in this locality or in its immediate vicinity. For calling him out, you will have to pay extra for round trip travel and accommodation at the place of work. What if the road to the house with the stove is impassable for ordinary vehicles in winter?

Secondly, if from the siphon kitchen sink is leaking or the toilet is overflowing, then there is simply no time to wait for a plumber - here the salvation of drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves; the degree of urgency if there are signs of the need for unscheduled/emergency chimney cleaning is even higher. Therefore, even if your money is enough to pay a chimney sweep + 200% bonus, you still need to know how to clean the chimney yourself, at least quickly, so that the immediate threat passes.

Thirdly, cleaning the chimney by any method other than chemical gentle (preventive) does not leave a mark on its resource. At the same time, the profession of a chimney sweep is highly paid, but harmful, dirty and dangerous, and there is little competition in it. Really high-class professionals prefer to do easier scheduled preventive cleaning under subscription service contracts, and if you need to clean a chimney in a private house urgently and/or in the outback, there is a high risk of running into a money-hungry klutz, and if your chimney is a modern modular sandwich or ceramic/glass, improper cleaning can damage it once and for all.

Reliable information about chimney cleaning is much less widespread than about plumbing - after all, just 10 years ago, individual stove heating was considered a relic of the past doomed to extinction. If the plumber starts connecting propylene pipes, tying them to each other with tape, the glamorous, pampered diva will also kick him out. But if a chimney sweep puts a steel brush on a solid rod into a sandwich chimney with blind kinks, then even a smart businessman may decide that this is the right thing to do. And a day, week or month after the “specialist” receives his bribe and leaves, the consequences will be severe, even catastrophic. If there is a need to clean a stove/boiler pipe, you need a certain minimum of knowledge in this area to supervise the work of a specialist. Therefore, even if the very mention of cleaning the chimney causes you physiological disgust, but you use stove or boiler heating, you you definitely need to know:

Why and how the chimney lumen becomes covered with deposits.
How can you determine by external signs whether a chimney needs cleaning and, if so, in what order (see below)?
What tools and methods are used to clean chimneys? different types depending on the nature and properties of deposits in them?
How to clean a chimney with your own hands if necessary, using improvised means?
Are there ways to guarantee avoiding urgent chimney cleaning during the heating season and, if so, which ones?

Is it just soot?

Cleaning a chimney from black soot, as the ignorant imagine it, is quite simple, and if the pipe is brick, then even serious negative consequences You can’t expect anything from manual cleaning using improvised means. But, firstly, not only black soot is deposited in chimneys, and in different ways. Secondly, modern chimneys, in terms of their properties, are by no means brick.

In brick and, when fired with high-quality fuel (deciduous or pine firewood, properly seasoned in a woodshed), in simple steel chimneys, the so-called. plump soot (item 1 in the figure), which is almost pure amorphous carbon. As a rule, plump soot completely covers the lumen of the pipe before it cokes (sinters; cemented with bituminous substances, mainly creosote). Puffy soot ignites most easily, but external signs of its influence on traction (see below) appear early and clear. Cleaning a chimney from plump soot or preventing its deposition using any of the methods described below does not present any technical difficulties.

Gray soot (item 2) is typical for conventional steel chimneys of stoves/boilers operating on coal or random wood fuel. Coking of gray soot begins when its layer reaches approx. 2 mm and then spreads to the entire plaque. External signs of a chimney being overgrown with gray soot are weakly expressed and develop slowly. The combustion of gray soot is a rare phenomenon, but it necessarily entails the most severe consequences: part of the amorphous carbon is modified to graphite during the bituminization process, and the burning gray soot develops a temperature of over 1600 degrees. Manually cleaning a chimney from gray soot is not always possible or is very labor-intensive, so in this case preventive measures against soot deposition are of paramount importance.

Note: pure graphite burns at 2500 degrees. According to the recollections of the helicopter pilots who extinguished the Chernobyl reactor, its interior shone dazzlingly, like the Sun.

Light gray soot in sandwich chimneys (item 3) cokes instantly at the moment of deposition. A modular sandwich chimney, at the moment of starting the device that is connected to it, experiences thermal shock: the cold inner surface of the thin-walled steel pipe in thermal insulation it warms up to temperature very quickly flue gases. From the point of view of the energy efficiency of the device, this is good: almost no fuel is wasted to accelerate the stove/boiler to its rated thermal power. But the first to settle on the pipe wall is a creosote film, which immediately grabs unburned fuel particles. Further, if the chimney is not prevented from soot falling out, its clearance quickly becomes overgrown with ordinary gray soot. Only an experienced professional chimney sweep can remove a coating of light gray soot without damaging the chimney, alternately using installations for hydraulic and mechanized rotary (rotary) cleaning.

Oily (white) soot, pos. 4, is formed in the chimneys of devices intended for cooking over an open fire: barbecues, barbecues, etc. In addition, in sandwich chimneys of household fireplaces, a real coal-wood fireplace, thanks to the always open firebox, perfectly cleans the room of dust. Where does the fat come from? From dust drawn into the firebox. A significant share house dust consists of dried grease from the inhabitants of the home, kitchen fumes and splashes. Oily soot manifests itself just as clearly and quickly as plump soot, and can be easily cleaned off with a brush or ruff both from above and below. Preventive measures against greasy soot are quite effective and, if applied correctly, urgent chimney cleaning will never be necessary. But, if there is greasy soot in the chimney, you should not hesitate to remove it under any circumstances - greasy soot catches fire very easily; True, it burns weakly and the chimney can always be extinguished in time. But complete replacement an expensive modular system is then inevitable.

About sandwich systems...

The advantages of sandwich chimneys do not end with their efficiency, but it is almost never possible to clean a clogged sandwich without compromising its service life. The fact is that customers, tempted by the ease of installation of sandwich pipes, for the sake of cheapness, ask to make a chimney (or make it themselves) with inclined sections and blind corners (kinks). Even with manual cleaning (see below), the brush gets through them, but it scratches the smooth stainless steel so much that the deposition of soot on the fractures becomes chronic, to the point that the chimney elbows have to be replaced at the height of the season.

A correctly modular sandwich chimney is assembled from horizontal (hogs) and vertical (otters) elbows connected by tees with cleaning and inspection hatches, see figure:

In this case, even if solid light gray soot is detected in the chimney, after hydrotreatment it is cleaned with a gentle rotary brush (see below) and its service life is practically not reduced. If chemical prevention and inspection of the chimney is carried out in a timely manner, then the “shock” chemical cleaning(see below) works. Then the remaining soot can be raked out into the tees and removed by the owner himself without calling a specialist. In general, additional the costs of “extra” elbows and tees during operation are paid off by savings on cleaning and peace of mind.

Note: what is in fig. designated as otters, according to the rules of technical terminology - risers. The otter in the stove industry is the widening of the part of the chimney protruding above the roof, which improves the wind flow around it, the draft of the chimney and partly prevents the joint between the pipe and the roofing pie from getting wet. But there are already plenty of risers in everyday life - water supply, sewerage, gas - so it would not be a great sin to call the vertical modules of a sandwich chimney otters.

