In order for a fireplace or a wood stove to work properly and efficiently, the chimney must be kept constantly clean. Every person who owns private property must know about chimney cleaning means - even if there is a contract for servicing the chimney by a service organization. There are two ways to clean a clogged chimney - mechanical and chemical.
Chimney mechanical cleaning
To clean the chimney mechanically, it is necessary to have a metal ruff, a round heavy core and a scraper. Before going to the roof, you need to close all the cleaning holes in the house - otherwise, the soot will fly directly into the rooms. You also need to close the fireplace door or curtain it with a thick, damp cloth.
It is advisable to clean the chimney flue only in calm, dry weather and with insurance - otherwise you risk falling off the roof.
If the fireplace has not been used for a long time, you need to check it for bird nests or other debris, which, before cleaning, pull out or push it down with a long stick to eliminate clogging. Remember that it is necessary to clean the chimney when the thickness of the soot layer on its walls exceeds two millimeters. The diameter of the brush for cleaning should be 1.2 times larger than the diameter of the chimney pipe. For chimneys of rectangular or square section, it is desirable to choose a brush with a rigid metal bristle. After the pipe has been cleaned, soot should be removed from the cleaning holes with a dustpan, brush and vacuum cleaner, and then the blower and fireplace insert should be opened and cleaned.
