Firing a sauna stove with wood or coal provides a lot of heat, but side effect fuel combustion will always produce soot and soot. They quickly form sediment on the inner surface of the chimney pipe, reducing its clearance. Leaving it in this form is not only impractical, but also dangerous.

In addition to poor draft in the pipe, a large number of ash is fraught with ignition and fire. To avoid dangerous situation, it is necessary to regularly inspect the chimney pipe, and, as soot accumulates, clean it using available methods.

A clogged pipe can happen for a variety of reasons. The accumulation of soot described above on the inner surface of the chimney pipe is inevitable process, because fuel combustion products in the form of particles themselves settle on a metal or brick surface.

The process of plaque formation is accelerated by condensation from water vapor, which is formed from moisture in the wood fibers.

When using firewood from coniferous species trees that produce acidic sediment, the formation of plaque on the pipe occurs even faster.

Other reasons for a clogged chimney are a mechanical obstacle that blocks the lumen of the pipe. It could be a nest or a bird that accidentally got into the chimney, a tree branch, a piece of debris roofing material and other items.

It is important! Mechanical clogging is a dangerous phenomenon: it not only reduces, but completely eliminates draft, and using the firebox becomes dangerous. Exhaust gases and combustion products will flow back into the room and poison the air.

Methods for cleaning a chimney

There are various ways to clean a pipe. Which one is suitable depends on the features stove heating in the bathhouse, the material and length of the chimney.

Mechanical

The easiest way to clean a chimney is to remove blockages and soot deposits mechanically, i.e. acting on the principle of a brush.

It is first necessary to assess the degree of blockage and narrowing of the chimney lumen. You can use a flashlight flexible cable with a video camera.

If there is a physical obstacle in the pipe - a socket, the rest of slate - it is necessary to push it through using a long stick or pole

When firing a sauna stove, solid and gaseous combustion products are formed. Gaseous substances escape into the atmosphere with hot smoke, and solids precipitate on the internal walls of flues in the form of soot and soot.

What is dangerous about the accumulation of soot in a pipe and how to clean a bath pipe from it we will discuss in this article.

Below you will find a description of the design for cleaning the pipe, as well as a video on how to properly clean a bath pipe with your own hands.

Where does the soot in the pipe come from?

Soot or soot is formed during combustion solid fuel(firewood, coal, briquettes) when not sufficient quantity oxygen entering the furnace with air.

The bulk of soot is almost pure carbon in the form of black powder with bulk density 0.05-0.5 g/cm3 Carbon makes up 98% of the black deposits on the walls. The remaining 2% comes from sulfur compounds, resinous substances and dust particles.

These substances are in the form of black deposits and accumulate on the internal surfaces of the sauna stove, as well as all areas of the chimney.

Why is soot in a pipe dangerous?

It would seem - just think, black soot settles on the inner surfaces of the pipe. So what? No one climbs in the pipe there and this soot does not bother anyone.

But this is not true at all. More precisely, not at all like that. Soot deposits can pose quite a serious threat. And that's why.

Firstly, soot burns well. That is, the inner surface of the pipe is eventually lined with flammable material, ready to ignite at any minute. An uncleaned pipe often causes a fire in a bathhouse. When ignited, soot releases a large amount of heat, and its burning particles flying out of the chimney can become a source of fire for outbuildings or a house.

Secondly, the overgrowing of the pipe with soot leads to a gradual narrowing of its bore diameter.

Pipe overgrowth reduces draft, reducing flow fresh air into the furnace firebox, which leads to incomplete combustion of fuel and the formation of carbon monoxide, which is deadly to humans. Poor traction is one of the common causes of death in the bathhouse.

Carbon monoxide has a density similar to that of air, so it does not rise up or fall down. It is colorless and odorless and cannot be detected in the air until poisoning occurs. Penetrating into the lungs, carbon monoxide affects the nerve endings, causing respiratory paralysis and rapid death.

Carbon monoxide reacts poorly with activated carbon and therefore even a gas mask is practically useless against it.

Thirdly, soot adhered to the walls leads to gradual destruction of the pipe as a result of exposure to a mixture of soot and condensate containing substances that are aggressive to the pipe material. Quite soon the pipe may fail, which will require quite labor-intensive repairs.

How to reduce the amount of soot during combustion?

The amount of released combustion products that can be deposited in solid form on the pipe walls is primarily influenced by the following factors:

1. The type of fuel used to heat the stove. For example, coal will produce more soot than wood.
2. Fuel moisture content. Wetter fuel requires more oxygen and higher temperatures to complete combustion. The higher the humidity, the greater the underburning. The more the stove smokes and the more soot falls on the walls. Try to burn with dried wood or briquettes to reduce the amount of black smoke. Store firewood under a shelter so that it is not covered with snow.
3. Fuel purity. The presence of foreign contaminants in the fuel can also cause the emission of black smoke during combustion. The cleaner the coal or firewood, the less the stove smokes. Try to burn the stove with wood with a low resin content.