When to call a pro

It is recommended to clean the sandwich chimney yourself only using chemical (non-contact) methods, but they are effective if the soot layer is no thicker than 2 mm. Otherwise, you need to call a chimney sweep, but first show them a photo of the soot in the chimney and ask: how will you clean it?

Puffy soot and gray in a not too thick layer, i.e. not completely coked, the so-called with a gentle brush of rapid rotation, on the left in the figure:

Its flexible shaft (see below) can be driven by a drill or hammer drill with the blow turned off. Next, if the gentle brush fails, use a hydraulic unit to remove soot and repeat the passage with the gentle brush; this is already extra. payment. There is soot left - more. payment, and the master prepares the unit for mechanized rotary cleaning with hard brushes (the rest are in the figure). A “handy” drive is not suitable for them, because The rotation speed must be kept stable regardless of the load on the brush. The brush frequency and type are chosen by the master depending on the type, structure of the chimney and the nature of its contamination. A hard rotary brush will remove everything, but if the sandwich was cleaned with this, a conscientious specialist warns: “Don’t forget to replace the chimney in the summer. I can’t guarantee whether this next season will last.”

...and about ceramic chimneys

Glass chimneys and solid ceramic chimneys made by slip casting are very expensive, but in terms of efficiency and overall performance qualities they surpass the best sandwich. If regular chemical prophylaxis is carried out, the soot in them either does not fall out at all, and if it does fall out, it holds on very weakly. But such chimneys are fragile, and damaged ones quickly become overgrown with plump soot. Therefore, if it comes to mechanical cleaning of a ceramic/glass chimney, you need to use only and only a special tool, see below.

When should you clean?

The chimney is cleaned next. cases:

Planned annually - before the start and after the end of the heating season with the furnace/boiler stopped;
Scheduled preventive maintenance - during the use of the heating and cooking device without stopping it;
Unscheduled without shutdown - if there are initial signs of soot deposition and if, based on the results of the chimney inspection, the thickness of its layer is established to be up to 2 mm;
Urgent with shutdown - based on signs of heavy soot deposits and a layer thickness of more than 2 mm.

Annual scheduled cleanings must be carried out mechanically (see below). During the autumn, the readiness of the device for the heating season is checked, even if it was not used in the summer: a bird's nest, a ball of wintering snakes, or just random debris may be found in the pipe. In no case should you skip the spring one: over the summer, the winter soot in it from the heat and precipitation will become so coked that the autumn cleaning will turn from a simple inspection into a complex, expensive procedure.

Smoke or flame?

It is usually advised to determine the need to clean the chimney while the stove/boiler is moving by looking at the smoke from the chimney: if, they say, it is white, curly, everything is OK. It has turned grey, thickened, pulled down - it needs to be cleaned. This is an unreliable sign: the type of smoke from the chimney is highly dependent on weather conditions; You know that they use it to predict the weather, right?

The more reliable condition of the chimney is determined by the type of flame in the firebox. Fuel must be loaded into it according to the norm; the wood should flare up, i.e. be completely engulfed in flames and charred on the outside. If the stove/boiler is new, correctly designed, built and heated correctly, then after they are accelerated (brought up to design power by test fireboxes), the cores of the flames will become light yellow, and the tongues themselves will stretch straight up (on the left in the figure). This means that the device has become stable: a layer of soot with a high content of graphite up to 0.5 mm thick has been deposited in its chimney. Such plaque is harmless, and in a brick chimney it is useful, because... makes its walls smoother and increases traction.

Over time, the cores of the tongues will turn straw-yellow and the flames will begin to dance (center in the picture). This is a sign that it’s time to start chemical prevention (see below) and carry it out until the flame stretches straight up, remaining straw-yellow at the core. If this does not happen after 2-4 fires, you need to burn the aspen or log for impact dry cleaning. It didn’t help, the flame died down, turned red at the top and beats in the firebox; especially if it splashes onto the forehead of the stove, on the right in Fig. – urgent mechanical cleaning of the chimney is required and the appliance should be stopped.

Note: You can use the smoke to determine the condition of the chimney if the flame does not give a definite answer; e.g. when changing the type of fuel. Provided that you remember (or photograph in good quality), what the smoke was like from the chimney of a new or thoroughly cleaned stove in different weather conditions. If during the same period it darkens and thickens, you need to trim the chimney and, if necessary, clean it.

Chimney cleaning products

Chemical and mechanical means for cleaning the chimney have already been mentioned above; This is where their selection is limited. “Anti-soot chemistry” is applicable to chimneys that have not been neglected (in terms of maintenance) with a soot coating no thicker than approx. 2 mm; in other cases you have to use mechanics

Anti-soot chemistry

Chemical products are intended for use by the owners themselves without the involvement of specialists and cope with a thin coating of any soot of any kind. “Chemistry for soot” cleans not only the chimney, but also the entire smoke system. For devices with complex thermal circuits (which are the most economical) this is more than relevant. Prevention against soot loss is also possible only with chemical means. In addition, “dry cleaning” of the stove is the cleanest in the literal sense: a relatively small amount of cleaned soot falls into the firebox, from where it can be removed without dirtying the room; Most of the soot burns and flies out into the chimney.

Effect of funds for chemical removal soot is based on the release of catalysts into the flue gases, provoking the combustion of its bituminous components. Typical composition of “soot chemistry”:

Amorphous silicon (inhibits, i.e. suppresses the combustion of carbon).
Wood sawdust (emit volatile flammable substances that initiate the ignition of bitumen).
Urea (urea) plays the role of nitrate: when heated, it releases oxygen. Nitrate itself (any kind) cannot be used in this composition - it can detonate in contact with carbon and in the presence of catalysts!
Ammonium and sodium sulfates provide catalyst ions.
Coal wax - spreading in a layer of soot, ensures uniform combustion.

Note: Urea is also, in principle, an explosive substance. In the Bond film “All World is not enough”, under the Western name “urea”, a terrorist blows up MI6. But they used some kind of Hollywood-style fantastic detonator, but in general it is extremely difficult to make urea detonate even in special installations.

Creosote and other bituminous substances are enough for even the plumpest soot. After they burn out, non-sticky amorphous carbon and graphite remain, which crumble down. This leads to an important drawback of chemical soot removers: the chimney must be designed for elevated temperatures. If the top of the pipe is folded in a normal cement mortar or made of asbestos-cement pipe, then the use of chemical soot removers can render it completely unusable. And if you try to “chemically” remove a thick coating of plump or greasy soot, then the likelihood of it catching fire is very high.

Chemical soot removers are available in the form of powder (left in the figure), briquettes and logs (center and right):

Powders are used for prevention; the ratio of ingredients in them is different than in compressed formulations. The powder is sprinkled on the logs loaded into the firebox in layers before kindling according to the instructions included with the package. The device starts up and operates in normal mode; It is possible to regulate combustion by air supply and draft using a damper. If you buy a powder recommended for the type of fuel you use, then you will only need scheduled seasonal chimney cleanings listed above.

