Comments on: Cleaning A Woodstove Chimney

By: Brendan mackey

Brendan mackey — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:39:55 +0000

I have a wood stove insert and I want to clean the soot off the stones surrounding the insert . Left from the pervious home owner before I put the insert in. Subbing it with oven cleaner has worked a bit but mainly has just spread the soot around. Do you have any suggestions for other cleaners or solvents that could work

By: David

David — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:02:11 +0000

Another tip is to clean while the chimney is still warm, as the creosote will come off easier. Obviously you’ll have to use your best judgement on the temperatures!

By: pro chimney sweep

pro chimney sweep — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 06:50:36 +0000

Joe is right a metal wire brush damages the flue, use a poly brush! You can use the wire brush on the connecter pipe if you want. Also that fan updraft idea is unique but there is a chance you can push soot, (with the pressure of the brush) into the house.

By: Joe D.

Joe D. — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:34:38 +0000

Thanks for this info. I see in the photo that you are using a steel-wire chimney brush. I’ve heard that these can cause scratches in the interior stainless liner of insulated chimney sections. These scratches could be starting points for corrosion that ultimately shortens the life of the chimney. I use a poly brush for my chimney. It’s just as stiff as the steel brush, but won’t scratch the liner.

By: joe

joe — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:20:05 +0000

Good Job, thanks for the post!