In addition, soot loss in the pipe is affected by:

• smoothness of the internal walls - on rough walls, soot accumulates much faster and in a thicker layer;
• temperature of the pipe walls - if the pipe is made of thin sheet material goes through cold attic, this will lead to condensation of soot particles on its surface;
• incorrect geometry of the gas exhaust pipe - were not taken into account during the design local resistance and loss of traction at turns and in places where the diameter of the gas duct changes, which can lead to a decrease in the speed of movement of exhaust gases and the precipitation of solid particles from them;
• lack of air supplied to the combustion site, poor draft.

To prevent the accumulation of large amounts of soot, which can lead to the most unpleasant consequences, internal surfaces should be cleaned in a timely manner. bath pipe from soot!

How to clean a pipe in a bathhouse from a layer of soot, read below.

Cleaning a pipe using a homemade brush

In order to clean the pipe, you will need a brush, which with its protruding parts will scrape off all deposits and return the pipe clean inner surface.

Craftsmen make pipe cleaners from a variety of available materials. The main requirements for such a brush are that it should not get stuck in the pipe and should provide good cleaning internal surfaces.

You can make a brush to remove soot from plastic bottles. mineral water, making slits in their walls and folding them like a Chinese lantern.

Having made the structure heavier with a weight, the brush is lowered into the pipe from top to bottom on a strong metal cable and carefully moved back and forth to clean it.

Video how to make homemade brush for the bath pipe, you can see below:

As you can see, there are no special difficulties in the design of the brush and you can easily make one yourself and clean the chimney.

Plastic bottles are the perfect diameter, and the material from which they are made is strong enough to remove accumulated soot deposits.

Pipe cleaning with special rotor kits

If you do not want to construct a cleaning device yourself, you can use ready-made kits that can be found on sale.

As a rule, such sets consist of sections of a flexible shaft, which is built up as it moves deeper into the pipe, and a brush fixed to the front of the structure.

You can attach a special shank to the flexible shaft, which allows you to clamp it in the chuck of a conventional electric drill and, with its help, set the entire structure in motion - by rotating, the brush acts much more efficiently than just moving back and forth.

You can watch a video on how to clean a pipe using a special brush with a flexible shaft:

As you can see, cleaning a pipe from soot is not a whim, but a necessity to reduce the risk of fire and poisoning carbon monoxide when heating a bathhouse. Therefore, be sure to regularly clean the chimney to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Use the options suggested in the article for this, or you can come up with your own method. The main thing is that it is effective and does not require much labor. And it's easy for you!

Good and regular cleaning of the chimney is necessary even when your stove comes from expensive and modern modular systems. But even with very careful and careful operation, soot still settles on the walls of the pipes, and if you also heat it with not the best firewood, then its volume may surprise you. Soot collects even on the smoothest surface, and it needs to be cleaned off - unless, of course, you want your sauna to burn down. But the time when only a professional chimney sweep could clean a chimney is behind us. Today, in fact, there is no such profession - instead, in some schools they train only “cleaners”, although they cannot boast of special skills. True, occasionally you can find advertisements for the private services of a real chimney sweep. And this makes sense - a professional will not only thoroughly clean your chimney, but will also check the technical condition of the chimney itself. Therefore, if your chimney has bends, it was not made by you and you do not really understand all these subtleties - hire a specialist, it will be safer for your health and life. But if construction is a fairly close topic and the chimney is the work of non-visiting migrant workers, and its design is quite simple - feel free to pick up a brush!

Why does the chimney get clogged in the first place?

Let's take a closer look at this process - and much will immediately become clearer. Thus, when wood burns, smoke is produced and gas is released. White smoke comes from water vapor from wood, and black smoke comes from coal, soot and creosote from the same wood. It is from black smoke that a coating forms on the inner surface of the pipe, and the rougher it is, the more soot will settle on it.

The result: it is more difficult for smoke to pass through, thrust decreases, and fuel does not burn completely. In the best case, the chimney will deteriorate over time, in the worst case, the bathhouse itself will burn out.

How can you get rid of accumulated soot?

Sometimes, rather than hiring a non-professional, it’s much easier and safer to remove soot from your own bathhouse yourself - using brushes, modern chemicals for cleaning chimneys and even “old-fashioned” methods, and without necessarily climbing onto the roof!

Let's look at the most popular options for cleaning soot from a chimney and how to do it.

Using a special brush - a simple and proven method

Of all modern mechanical and chemical means, a brush is the simplest and safest. It is only important to choose one that is suitable for your chimney - both in diameter and in length, so that you do not worry about how to clean your chimney of soot along its entire height.