A briquette and a log for cleaning a chimney from soot differ only in shape and are used for “impact” unscheduled chemical cleaning. They are used differently, because They act only on hot soot: standard fuel is loaded into the firebox and they wait for it to burn out, but not completely go out. Then they throw a cleaning log into the firebox, close its door and completely open the vent with the damper. The device is kept “in the air” for 2-3 hours (more precisely, according to the instructions), i.e. the stove/boiler gets cold and this fuel load does not provide useful heat.

Note: how to use chemicals for soot removal, see video:

Video: chemical cleaning of the chimney

and user reviews about them follow. video:

Village chemistry

Our ancestors discovered chemical prevention and removal of soot from chimneys long before they appeared on the market as new chemical technology products. Folk remedies for preventing soot deposits in the chimney and cleaning it from it are as follows:

Potato peels - for the prevention of soot, similar to chemical powder;
Table salt - the same;
Aspen firewood– for “impact” cleaning of small soot deposits.

Potato peelings are dried until brittle before being added to fuel. Catalysts for the burnout of soot bitumen are organic products of the joint pyrolysis of starch and the alkaloid solanine; Solanine is contained in the peel, sprout and green parts of the tubers, which is why they are all poisonous. The tops of potatoes and other nightshades (for example, tomatoes) contain even more solanine, but there is no starch and they are not suitable for preventing soot. Also unsuitable are products containing only starch, for example, rice, and cleaning root vegetables without alkaloids containing sugar (beets, turnips, etc.) will only aggravate soot deposition. In principle, peeling the root crops of yams, sweet potatoes and taro would work against soot, but they don’t grow here, and where they grow, there is no problem with cleaning chimneys due to the lack of need for seasonal heating.

Note: organic catalysts for bitumen combustion are more active than mineral ones, therefore removing a lot of plump and greasy soot with potatoes is even more dangerous than with “chemicals”.

During thermal decomposition, table salt releases sodium ions - catalysts, but in the singular without additional additives they act weaker. But you can try to loosen thick, plump and greasy soot with salt without stopping the furnace: if it doesn’t work, then nothing bad will happen. Just don’t expect an immediate effect - soot starts falling into the firebox 1-3 days after burning salted wood.

Aspen firewood (see figure on the right) to remove soot is used at room dryness, i.e. After the wood burning, they need to be kept for at least a month in a dry, heated room. Aspen fuel is low-calorie, but during combustion it develops a high temperature, up to 1200 degrees, which is why it is used for acceleration brick kilns. The aspen firebox acts on soot (including thick, plump and greasy) purely thermally: the bitumen is heated to the point of fluidity and the soot falls off. Firing aspen from soot gives an immediately visible effect, but It is necessary to load aspen firewood into the stove no more than half of the norm (by weight), otherwise the structure of the stove may not withstand overheating.

Note: For “rustic” methods of preventing soot in the chimney and removing it from there, see the video:

Video: traditional methods for removing soot

Mechanical cleaning products

Mechanical cleaning of the chimney is carried out, firstly, in the order of its routine inspection and maintenance in the fall and spring. Secondly, if urgent cleaning is necessary during the heating season with the furnace/boiler stopped, because... Mechanical cleaning while the device is running is not possible. Mechanical cleaning is labor-intensive; A lot of dirt gets into the room. It is impossible to clean the stove/boiler mechanically at the same time as the chimney. Also impossible mechanical prevention from soot: mechanical cleaning of the chimney is carried out only upon the fact of its contamination. When cleaning with mechanical methods, the likelihood of damage to the chimney is not small. But by mechanical means it is possible to remove the oldest soot, even if it has completely blocked the lumen of the pipe, without the risk of causing it to catch fire and/or overheating of the device.

Note: machine cleaning of the chimney (briefly described above) is the domain of professionals, because keep at home in reserve just in case, resp. installation is pointless. If an ordinary householder dares to clean the chimney himself, he will have to do it manually.

Top or bottom?

Mechanical devices are used to clean the chimney from above (from the roof) or from below (from the furnace/boiler firebox). Top cleaning may not allow dirt into the room at all, because... Most of it is removed outside, but it is dangerous and is only possible under favorable weather conditions. As a rule, the chimney is cleaned from above in the order of autumn-spring inspection. After the bottom cleaning, the room will be full of soot, but climbing to the roof is not necessary. Therefore, urgent/emergency winter cleaning of the chimney is carried out from below and the device is stopped. In both cases, the working body of a manual cleaning tool will be a brush or brush.

Ruffs...

Cleaning the chimney with a brush is the most accurate; It is strongly recommended to clean sandwich chimneys manually only with a brush. But cleaning with a brush is also the most labor-intensive: on average, routine cleaning of a 4 m long pipe takes 40 minutes, and urgent cleaning takes more than an hour. It is unlikely that it will be possible to remove light gray and old gray soot with a brush.

The chimney is cleaned with a brush most often without rotation; in this case, the working element is fixed on a long flexible cable in a slippery shell (on the left in the figure). Clean the pipe with a brush, screwing it up and down; The cleared soot is scattered wherever necessary. The spines (bristles) of the brush can be steel or plastic. A steel brush cleans both plump and greasy soot, but scratches the pipe. Plastic brush It gets stuck in greasy soot or slides on it, but it can be used to clean not only sandwiches, but also cast ceramics and glass. However, now chimney brushes with spines made of propylene fishing line for brush cutters are increasingly coming into use; they combine the advantages of steel and plastic brushes without their disadvantages.

Note: a brush with spines made of hard, inflexible thick steel wire (see figure on the right), the so-called. garnish, is used in exceptional cases for cleaning thick-walled steel chimneys, but it scratches them so much that then the deposition of soot accelerates significantly.

A brush-brush (item A in the previous figure) with 2-3 turns is also called a single or fine-cleaning brush: with it alone you can remove only thin, fresh, plump soot, and from the others it only scoops out residues that have been loosened and/or softened by chemical or hydrocleaning. The cleaning brush does not fit through the fractures of the chimney - there are few spines, they are crushed and do not hold the rod, which rests on the fracture.

A one-and-a-half-turn brush with 4-5 turns (pos. B) is most commonly used, because It takes plump, greasy and not old gray soot and passes through the cracks at least 120 degrees. However, even with scheduled seasonal cleaning, they have to move for up to an hour or more. A one and a half brush is also called a one and a half brush and is often attached to a cleaning device with a ball (see below), which is also called a one and a half brush. A full brush with 6 or more turns (pos. B) is suitable for cleaning only straight pipes, incl. barbell (also see below), but reduces the operating time by approx. 1.5 times compared to one and a half.

...and brushes

A chimney brush differs from a brush in that its spines stick out in bunches without forming spiral surfaces. Therefore, you can use a brush to clean the chimney with rotation: the awns do not crush or cut into soot and do not get stuck in it.