Particularly good is a nylon brush with stiff bristles, which is easy to clean a chimney of any material. Nylon pile is flexible and adapts well to any pipe shape, while simultaneously coping with the most stubborn plaque. But at the same time it does not scratch or damage its inner surface.

The hardest thing is to choose a good brush for chimney bends. This is where the soot settles, and it is not so easy to get it out. Nylon bristles are most suitable for this purpose - they will easily penetrate into the most hard to reach places, while hard brushes will simply scratch the folds. And more scratches - less smoothness - more soot clings.

It is also important what kind of handle the brush has - it must be flexible enough so that it can fit into the most invisible nooks and crannies and at the same time be easy to control your movements.

Potato peeling - the old-fashioned method

Here's how to clean a chimney in this way: throw a bucket or half a bucket of fresh potato peelings into a well-heated stove - that's how much will fit into it. During their burning, starch will be released, and it decomposes the soot. Within two to three days it will almost completely fall off the walls of the chimney and partially fall out. After this, tie a brush made of twigs to the brick and clean the chimney from above in the classic way– it will be easy!

Aspen wood - with fire from the chimney

Cleaning a chimney with aspen wood is as old as the hills. But this method cannot be called safe - let's figure it out.

Put it in the oven aspen firewood and fire it up well. They burn well and produce a very high temperature. At this time, all doors and valves of the stove should be open, and do not forget to add more firewood. The result is that the soot itself lights up and the stove begins to make a loud noise. If you go outside at this moment, you will see fire pouring from the chimney on the roof of your bathhouse! And the surrounding area will quickly become covered with large white flakes. But the chimney will be cleaned, and cleaned well. If only it can withstand this test - after all, not every chimney is designed for 1100 ° C, and it is at this mark that soot will burn in it.

Aluminum cans - unusual, but effective

The cans need to be burned once in ten fires - this is enough, and very little soot will be collected. The only condition: the fire must be made hot, with a large amount of hard coal - so that the cans actually burn, and do not lie on the wood and change color. Normally, one can should burn out in five minutes.

Hose - whatever is at hand

Some bathhouse attendants don’t bother themselves much with newfangled methods and clean the chimney with a regular watering hose. The whole procedure looks like this:

• Remove the glass from the bottom of the chimney.
• We insert a hose from below (preferably from above), preferably a hard one.
• A few cleaning movements - all the soot is already at the bottom.

You can additionally attach a chopped bottle or brush to the end of the same hose - and you will see how easy it is to clean the chimney effectively and cost-effectively!

Chemical cleaning is unpopular and unpleasant

Chemical cleaning of chimneys is more of a preventative measure than a real cleaning. The bottom line is that after this the soot will fall off in places, but you will still have to use an additional brush. Plus, the smell in the bathhouse can last for several days. Therefore, if potato peelings are not available to you, you can buy some “Komichek” or “Log-chimney sweeper”.

How to properly clean a chimney with a brush?

First of all, before cleaning the furniture in the bathhouse, be sure to cover it. plastic film, and cover the windows with thick fabric. Protect yourself from soot: wear gloves, safety glasses and preferably a respirator. Next is this: in most models of stoves and chimneys, manufacturers install special inspection doors to make cleaning easier and more convenient. Pay attention - do you have these?

So, here's how you can clean your chimney well:

• Step 1. We wait until the stove has completely cooled down and remove any remaining firewood or any other flammable materials from it.
• Step 2. Remove the damper at the entrance to the chimney.
• Step 3. Holding the brush firmly by the handle, insert it into the chimney hole.
• Step 4. Move the brush in a variety of directions, trying not to miss any hard-to-reach places.
• Step 5. Move the brush further up, and now clean the most high places pipes
• Step 6. Remove the accumulated soot.
• Step 7. Close the chimney and rinse the brush with regular warm water.

It is necessary to clean not only soot from the chimney, but also cobwebs, accidentally flying debris and sometimes even bird nests. Even if you cleaned the pipe well, and then didn’t use the sauna at all for a month or two of summer, still pick up the brush.

The fact is that during this time the birds could actually build a nest in the chimney, and the small inhabitants of the corners could weave new webs. And if you carelessly light the stove, it will all burn, and it burns with special smoke and unpleasant smell, and even caustic soot, which will instantly stick to the walls and will “delight” you with a suffocating aroma all winter. Do you need it?...

How to make a good brush with your own hands?

Here's how to make a great budget chimney brush:

• Step 1. We buy this on the market: a synthetic round broom, a steel cable along the length of the entire chimney, clamps, 2 ears and a pin with 8 mm thread and washers of different diameters.
• Step 2. Unbend the pile into different sides– it is hard and elastic, so make an effort. The result will be something like a bouquet. If it doesn’t work, put it in boiling water.
• Step 3. Take a hairpin and screw the ear - from one end, after which we put on the washer and insert it into the hole at the bottom of the brush, then the washer again. The diameter of them just fits the holes of the broom.
• Step 4. Press down on the base from above and carefully screw on the second fastener. The more you twist, the more the bristles of the brush will diverge to the sides.
• Step 5. Turn the brush over, see the eye of the fastening and tighten it to the desired size.
• Step 6. We fasten the cable to the brush using a bracket, measure the chimney opening and cut the fibers exactly to the size of the chimney pipe. If it turns out to be less, it won’t be cleaned. And for accuracy, first try on and cut out a template from cardboard.
• Step 7. We attach the load - this can be a regular weight from 2 kg.

That's all! You can put up a ladder and go clear the chimney of soot. Good luck!

Russian baths are associated with wet steam and a wood stove. And where the stove is heated, there is always a chimney. Caring for it includes periodic cleaning. If you don’t do this, then the heating of the bathhouse will get worse and worse every year. The thrust will simply decrease, and this will reduce efficiency. Sooner or later, everyone wonders how to clean a pipe in a bathhouse. We will tell you how to clean effectively, without extra costs.

How to clean a pipe in a bathhouse with a special brush.

Various types of bath chimney blockage

Not everyone thinks about what consequences, other than a violation of draft, can result from blockages in the chimney of a bathhouse. Meanwhile, a tenth of fires occur for this reason. Cleaning the oven is only a small part of the entire prevention. And the chimney gets clogged much more often than owners think.

There are several reasons for a blocked chimney in a bathhouse, the most common are:

1. Soot and soot.
2. Condensate.
3. Various foreign objects.

Each of them causes trouble and requires its own cleaning methods.

Soot and soot in the pipe

Soot and soot clog the pipe and the draft in the furnace decreases.

Soot and soot accumulate inside the structure in a thick layer; over a year it can reach 1–2 cm. Such overgrowth depends on what kind of fuel is used for kindling. So, if the stove is heated with wood, wood briquettes, or coal, then there will be minimal soot. But not only wood is burned in a sauna stove, but also household waste, which produces a large amount of soot. Coniferous firewood behaves the same way; when burned, the resin produces soot in large quantities.

There are special briquettes on sale with chemicals that destroy soot when burned. They are simply lit in the stove and after 1–2 days the dirt itself falls into the firebox. It won't be difficult to clean it out from there. But it is not recommended to use such products in baths, since chemicals enter the premises and can negatively affect the health of steamers.

To clean the bath pipe from soot, it is easier to use a special brush or brush. They are hung on a weight and lowered into the pipe. Craftsmen suggest using cut plastic bottles and other devices for cleaning. But you can use these if the pipe has a perfectly flat and smooth inner surface.

Condensate in the pipe

Condensation with soot can block the chimney almost completely.

The resin in firewood contains a certain acidity. For each type of wood, the resin content is different. With constant use of the bath, the condensate in the pipes has a small resinous sediment, but with rare use it can reach a thickness of 3 cm.

It can be difficult to remove such contaminants; due to the increased oiliness, the resinous condensate will simply be smeared on the inner surface during cleaning.

Such a blockage can only be cleared with a special “chimney sweeper log”.

It should be used once a month for prevention, especially if firewood with a high resin content (pine, spruce) is used. If birch is used for kindling, then once every 2–3 months.

Foreign objects in the pipe

Black smoke from the chimney is the first sign of a clogged chimney.

The entry of a foreign object into the chimney is immediately noticeable. The smoke stops being drawn out and goes back into the bathhouse. With such a firebox you can easily get carbon monoxide poisoning. A foreign object may be a brick from a pipe masonry, a bird's nest that has fallen by the wind from the branches of nearby trees.

Getting rid of such a blockage is the most difficult. You can try using a long pole or stick to push the object inside. A hook is made of a nail at the end of the stick, so you can try to hook the object if it is not a brick.

Telescopic brushes are available for sale; the handle extends along the entire length of the pipe. You can try to push the object to her. If none of the methods brings results, the pipe will have to be dismantled.

Traditional methods of cleaning pipes

Problems with cleaning pipes arose not only in modern baths. Our grandfathers also fought blockages in their own ways. Some of them have shown themselves to be good and are still used today. Moreover, it is better to clean pipes in a bathhouse without chemicals. Choosing a method for yourself must be based on the following factors:

1. Metal or brick structure. Clear idle metal sandwich the pipe is simpler, since its inside is smooth and even. Brick is more difficult to clean.
2. Design, with bends or straight (straight is easy to clean with a brush, a chimney with bends is more difficult).
3. How complicated is the blockage?
4. Pipe diameter.

How to determine when it's time for cleaning

A weight with a brush will clear any blockage well. mechanically.