Brushes for manual chimney cleaning (see figure) are not the same as for machine cleaning (see figure above), and replacing hand brushes with machine ones is unacceptable: a machine brush should rotate much faster than a hand brush, and you will ruin the chimney with your hands more than you will remove soot . Brushes for manual cleaning of conventional chimneys are available with a through axial hole for mounting in a one-and-a-half-barrel (item and 2 in the figure) or with a threaded tip for installation on flexible rods (item 3) for cleaning from below or above, or on a rigid rod for cleaning only from above. In terms of length, location of the spines and action, both do not differ, but the drum brush for sandwich chimneys is designed differently, pos. 4. It is not recommended to replace it with a simple one, because otherwise, the brush core or the load of a half-barrel can damage the thin-walled pipe.

Note: When using a hand brush on the rod, be careful where you twist. If the brush unscrews and remains in the chimney, it will be difficult to remove it back.

Cleaning from below...

A non-chimney sweep most often has to clean the chimney from below with his own hands - in winter, urgently, when the roof is snowy and/or icy and calling a specialist is too expensive or even problematic. For lower cleaning, a brush (better if it takes soot) or a brush is screwed onto a rod and, building up the unit with them, they gradually push it into the chimney until the working element comes out of the mouth of the pipe (this can be felt well). If it gets stuck, carefully poke and twist: flexible rods with a one-and-a-half brush bend at 120 degrees, and with a brush at 90 degrees.

If you are working with a brush, then you need to move slowly to the full length, moving back and approaching again until the soot stops pouring out in a stream. Be patient: an hour and a half to clean the bottom of a 4-meter chimney with a brush is still fast.

If you work with a brush for the sake of speed, the next stage is the most interesting. A standard handle is placed on the last rod, or the end of the rod is secured in the drill chuck. The tool is switched to right (direct) rotation so that the rods seem to be screwed into each other and into the brush, the speed control is set 2-4 clicks from zero and moves back, rotating the entire system. One pass will most likely be enough, because... In winter, soot cokes slowly, but how much of it will fly into the room... you can imagine, but you don’t need to. And if it goes to such an extreme, you will see for yourself. Therefore, carpets, furniture and everything valuable from the room must be removed in advance, and the walls should be covered with film, secured with tape. It is difficult to hang a ceiling, so plan to re-whitewash it in the spring, and it is better to remove the false ceiling: stove soot eats into all finishing materials.

...and from above

Two scheduled cleanings a year will save you at least 20 thousand rubles, so let’s see how a chimney is cleaned mechanically from the roof. This can be done with a brush on the rod(s), or with a ball (one and a half brush) with a brush, depending on the type of soot and the degree of contamination of the chimney.

Dense gray soot builds up and the lumen of the pipe narrows slowly, so in this case it is better to clean with a brush. Cleaning is done in reverse: without rotating, the brush is slowly inserted into the chimney channel, trying to knock down as little soot as possible (pos. 1 in the figure), and then pulled up faster and rotating (pos. 2), pulling the soot out. If the firebox and vent of the stove are closed, and the fireplace portal is tightly curtained, very little soot will get into the room, but carpets, furniture and valuables still need to be removed in advance.

The chimney brush will not quickly pick up soot in the corners of a rectangular channel; square brushes are nothing more than a marketing ploy. To speed up the work, you can clean the corners with a hard household or bench brush on a pole, pos. 3, but the remaining soot will then fall down and it will take more time to rake them out of the firebox. For the same purpose, thick, dense and/or lumpy soot deposits are loosened with a hook (item 4) before using the brush; it also removes foreign objects.

A special case is cleaning a ceramic chimney. Soot adheres weakly to cast ceramics, but sharp scratches on its inner surface, even very small ones, accelerate its deposition and adhesion to the base to the point that the expensive chimney begins to require replacement. Therefore, ceramic chimneys are cleaned with a special so-called. smooth brush with blades made of steel spirals, pos. 5.

Note: gray light, old or greasy soot from round steel chimney It’s more convenient, faster and cleaner to remove with a disc scraper, see video:

Video: a simple and effective method for cleaning a pipe

What if you joke around?

If you don’t mind the time and effort of cleaning, and the chimney is straight, then you can clean it using the one-and-a-half-piece back-and-forth method. A little soot will also get into the room, but the risk of damaging the chimney duct is minimal. A very dense soot succumbs to the top of the one-and-a-half, which almost completely or completely covers the lumen of the pipe, because the weight (ball) of the device participates in cleaning, breaking and loosening soot deposits; the ruff removes it more and brings it down. To do this, they use the shock method: a half-truck is lifted on a cable and thrown. For these reasons, chimney sweeps of the past preferred to work with one and a half and were depicted with it.

You can make a one-and-a-half piece for cleaning the chimney with your own hands by purchasing only a brush and/or brush for it. But you shouldn’t use a sports weight as a load: it can get jammed in the channel (see figure below), which will almost certainly result in damage to the chimney and increased deposition of soot in it in the future. See the same fig for how a one-and-a-half-wheeler is properly constructed.

Note: For information on cleaning a chimney with a homemade one and a half sheet, see the video:

Video: one and a half sheets for cleaning a chimney

Finally

To summarize: how to properly clean a chimney? This is exactly the case when the best remedy combating violations - their prevention. Therefore, during the heating season, use chemical prevention of soot deposition, and carry out maintenance work from above in the autumn-spring. To ensure that the first is effective and the second is not a burden, feed the stove/boiler/fireplace with standard high-quality fuel and heat it correctly.

Residents of private houses heat stoves and fireplaces during the cold season. During operation heating devices Soot accumulates in chimneys. This makes it difficult for smoke to escape, creating a risk of fire in the room and intoxication of the people living in it.

From burning and black soot in the chimney, you need to know how to clean chimneys in the stove using folk remedies. Many people think about solving the problem when smoke is already coming into the room.

The need to clean the chimney

In winter, stoves and fireplaces are lit almost continuously. Over time, cravings get worse. Soot settles on the walls of the chimney. It narrows the existing opening and does not allow smoke to fully pass through and enter the room.

Because of high temperature Accumulated soot in the chimney can catch fire. This leads to its destruction. Sparks flying from the pipe become a source of fire. Or lead to poisoning carbon monoxide. The owners have a question about how to clean the chimney pipe.

The condition of the pipe must be inspected at least twice a year. Before the start of the heating season and after it.

When to clean

Whether the chimney needs cleaning can be determined by eye. First of all, pay attention to the color of the smoke. If the stove is intact and the chimney is clean, then clouds of light gray or white. Dense black smoke signals the need for preventive measures: soot has accumulated in the chimney.

The color of the flame in the firebox also matters. If the light orange tint changes to dark orange, the structure needs to be cleaned.

Soot deposits

Smoke contains mechanical particles. They stain the surface of the canal. Soot accumulates in the pipe and a black coating appears. Deposits harden as a result of saturation with water vapor. The pipe is clogged. Channel bends, transitions, surfaces brick pipes covered with a layer of soot.

The volume of deposits depends on various factors:

The stove or fireplace is not installed correctly.
The technology for laying the product components is broken.
Construction Materials Bad quality. Cracks appear on the surface of the chimney.
The chimney system is cluttered with debris.
There is no umbrella on the pipe. Depending on the humidity, type of fuel and features of the fireplace, the rate of deposit accumulation depends.