There are several ways to determine whether it is time to clean the pipe. The most common one is to use a kettlebell. It is selected according to the diameter of the pipe. On the rope, lowering the weight into the pipe, watch how it passes: freely or not. If the weight gets stuck, then it’s time to clean it long ago. In this way, by throwing and lifting the weight, you can clean the pipe from large contaminants.

The second popular way to observe the smoke during kindling. If it is colorless or whitish, then the chimney is clean. The appearance of clouds of soot and black smoke should alert the owner and become a reason to begin cleaning activities.

Of course, with the exception of damp and pine firewood, since when the resin burns, the smoke also has a dark color.

To light a bathhouse, it is generally better to use dry logs that have lain under a canopy for at least 1-2 months. Linden and birch firewood is preferable, since there is practically no soot from them.

Cleaning with water

You can try to clean the chimney with plain water; this method is ineffective for severe blockages.

If the structure is iron, with a small diameter, then in winter you can shove a lump of snow with a diameter of 9–10 cm into it. It will melt and wash out the pipe, and gradually sliding down, scrape off the digging with sharp pieces of ice. But after this, the stove must be heated, so the pipe will dry out and not freeze from the inside. And on metal, without drying, rust can form inside, this will shorten its service life.

In the same way, 1-2 liters are poured into the pipe before kindling. warm water. This is done gradually along the walls. With such cleaning, black smoke clouds of soot will appear from the chimney during combustion.

Factory expensive furnace models have a special overlap system. You should not throw snow into such a structure, but it will be easier to spill water. A container is placed inside the furnace firebox where the dirt and soot will drain and fall off, only then water is spilled.

Cleaning with aspen wood

Cleaning a chimney with aspen is the oldest and most proven method.

Our grandfathers noticed that when aspen wood burns, pieces of soot and soot that fall off the chimney appear in the stove. This phenomenon was later explained by the composition of aspen smoke, which can break down deposits on pipes. After such cleaning, a layer of dirt will fall off inside the stove in small pieces within 1–2 days.

Perform cleaning as follows:

The stove is heated as for a regular wash and at the very end, aspen firewood is thrown in 1-2 times. They won't produce much heat, but they will clean the pipe. Later, the procedure can be repeated as prophylaxis 1-2 times a month.

Before cleaning, secure the top special device- spark arrester. You can make it from old tin can: the walls are cut out and rolled into a cone shape. The cone is attached to the pipe at a distance of 5–7 cm from above. Sparks during combustion will fall inside the device and the possibility of fire is reduced.

Sellers often offer the chemical Kominichek or Stumpfyre as cleaners. But it is unacceptable to use the compositions in the bath!

Whether or not to clean the bathhouse pipe is not a question. It is necessary to clean systematically. Once a month, do preventive maintenance using a chimney sweep or aspen firewood. This is the only way the bathhouse will serve its owner for a long time, and the chimney will not burn out ahead of schedule. In addition to all of the above, it will be difficult to get burned in a properly functioning bathhouse. And the video suggested in this article will help you choose a convenient cleaning method.

Three ways to clean a bath pipe

Today it is not easy to find a professional chimney sweep. There are practically none. It's a pity. After all, many are faced with the problem of how to clean a pipe in a bathhouse, which is found in almost every summer cottage.

Why is this necessary?

Some people believe that there is no need to clean chimneys at all. And in vain. Even a careful owner cannot keep a well-built stove for years perfect cleanliness. Especially if we're talking about about the bathhouse, into the firebox of which in our country it is customary to throw everything that comes to hand. And the deposition of even a small amount of soot on the walls of the chimney narrows its clearance, which as a result causes deterioration in draft, and, consequently, insufficient heating of the pipe walls, and increased smoke in the room during kindling. The overall efficiency of the furnace also decreases.

But, of course, the most unpleasant surprise is the spontaneous combustion of the chimney and wooden floors, which, in turn, can pose a threat not only to property, but also to your health or even life.

There are three types of stove blockages:

• Condensate
• A certain amount of accumulated soot
• Any foreign object caught in the pipe

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Condensation and soot

Condensation is a weak acidic solution that appears as a result of irregular use of the firebox. Because of it, the masonry of the walls gradually collapses over time, and resinous deposits form on the outer surfaces of the stove.

To prevent such a process, you need to use a special cleaning agent several times a month - “log-chimney sweeper”, which is sold in almost all hardware stores. When burned, it produces carbon-based smoke, and it actually corrodes the condensate, as well as tar deposits.

If the sauna pipes are full of accumulated soot, then this will be somewhat more difficult. In this case, they resort to the classic method of cleaning the chimney: having climbed onto the roof, you need to lower a rope with a brush and a weight attached to it into the chimney and carefully, with smooth movements up and down, clean off the dirt. Moreover, the brush should be slightly larger than the hole in the pipe so that it can easily penetrate there and at the same time remove soot. Majority modern pipes have one significant advantage - special side windows through which this can be done much faster.