Traditional methods of cleansing

The quality of operation of a stove or fireplace is affected by the layer of soot on the walls of the chimney pipe. The fumes enter the living space, and the soot deposited on the chimney ignites. Troubles can be avoided if you do not forget to clean the chimneys of stoves and fireplaces from soot.

DIY cleaning methods:

If the soot does not come off well, you can tap the chimney wall with a stick. But it is not always possible to clean the chimney efficiently using potato peelings. This is only a means to help soften the soot so that it lags behind the pipe walls. After peeling potatoes, it is advisable to carry out mechanical peeling.

A good way is to burn aspen wood in a stove. But it's not entirely safe. The soot catches fire and flakes out of the chimney. They cover the roof and area around the building. Therefore, you first need to make sure whether the roof can withstand such a load and inspect the condition of the chimney pipe.

If there is a lot of soot in the pipe, it is better to use another, safer method.

Tools and materials

First you need to prepare your tools. In order to clean the chimney, you will need:

The core is used not only to remove blockages. To make cleaning effective, you can use it to make the brush and brush heavier.

The length of the device can be changed by connecting the elements using carabiners and a cable.

Mechanical cleaning

This method is also popular. In the old days, chimney sweeps used cannonballs secured by cable. They broke through dense soot growths. Ruffs were also used different shapes, scrapers.

Cleaning process:

Sometimes the pipe is high and you can’t get to it from the roof. Then clean from below.

If the chimney is metal and there is a cleaning glass, it is unscrewed and a brush on a bendable rod is inserted into the pipe. If it is not there, clean it through the cleaning hole.

Cleaning the chimney through the firebox is time-consuming and inconvenient. Cleaning a metal pipe with a brush is not effective. Soot remains on the walls. In this case, the brush is replaced with a rag.

Homemade brush

From polypropylene pipes make a brush for cleaning. The pipes are cut one and a half meters long. Threaded fittings are placed at their ends. Attached to one of the fittings wire brush for the Bulgarian. The wire is fluffed onto the brushes using pliers or pliers. This creates a telescopic cleaning rod for the chimney.

Small mechanization can be used. The method consists in placing an attachment on the impeller of the chainsaw, which allows for forced ventilation of the pipe.

This method is extreme, it can be used in agreement with neighbors

Special store preparations

There are various cleaners sold in stores. You can buy them in the form of powder, logs or briquettes. Please read the instructions before purchasing. Preparations can be for fireplaces, sauna or closed heating stoves.

Popular means:

Work safety

Work on cleaning the chimney from soot requires compliance with safety precautions in order to avoid accidents.

Safe chimney cleaning:

Do not clean the pipe from soot in wet weather, with high humidity, in strong winds.
You cannot climb onto the roof without a safety belt. You can tie the belt with a strong rope.
It is prohibited to take alcohol or drugs that slow down the reaction before work. The measures taken will help avoid risks when cleaning the chimney.

Professional chimney sweeps know how to clean soot from a chimney pipe. You can use their advice. They will help increase the life of the fireplace.

Undesirable:

Cleaning the chimney of a sauna stove

The Russian bathhouse is always associated with wet steam and a stove. There is chimney which needs to be cleaned periodically.

If you don’t do this, the sauna will heat poorly and there will be no traction. A fire may occur.

Causes of clogged chimney of a sauna stove:

Condensate.
Soot and soot.
Trapped foreign objects.

To quickly and easily clean the chimney with your own hands, you can use special briquettes with chemicals. When burned, they destroy the soot. The briquettes are burned in a furnace and within a day the dirt will fall into the firebox itself. But it is not recommended to use such preparations for cleaning bath pipes.

You can use a special brush or ruff. They are hung on a weight and lowered into the pipe.

Sometimes the smoke comes back when lighting. There is probably a foreign object in the chimney. It could be a masonry brick or a bird's nest that fell from nearby trees.

It is more difficult to get rid of such a blockage. You can take a stick or long pole and try to push the object inside. At the end of the stick, a hook is made from a nail to hook the object. Good result provides heating of the stove with aspen wood.

On bath pipe It is advisable to make a removable visor. Snow and rainwater will be prevented from entering the chimney.

Attention, TODAY only!

The permeability of smoke channels is crucial for the normal operation of heating systems. This is especially important for solid fuel thermal units. Chimneys tend to become clogged with combustion products, which reduces the efficiency of fuel use and increases the likelihood of situations that threaten not only the integrity of the property, but also the lives of people living in the house.

How and with what to clean the chimney from soot

Heating in a private home is a vital system, on which not only comfortable living, but often the property and life of the residents depends. A special role is played here by the system for removing fuel combustion products from the room - the chimney. Its internal surface gradually becomes contaminated with condensate and soot, while the cross-section of the chimney channel decreases, draft decreases, and the complete removal of smoke from the room is disrupted.

Over time, the chimney becomes clogged with soot, and its ability to remove combustion products decreases.

Why does the chimney become dirty?

Clogging of the smoke channel occurs during the combustion of fuel, when vapor and solid products are released from it and carried away by the flow of furnace gases. But under certain conditions they do not fly out completely into the chimney. This happens under the following circumstances:

Signs of a clogged chimney

When the flue gas exhaust channel becomes clogged, it will be immediately visible. The main signs of a clogged channel will be the following:

What to do if the chimney is clogged

Before the start of the heating season, you must inspect the inside of the chimney for blockages. In the warm season, birds with a nest may settle in it, or debris may appear, blown into the pipe by the wind. To avoid this, the chimney must be equipped with a cap with a mesh at the installation stage that prevents similar situations.

In case of such a case, there should always be a backup in the house. heating unit in the form of a heater or an electric heater built into the heating system.

Having provided yourself with warmth with its help during the cold season, you can carefully consider the situation and think through options for getting out of it.

The presence of draft in the firebox must be checked every time the stove is ignited - the flame must deviate towards the chimney

How to clean a chimney

The purpose of this operation is to timely clean the walls of soot deposits and debris that has gotten inside (during the off-season period). When cleaning, you need to check all sections of the chimney and the stove itself. The last step is to clean the ash pan and firebox. Timely cleaning of the chimney reduces fuel consumption and makes the operation of the stove safe.

In practice, three main cleaning methods are used, two of which are preventive:

Chemical and biological methods. They are used as a preventive measure using compounds that soften soot and lead to its partial removal from the smoke duct.
Mechanical. Produced by direct action on the soot layer various instruments in order to remove it.

If you use such products correctly and in a timely manner, you can avoid involving a third-party specialist in cleaning the chimney.