There is also a preventive way to combat soot formation. Currently, special compounds are produced (for example, an anti-carbon chemical composition or simply PCP), which are used to treat the inner surface of chimneys or burn them along with firewood. During the combustion process, a non-toxic gas is released, which causes plaque to crumble from the walls, and most importantly, prevents its further formation. There are also known folk remedies for getting rid of soot on the walls of a chimney - burning aspen logs or potato peelings.

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Foreign object

The most difficult contamination is the presence of a foreign body in the chimney, for example, a fallen brick or a fallen bird's nest. Occupying a fairly large space, such an item prevents smoke from escaping. You can get rid of it using the same weight on a rope or usually a pole, which is not difficult to push the debris from above. But if the thing has been in the depths of the chimney for a long time, then this method is unlikely to help.

The most effective tool will be a brush that has an adjustable handle with the ability to lengthen as it penetrates deep into the pipe by adding new sections. But if this does not help, in the case, for example, when the socket is located on the side, then you will have to disassemble the pipe and remove the “interference” with your hands.

Is it often necessary to clean sauna stove pipes? From garbage - once a year, that's the minimum. But as for the build-up of soot, it all depends on its quantity and frequency of use of the steam room. By the way, the layer of soot depends on the fuel used.

Advice from the master!

If you burn charcoal, dry wood or fuel briquettes, then there will be practically no soot.

But we often throw everything into the firebox in the bathhouse - household waste, garbage, and even plastic and polyethylene. In this case, the chimney becomes clogged very quickly. Thus, by thinking about what you throw into the stove, and trying not to clog it with unnecessary junk, you will make your job of cleaning the pipes easier, and you will do it much less often.

How and with what to clean the chimney

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 heating season and after it. 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:

Traditional cleaning - mechanical

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.

A small weight is tied to the end of the cable, thrown into the pipe, and pulled 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 cleaned your chimney in a while and you start using one of the chemicals, there is a chance that you will completely “plug” the draft. 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. An example of such a log for cleaning a chimney German manufacturer in 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.

Its one very unpleasant and dangerous feature is that 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, in addition to extremely 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 cleaning is simple: take dry aspen firewood and heat 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.

How and with what to clean the chimney yourself

They know when and how to clean a chimney experienced specialists. This process must be carried out regularly. The soot that accumulates in the pipe narrows the channel, reducing draft. As a result, the wear of the chimney walls accelerates and the efficiency of the system decreases. Cleaning the pipe will avoid such troubles.

Basic techniques

Experts identify two main ways to clean a chimney pipe:

This procedure is required

• mechanical;
• chemical.

You can clean the chimney with a brush, performing translational and rotational movements. This method has several advantages:

• high efficiency in the presence of solid deposits and blockages;
• low cost;
• the ability to clean soot from bricks with your own hands.

However, this method is considered dangerous, since the work is performed on the roof of a house or bathhouse.

The ruff represents steel rope with a handle and nozzle made of plastic or wire. Before you figure out how to clean a chimney with a brush, you need to consider that this product comes in different lengths. The brush is inserted forward into the canal with the nozzle, while its handle rotates. The nozzle effectively solves the problem of how to clean brick.

This process is carried out taking into account certain requirements. First you need to open all the views and valves that block the draft in the fireplace or stove. A container for soot is installed under the chimney. During the procedure, it is recommended to cover the furniture with a cloth.

When figuring out how to clean a chimney, pay attention to the mandatory use of a safety belt. The head of the pipe is removed and the brush is inserted into the channel. If you need to clean a pipe in a bathhouse whose length is more than 3 m, this process It is recommended that two people do it: one person will guide the cable, and the second will rotate the handle.

In any case, you must follow safety rules. Often the cable does not pass through the lumen of the canal. In this case, you will need to find out where it is stuck: on a straight section or on a bend. In the first case, experts recommend tying a weight to a rope and sharply lowering it into the canal.

When soot stops pouring into the firebox, the work of cleaning the pipe stops. Knowing how to clean the brick of a chimney system will help with all operations. The final stage– checking traction. To do this you will need to light the newspaper.

Complex channels

Often, a Russian stove has a complex smoke exhaust system. It is impossible to clean it from the roof of a building using a brush, especially if it involves several turns at right angles. In this case, the channel is cleaned mechanically.

First, the heating unit is inspected. There should be doors on the walls that are installed to clean the chimney. Place a container for soot under the doors. The standard brush attachment is replaced with a plastic bottle, which is first cut into 2 parts and around the circumference in such a way as to obtain a chamomile. The ends of the wire, which perform the functions of a ruff, are collected into a bundle. First, a hole is made in the cork of the bottle and this bundle is passed through it. The cork is screwed onto the bottle. This design is softer than its metal counterpart, so it more effectively solves the problem of how to clean the brick of a complex channel.