Biological methods for cleaning chimneys

All biological methods are based on adding some substances to a burning firebox. Among the common products you can consider the following:

potato peelings. This is an old folk remedy for preventing the formation of soot deposits, the simplest and always available. The peels need to be prepared in advance, accumulating at least half a bucket. It needs to be dried and added to the firebox at the end of the fire. When burning, potatoes release starch, which softens the soot layer well. It happens that it simply falls down in layers or pieces, part of it is carried away along with the furnace gases. This operation is also recommended to be performed before performing mechanical cleaning;
rock salt. The method is used when igniting the stove. The compound formed when the salt is heated softens the soot layer well. A tablespoon of salt should be poured on top of the fuel;
aspen firewood. Firewood made from this type of wood has a high calorific value, so it is placed at the end of the firebox. Hot furnace gases simply burn soot directly on the walls of the chimney. The danger of this method is that large layers of soot during combustion at high temperatures can destroy the chimney and cause a serious fire. Therefore, this method should be used regularly, laying aspen firewood in small portions. For the same purpose, you can use birch firewood cleared of bark;
walnut shells. The use of this product is also associated with a high combustion temperature. Therefore, they can serve as an alternative to aspen firewood. But the shells can be used in quantities of no more than two liters at a time. Otherwise, the chimney may overheat with predictable consequences.

Photo gallery: folk remedies for cleaning the chimney

Walnut shells should not be burned in large quantities - they can overheat the chimney. Burning dried peelings destroys the soot layer due to the release of starch. Rock salt, when heated, releases substances that soften carbon deposits on the walls of the chimney. Aspen firewood burns soot on the walls of the chimney due to the very high combustion temperature.

Chemicals for removing soot deposits

There are several such products, and they can be divided into two groups: household products and special chemicals. The first group includes:

Naphthalene. This is an effective and completely reliable tool. Under its influence, the soot is stratified and carried into the firebox. It is placed in the oven on burning wood. A significant disadvantage is the pungent unpleasant odor remaining in the room. Therefore, it is not used in open hearths and fireplaces.
Blue mixture. It's easy to make yourself if you have a few common ingredients on hand. You need to mix:
- five parts of copper sulfate;
- seven parts of saltpeter;
- two parts of middle fraction coke.

Special chemicals are also used for cleaning chimneys for preventive purposes. Given the existing demand, the industry produces a variety of compounds designed specifically to combat soot. The form of release can be briquettes, similar logs, powders or solutions. Their action is based on the decomposition of smoke in the firebox into components that do not form soot.

The convenience is that the methods of using them are described in detail in the instructions for use, and they are divided into portions. You can burn these products along with the packaging, which is also very convenient. The following products are popular:

There are quite a lot of anti-carbon products on the market, so you can choose for yourself by testing the best option.

Photo gallery: chemicals for chimney cleaning

The “Jolly Chimney Sweep” tablets will help you get rid of soot in the chimney no worse than a professional chimney sweeper. The blue mixture must be prepared independently from three not very common components. This product is recommended for use only in closed cells combustion of naphthalene leaves behind an unpleasant odor that will dissipate within a few days

Video: cleaning the chimney using special chemicals

Mechanical cleaning methods

Mechanical methods are radical and are recommended for use at least twice a year. They are done from the top of the chimney using various brushes or attachments for power tools, and the final cleaning is done from below from the hearth, fireplace or stove firebox.

Chimney sweeps use special brushes on a long rope

As preparatory measures before cleaning a thick (from two millimeters) layer of soot, combustion is carried out potato peelings or other listed funds.

In this case, you may need following materials and tools:

To clean the pipe from above, you need to use a roof ladder that is well secured to the roof . In any conditions, you need a reliable safety rope.

Work at height can only be carried out in dry, windless weather. Before climbing to the roof, you should not take drugs that reduce the reaction, and especially alcoholic drinks.

Before starting work, the oven must be cooled. Clear the combustion space completely of unburned fuel residues and ash. Close the firebox door, vent, and hob lids tightly and cover them with a wet cloth to prevent soot from entering the room. The gate must be opened completely to avoid re-clogging the channel with fallen soot.

The chimney pipe must be freed from the head, after which:

Video: cleaning the chimney from the room side

DIY ruff

If for some reason you don’t have a brush at hand, you can make one “on the go” from plastic bottle. To do this, you need to cut several tiers of strips up to 12–15 millimeters wide on the body so that they bend vertically. To make the device heavier, you can add sand to the bottom.

A good chimney brush can be made from a plastic bottle

Cleaning Stainless Steel Pipe

A feature of the product is high quality the inner surface of the chimney. This prevents a significant amount of soot from settling on the walls. Naturally, this is true for a properly manufactured chimney, subject to the rules for firing the stove. If persistent carbon deposits have formed, it must be cleaned urgently. To do this, use the following methods:

In order not to carry out additional “experiments”, you need to heat the stove only with suitable fuel - well-dried firewood hardwood. At the end of each firebox you need to add one aspen log for prevention.

Video: cleaning a stainless steel pipe

Cleaning soot from stainless steel sandwich pipes

Cleaning the inner sandwich pipe when it is correct operation will be needed very rarely. However, if such a need arises, you can use an elongated brush made of fine bristles. The flexible composite hose is rotated by an electric drill, and cleaning is done through a tee from below. The thin bristles of the brush do not damage the surface of the pipe, effectively cleaning the surface.

This chimney is easy to dismantle and clean each pipe individually.

Special cases of chimney cleaning

Some chimney cleaning situations require separate consideration.

How to clean a chimney pipe in a private house

The entire process of cleaning a chimney has already been briefly described above. To what has been said, you only need to add that if the smoke channel is severely clogged, the first operation is to punch through the soot with a core without additional accessories. Only after this are brushes of different sizes and designs used sequentially.

When performing work, care should be taken to create safe conditions for work.

When working at height, be sure to wear a safety rope

Video: how to clean a chimney in a private house

Cleaning the chimney in the bathhouse

The chimney in a bathhouse is usually simpler. And most often it is made from stainless steel pipes, which requires special attention to its cleaning. In order not to negate its main advantage - the high quality of the internal surface - cleaning should only be done with soft plastic or made from natural materials brushes. It is easiest to manage with straight pipelines, and if there are elbows - let us remind you that there should be no more than two of them - you may have to dismantle the chimney if special windows for cleaning were not provided in it during installation.

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

Cleaning the chimney pipe from resins

When considering the composition of flue gases, you need to pay attention to two main components - water vapor from fuel and vapors from creosote, which is difficult to ignite. 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 surfaces various types.

The only one effective way The fight against tar deposits is to prevent its formation. For this, various products are used that are produced specifically for this case.

HANSA effectively protects chimney walls from tar formation

For example, the known composition 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 furnace. The remaining 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 operation of the heating unit is daily, then you can switch to using it once a week.

Cleaning a curved chimney

Bends in the smoke duct are always a necessary measure caused by the design features of the building. However, periodic cleaning is necessary. For this purpose, the pipeline design includes elements that can be used to perform this operation 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 elbow, then the chimney will have to be disassembled

How to clean the chimney of a gas water heater

The reason for cleaning the chimney of a gas water heater is its banal clogging with deterioration of 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 deteriorating traction is the “popping” of the column igniter.

The process of cleaning the exhaust pipe from a gas unit is practically no different from such an operation with conventional chimneys. The same brush is used. IN Lately Vacuum cleaners are often used special design, reliably cleaning the pipe surface and collecting contamination products. In difficult cases, when deposits cannot be removed with a brush or vacuum cleaner, special chemicals are used to soften and remove them. Considering that the use of preventive agents on the dispenser pipe is impossible, immediate measures should be taken if signs of clogging are detected.