This device is inserted into the chimney from the firebox side and pushed as deep as possible along the channel. When pushed, the improvised brush rotates. Periodically, soot is removed from the pipe. The system must be cleaned until the amount of soot becomes minimal. I clean the chimney in the same way from each door side.

The next step is to open the dampers and clean the pipe from the roof of the house. This work must not be performed before cleaning the chimney, otherwise the pipe will become clogged with soot. It is recommended to clean the chimney from the firebox side 2 times. Soot from views and valves is swept away with a brush. The doors are closed and the traction is checked. If it is good, the stove is lit with a small amount of wood. Often, the doors for cleaning the chimney duct smoke. This phenomenon can be eliminated by covering them with a solution of sand and clay.

Advice from the master!

In some cases, craftsmen install removable bricks in the kiln. Experts do not recommend removing and installing them without proper experience. Such heating units should only be cleaned by stove-makers.

Chemical method

Regular cleaning of the chimney involves the use of special tablets and liquids, the components of which are included in the products intended for cleaning sewers.

Special chemicals for cleaning

The principle of operation of such compositions is the breakdown of soot components. Its hard crust turns into a powdery mass that burns easily at the bottom heating unit. These chemicals are easy to use. They are placed on firewood when heating the stove. This procedure is carried out taking into account the recommendations indicated on the packaging of the liquid.

Experts identify several options for preventing blockages and soot deposits in the chimney pipe. The first method is to carry out insulation work with your own hands. In this case, the formation of condensate in the pipe during the combustion process is reduced. IN winter time year, due to the temperature difference between the external and internal surfaces of the channel, a solid sediment of resin and moisture is formed. You can reduce the formation of condensation by installing special pipes sandwich type. They are equipped with non-flammable insulation material.

Another technique involves the regular use of combustion catalysts, which are sold in the form of tablets or logs. When cleaning the chimney in this way, the amount of soot deposits on the walls of the system is reduced.

If the stove is heated with wood, experts advise sometimes adding dry aspen logs to it. When burning, aspen produces a high and strong flame. It can destroy the binding components of soot and burn them. At the same time, smoke is released, which, rising up the pipe, contributes to the release of soot from the chimney system. It is recommended to carry out such prevention in winter so that the soot falls on the snow.

Advice from the master!

Owners of private houses and bathhouses should know that they need to clean the chimney pipe every summer. In winter, preventive measures are taken to improve the operation of the heating unit.

When driving chimney In a bathhouse, due to a blockage, a number of unpleasant consequences can occur - poor draft, prolonged temperature rise and even fires.

Therefore, it is necessary to clean the pipe regularly, fortunately there are many effective ways.

Contents of the article

Why does the chimney become clogged?

There are several reasons why pipes in a bathhouse become clogged, this could be:

• soot and soot deposits;
• condensate formed on the inner walls of the pipes;
• foreign objects falling into the pipe.

When soot accumulates on the inner surface of the chimney pipes, clogging occurs, and the draft force in the sauna stove is significantly reduced.

The soot layer can “grow” by 1.5-2 cm over the course of a year. It all depends on the characteristics of the fuel used.

You will have to clean soot from pipes much more often if you use firewood from coniferous trees.

Condensation and soot deposits in most cases lead to almost complete blocking of the chimney.

Clogging occurs due to the heating of the bathhouse with wood with high acidity. Condensate forms resinous deposits on the pipe walls, the thickness of which in some cases reaches 2.5 cm.

The chimney can be cleaned using a special chimney sweeper when lighting the stove. In this case, it will be almost impossible to clean the chimney mechanically - the resinous condensate will simply be smeared on the inner walls of the pipes.

Cleaning the pipes if foreign objects get in is necessary immediately, as the smoke will stop coming out and will go back into the room.

This may be harmful to your health. Cleaning the chimney will be quite difficult, but possible.

To do this, you should use a long stick or pole, with which you can push a foreign object inside. The stick can be equipped with a hook, which will allow you to clear the blockage more effectively.

It is worth noting that thorough and regular cleaning of stove pipes from deposits (soot) in the bathhouse is necessary even when using expensive modular stoves.

Cleaning methods

Most effective methods, with a guide to which it will be possible to clean the pipes, the following are considered:

• mechanical;
• folk;
• chemical.

The easiest way to clean the smoke vent of a bathhouse from soot is with a regular nylon brush equipped with hard bristles.

The nylon fiber is well pressed to the inner surface and has a high degree of flexibility.

This product will help without unnecessary hassle the inner surface of the bath pipe with your own hands.

However, before cleaning the inside of the chimney, it is important to correct selection such a brush.

In this case, a nylon product will be most suitable - such a brush can easily penetrate the most inaccessible areas, and cleaning will not take much time.