It must be recognized that the success of using solid fuel furnace equipment depends to the greatest extent on the correct operation of the units and 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 with beneficial warmth in your home for a long time. I wish you success!

Periodic cleaning of stoves and chimneys from soot extends the service life of stove equipment and ensures safe operation. The fact is that a dirty chimney narrows the opening and does not allow smoke to escape freely and at the required speed. Excess soot can ignite from random sparks and cause a fire. Experts recommend inspecting chimneys twice a year, and if problems are detected, immediately cleaning the smoke ducts.

Modern methods of cleaning a stove chimney

To clean the chimney from soot, it is not necessary to call a chimney sweep - every homeowner can cope with the task. Modern methods allow you to do this dirty work quickly and effortlessly.

Chemical cleaning - a new approach to pipe cleanliness

Cleaning a stove with chemicals is in no way associated with the profession of a chimney sweep diving into a chimney. To get rid of dangerous deposits on the walls, just add to the fuel during combustion special remedy. Chemical reaction leads to the formation of substances that promote the decomposition and burning of soot.

Operating principle of dry cleaning

Cleansing preparations are sold in the form of powders, liquids or briquettes. They are recommended to be used regularly; they prevent the “overgrowing” of complex smoke circulation channels, which are not so easy to reach with mechanical devices. Before use, be sure to read the instructions and strictly follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
The most popular products among owners of stoves and fireplaces are the Russian-made “Chimney Sweeper” series and the Czech product “Kominicek”. You can also find on sale powdered product PHC (anti-carbon chemical composition), which gradually softens the soot and promotes its combustion and shedding into the firebox.

Chemicals are effective with a soot layer of no more than 2 mm

You can independently prepare an anti-carbon chemical composition from five parts of copper sulfate, seven portions of saltpeter and two parts of coconut charcoal. 200 grams of the aggressive composition are distributed over hot, but already burnt out coals. As a result, a caustic gas is formed that corrodes the soot.

Mechanical cleansing is an effective method and guaranteed results

Mechanical cleaning of the chimney duct is required in cases where the inspection reveals severe blockage or foreign objects are found in the pipe. It is not recommended to carry out general cleaning if the soot layer is less than 2 mm - this can lead to damage to the walls.
Relatively dangerous work must be done in good weather without precipitation, be sure to secure yourself with a strong rope. The firebox and ash pan are pre-cleaned of soot, coals and firewood. The damper at the entrance to the chimney is removed, and all stove valves and doors are tightly closed to prevent dirt from entering the premises.
First of all, the channels are carefully inspected for the presence of foreign objects - often debris flies into the pipe during strong wind. In autumn you can find a bird's nest inside. Any excess should be removed or pushed down using a pole, and then removed from the oven. In some cases, blockages cannot be pushed through - when such difficulties arise, a heavy weapon is used - a special cannonball suspended on a strong rope.

The diameter of the brush should be slightly larger than the dimensions of the pipe

For cleaning round pipe take a brush with a diameter slightly larger than the chimney and clean the channel with intense movements from top to bottom. If a dense layer of soot is present, it must first be removed with a non-sharp scraper. Channels with square and rectangular cross-section clean with brushes.

Brush with a weight for cleaning pipes

After completing the work on the roof, they move into the house and clean the soot from the stove, starting from the top cleaning hole and moving to the ash pit and firebox. You can finish cleaning with a vacuum cleaner, using all available access holes. Professionals choose for this special equipment, but an ordinary home assistant can handle small leftovers.
At the end of mechanical cleaning, carefully inspect the chimney for damage and cover the cracks with clay mortar.

Prevention of pollution and traditional methods of cleaning

A properly constructed chimney duct will not become covered with soot if you use only high-quality fuel and do not burn garbage and household waste in the stove. The most soot produced during combustion is from coniferous wood and damp logs.
Traditional methods of cleaning furnace equipment do not contain chemicals, but they are effective and safe:

Burn a bucket of potato peelings or cut and dried potatoes in the firebox. The starch contained in the tubers will soften the plaque and facilitate subsequent mechanical cleaning.
For prevention, it is recommended to periodically add salt to the firebox - this will not only help keep the chimney clean, but will also give the flame a beautiful hue.
Dry aspen logs are a natural soot destroyer and the best cleaner for chimneys. The secret is that aspen produces special gases, a strong flame and a powerful stream of smoke that pushes deposits to the surface. For prevention, aspen firewood can be added to the firebox along with other logs.

High-quality fuel is the key to a clean chimney

The first signal indicating that the chimney is clogged is a change in the smoke - it becomes denser and darker. When the channel is clogged, the flame takes on a dark orange hue. It is important to pay attention to warning signs in time and start cleaning. If it is not possible to carry out this difficult work yourself, it is better to immediately contact a professional chimney sweep.

Video: folk method of cleaning a chimney

How and with what to clean the chimney from soot

Over time, the chimney becomes clogged with soot, and its ability to remove combustion products decreases.

Why does the chimney become dirty?

Burning wet wood. Fuel with a moisture content above 24% contains an increased amount of intracellular moisture, which actively evaporates as it burns. These vapors rise along with the stove gases into the chimney. In a cold or insufficiently heated channel, they mix with cooled air, as a result of which condensation settles on its walls. And this is not just water, because the vapor contains oxidation products, so the sediment is acids. They do not just flow down the walls of the pipe, a significant part of them lingers on the walls, depositing solid combustion products from the smoke, and carbon deposits form on the walls, reducing the cross-section of the smoke channel.
When raw wood burns, it releases excess moisture, which ultimately settles on the walls of the chimney and becomes a source of soot.
Use of prohibited fuel. Of course, there are no direct contraindications, but wood processing waste, consisting of wood with fillers in the form of binders, cannot be used to fire the stove. Such materials include waste plywood, chipboard and fiberboard. Such fuel releases a large amount of tar in the smoke, which intensively settles on the walls of the chimney. Resinous wood - pine or spruce - also has a similar effect.
Cold chimney. Moisture condensation on the walls occurs at a certain temperature in the channel. This state of gases is called the “dew point”. If such conditions are created inside the smoke channel, condensation settles on its walls in active mode, causing soot accumulation. To get rid of this phenomenon, you need to reliably insulate the pipe, reducing its heat transfer into the surrounding space. After this, the chimney will warm up, and the dew point will rise higher, leaving the space inside the pipe.
Presence of horizontal pipe sections. Largest quantity soot forms on the bends of the chimney, so it is better not to use this installation method unless absolutely necessary. If another solution is not possible, cleanouts must be installed on the rotary elbows, which can be opened and free the elbow from soot deposits.
If you need to make a horizontal section on the chimney, the transition to it must be done using an outlet with a special hole for cleaning (revision)
Rough walls of the smoke channel. When constructing a chimney, it is necessary to mop the channel to improve the quality of its surface. Soot is deposited primarily on the uneven surfaces of the chimney.
Fire the stove with household waste. Such fuel is even more destructive to the chimney than the use of plywood and other scraps. It always contains remnants of plastic or polyethylene packaging, which release a lot of chemicals when burned. In this case, the chimney is guaranteed to become overgrown with soot faster than the heating season ends.

Signs of a clogged chimney

When the flue gas exhaust channel becomes clogged, it will be immediately visible. The main signs of a clogged channel will be the following:

What to do if the chimney is clogged

Before the start of the heating season, you must inspect the inside of the chimney for blockages. In the warm season, birds with a nest may settle in it, or debris may appear, blown into the pipe by the wind. To avoid this, the chimney must be equipped at the installation stage with a cap with a mesh that prevents such situations.

In such a case, the house should always have a backup heating unit in the form of a heater or an electric heater built into the heating system.

Having provided yourself with warmth with its help during the cold season, you can carefully consider the situation and think through options for getting out of it.

The presence of draft in the firebox must be checked every time the stove is ignited - the flame must deviate towards the chimney

How to clean a chimney

In practice, three main cleaning methods are used, two of which are preventive:

Chemical and biological methods. They are used as a preventive measure using compounds that soften soot and lead to its partial removal from the smoke duct.
Mechanical. It is carried out by direct impact on the soot layer with various tools in order to remove it.

If you use such products correctly and in a timely manner, you can avoid involving a third-party specialist in cleaning the chimney.

Biological methods for cleaning chimneys

All biological methods are based on adding some substances to a burning firebox. Among the common products you can consider the following:

potato peelings. This is an old folk remedy for preventing the formation of soot deposits, the simplest and always available. The peels need to be prepared in advance, accumulating at least half a bucket. It needs to be dried and added to the firebox at the end of the fire. When burning, potatoes release starch, which softens the soot layer well. It happens that it simply falls down in layers or pieces, part of it is carried away along with the furnace gases. This operation is also recommended to be performed before performing mechanical cleaning;
rock salt. The method is used when igniting the stove. The compound formed when the salt is heated softens the soot layer well. A tablespoon of salt should be poured on top of the fuel;
aspen firewood. Firewood made from this type of wood has a high calorific value, so it is placed at the end of the firebox. Hot furnace gases simply burn soot directly on the walls of the chimney. The danger of this method is that large layers of soot during combustion at high temperatures can destroy the chimney and cause a serious fire. Therefore, this method should be used regularly, laying aspen firewood in small portions. For the same purpose, you can use birch firewood cleared of bark;
walnut shells. The use of this product is also associated with a high combustion temperature. Therefore, they can serve as an alternative to aspen firewood. But the shells can be used in quantities of no more than two liters at a time. Otherwise, the chimney may overheat with predictable consequences.

Photo gallery: folk remedies for cleaning the chimney

Chemicals for removing soot deposits

There are several such products, and they can be divided into two groups: household products and special chemicals. The first group includes:

Naphthalene. This is an effective and completely reliable tool. Under its influence, the soot is stratified and carried into the firebox. It is placed in the oven on burning wood. A significant disadvantage is the pungent unpleasant odor remaining in the room. Therefore, it is not used in open hearths and fireplaces.
Blue mixture. It's easy to make yourself if you have a few common ingredients on hand. You need to mix:
- five parts of copper sulfate;
- seven parts of saltpeter;
- two parts of middle fraction coke.

There are quite a lot of anti-carbon products on the market, so by testing you can choose the best option for yourself.

Photo gallery: chemicals for chimney cleaning

“The Cheerful Chimney Sweep” tablets will help you get rid of soot in the chimney no worse than a professional chimney sweeper The blue mixture must be prepared independently from three not very common components This product is recommended for use only in closed combustion chambers Naphthalene leaves behind an unpleasant odor that will disappear within a few days

Video: cleaning the chimney using special chemicals

Mechanical cleaning methods

Chimney sweeps use special brushes on a long rope

As preparatory measures, before cleaning a thick (from two millimeters) layer of soot, potato peelings or other listed products are burned.

The following materials and tools may be needed:

To clean the pipe from above, you need to use a roof ladder that is well secured to the roof . In any conditions, you need a reliable safety rope.

Work at height can only be carried out in dry, windless weather. Before climbing to the roof, you should not take drugs that reduce the reaction, and especially alcoholic drinks.

The chimney pipe must be freed from the head, after which:

Video: cleaning the chimney from the room side

DIY ruff

If for some reason you don’t have a brush on hand, you can make one “on the go” from a plastic bottle. To do this, you need to cut several tiers of strips up to 12–15 millimeters wide on the body so that they bend vertically. To make the device heavier, you can add sand to the bottom.

A good chimney brush can be made from a plastic bottle

Cleaning Stainless Steel Pipe

A special feature of the product is the high quality of the internal surface of the chimney. This prevents a significant amount of soot from settling on the walls. Naturally, this is true for a properly manufactured chimney, subject to the rules for firing the stove. If persistent carbon deposits have formed, it must be cleaned urgently. To do this, use the following methods:

In order not to carry out additional “experiments”, you need to heat the stove only with suitable fuel - well-dried hardwood firewood. At the end of each firebox you need to add one aspen log for prevention.

Video: cleaning a stainless steel pipe

Cleaning soot from stainless steel sandwich pipes

Cleaning the internal sandwich pipe when used correctly will rarely be necessary. However, if such a need arises, you can use an elongated brush made of fine bristles. The flexible composite hose is rotated by an electric drill, and cleaning is done through a tee from below. The thin bristles of the brush do not damage the surface of the pipe, effectively cleaning the surface.

This chimney is easy to dismantle and clean each pipe individually.

Special cases of chimney cleaning

Some chimney cleaning situations require separate consideration.

How to clean a chimney pipe in a private house

The entire process of cleaning a chimney has already been briefly described above. To what has been said, you only need to add that if the smoke channel is severely clogged, the first operation is to break through the carbon deposits with a core without additional devices. Only after this are brushes of different sizes and designs used sequentially.

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

When working at height, be sure to wear a safety rope

Video: how to clean a chimney in a private house

Cleaning the chimney in the bathhouse

The chimney in a bathhouse is usually simpler. And most often it is made from stainless steel pipes, which requires special attention to its cleaning. In order not to negate its main advantage - the high quality of the internal surface - cleaning should be done only with soft plastic or brushes made from natural materials. It is easiest to manage with straight pipelines, and if there are elbows - let us remind you that there should be no more than two of them - you may have to dismantle the chimney if special windows for cleaning were not provided in it during installation.

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

Cleaning the chimney pipe from resins

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

HANSA effectively protects chimney walls from tar formation

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

Cleaning a curved chimney

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

How to clean the chimney of a gas water heater

The process of cleaning the exhaust pipe from a gas unit is practically no different from such an operation with conventional chimneys. The same brush is used. Recently, specially designed vacuum cleaners have often been used to reliably clean the surface of the pipe and collect contaminants. In difficult cases, when deposits cannot be removed with a brush or vacuum cleaner, special chemicals are used to soften and remove them. Considering that the use of preventive agents on the dispenser pipe is impossible, immediate measures should be taken if signs of clogging are detected.