It is important to remember that the brush handle has a high degree of flexibility to better management movements.

Traditional methods

You can also clean the chimney in a bathhouse using folk ways. For example, using potato peelings.

To do this, you need to throw a bucket or half a bucket with potato peelings.

Cleaning will be carried out due to the fact that during the combustion of the material starch will be released, which will effectively contribute to the destruction of soot deposits.

After 2-3 days, unnecessary sediment will completely disappear from the inner walls. For preventative purposes, you should tie a brick and a brush to a strong rope and additionally clean the pipe in the classical way.

Another way is to clean the chimney using aspen firewood. For this purpose, aspen wood is placed in the stove, and it is properly lit.

Such raw materials provide a fairly high pressure temperature. During the kindling process, it is important to open all existing doors and latches and throw in new logs from time to time.

As a result, the soot will begin to burn, and the stove will emit a characteristic hum. Perhaps fire will come from the chimney, and the entire area around the bathhouse will be covered with soot.

It should be remembered that such cleaning is carried out only if the pipe is not designed for a temperature of more than 1100°C, at which the soot burns out.

You can get rid of sediment without much effort and use a regular garden watering hose. To do this, a glass is removed from the bottom of the chimney, and a hose with maximum rigidity is inserted from above or below.

You can clean the inner surface using reciprocating movements, as a result of which all the sediment will end up at the bottom.

To enhance the effect, you can attach a chopped piece to one end of the hose. plastic bottle or a brush - this will help you get rid of plaque easily and without any special material costs.

Application of chemical cleaning method (video)

Chemical method

This method involves the use of various chemically active substances. They are produced in the form of special powders, briquettes or liquids.

This method is especially good for preventive removal of deposits and is characterized by high convenience and low labor intensity.

When implementing this method, during the combustion process, wood is added to the firebox required amount chemically active substances.

When burned, they will initiate the release of gases that are not capable of harming humans. Gases can effectively destroy the internal structure of deposits, which will fall down.

Most Popular chemical substances to eliminate soot deposits in the chimney - this is an anti-carbon chemical composition (PCC), a chimney sweeper log and a product called Kominichek.

PCP is sold in the form of a powder, which must be burned in a package along with firewood or charcoal. Following the instructions, you need to ensure that the powder consumption does not exceed 150-200 grams per kindling.

Kominchek is a product that is produced in the Czech Republic. It is packaged in bags containing only 15 grams of active substance.

When conducting preventative work One package of this chemical can last for more than 3 months.

Kominchek is most effective if the thickness of the soot deposit does not exceed 2 mm. During the resulting catalytic reaction, all deposits become oxides and burn without residue.

A log chimney sweep is considered the most popular means for removing soot from chimneys made in the form of brickwork.

The product is presented in the form of briquettes or bars, which release active compounds during the combustion process.

As a result of their influence, the creosote sediment on the inner walls of the pipes dries out and falls into the firebox. Chimney sweep logs are also highly recommended for preventive purposes.

Making your own brush

In order to clean the chimney pipe in a bathhouse, it is not necessary to purchase a finished product; you can save money and make a special brush yourself. For this you will need:

• synthetic round broom;
• steel cable for the entire length of the chimney;
• stud and washers with 8 mm thread.

After acquiring all the components, the bristles of the plastic broom are unbent in different directions. Due to the fact that it has a certain elasticity and rigidity, physical effort will be required to bend it.

After which the fixing nut and washer are screwed on. It is important to know that the tighter the washer is tightened, the more the brush pile will diverge in different directions.

After this, a pre-prepared steel cable is attached to the ruff using a bracket. Then it will be necessary to measure the diameter of the chimney and cut the pile taking into account its size.

For achievement high precision You must first try on the trimmings of the ruff fibers and make a round template with the appropriate diameter from cardboard. At the end, any load is securely attached to the cable. Its weight must be at least 2 kg.

Operating procedure

Cleaning the chimney can be done on your own; for this you can use: special sets brushes with composite handles, and a brush made by yourself.

First of all, it is necessary to remove all loose parts from the stove and free the room in the bathhouse from foreign and interfering objects.

The brush is screwed to the cable along with the load. If the tool is factory-made, then the brush is attached to the first link of the composite handle.

The tool is carefully inserted into the part of the chimney that is located above the firebox. It is necessary to wrap a blanket or other prepared fabric around the handle and press it with weights to the edges of the firebox opening.

The brush is pushed along the chimney until there is a noticeable weakening of the resistance.

This means that the tool exits . It is not recommended to make rotational movements with the brush - this can lead to twisting of the cable and unwinding of the compound handle.

The product must be pushed until the blockage is removed, and you can feel how everything moves more freely in the pipe. After the work, you will need to remove ash and soot from the firebox.