JustAnswer > Home Improvement
Ask A Question|Register|Login|Help
JustAnswer

Home Improvement

Ask a Home Improvement Question, Get an Answer ASAP!

Have your own Home Improvement question?

5 Home Improvement Experts are Online Now
characters left:
Not a Home Improvement Question?

Related Home-garden Topics:

  • Hot
  • ,
  • Run
  • ,
  • Tie
  • ,
  • Top
  • ,
  • Back
  • ,
  • Fire
  • ,
  • Heat
  • ,
  • Info
  • ,
  • Roof
  • ,
  • Wire
Bookmark and Share

Question

please let me know how i can remove soot that has become hard and is blocking the flue. i cannot remove it with brushes

Submitted: 357 days and 1 hours ago.
Category: Home Improvement
Value: $9
Status: CLOSED
+
Read More
Posted by Stephen Cutler 357 days and 1 hours ago.

Info Request

It is unlikely that this is soot, more likely creosote. What is this chimney used for? Does it have a clay liner?

Posted by Stephen Cutler 357 days ago.

Info Request

are the brushes you are using stiff bristle steel chimney sweep brushes?

357 days ago.

Reply

To stephen .

You are correct it is very hard cresote The chimney is lined with what is called a flue liner there is also a bend in the bottom of the chimney, which means it is very difficult to remove this cresote.As a result of this i have to clean the chimney very often to keep it from closing up with cresote.im now burning smokeless coal to prevent this problem from getting any worse.hope you can help me with your suggestions
pat mcgoldrick
ps the chimney is used for burning turf and coal to heat our house, i cannot use brushes
at this time only sharp objects to remove as much cresote as possible. i hope this info will be of help to you

Posted by Stephen Cutler 357 days ago.

Answer

Although the chimney has a "bend" in it, the bend should have the same total square inch volume as the straight runs. I assume you think you can not use brushes because of the straight rods they thread onto will not pass the bend. You can use rope & chain. Wiggling the chain with thread the chain aronund the bend. Use 10 ft of 3/8" chain, tie a stout rope to the chain. From the roof, send the chain on down. Once it reaches the bottom, wire the chimney brush to the chain and another rope to the brush at the end opposite the chain. Get a helper at the bottom (so he gets dirty, not you :), and from the roof start dragging the brush up. Have the helper pull it back down. Do this as a sawing action, up & down, up & down;scrubbing the liner. Continue until you have scrubbed the entire liner. If you start from the top instead of the bottom, the creosote that breaks loose will fall to the bend and you might not be able to get the brush past the buildup. Once you're done, start over and get all the loose stuff out of the bend.
A alternate method is to burn the creosote away with a hot fire. This will in effect start a chimney fire. They are dangerous because the high heat will send fire out of loose mortar joints in an unlined chimney, and the result at the top of the chimney is a shower of sparks like you've never seen before. You need a inflammable roof and surrounding landscape. I had a chimney fire in an unlined chimney once & had to run a bucket brigade to the attic where I poured water down all sides of the chimney until the fire was over. It took about 15 minutes. If you feel safe with this approach, do it at night- it is spectacular!
A third method which I have not tried is a "fire log" containing chemicals to remove the creosote.
If my information was helpful click the ACCEPT button. Please take a moment and leave feedback, it is very important! Thanks for using JustAnswer.com Steve

Accepted Answer

I forgot to mention this regarding "blockage". I had one chimney where a few of the top bricks had fallen down into the flue and got jammed at a jog (bend) in the flue. I did the chain thing and tied a brick to the chain instead of a brush. I flopped the brick around knocking the stuck bricks free and they fell out.

Picture
Expert: Stephen Cutler
Pos. Feedback: 99.3 %
Accepts: 
Answered: 11/30/2008

General C&ontractor

35 years of troubleshooting construction, remodel, component & material failures. What to do next

+
Read More

Related Home Improvement Questions

  • How high should a bathroom mirror be hung off the floor?
  • make sliding draws 2 28x24 for pantry use ...
  • My clothes dryer won't get hot and therefore the ...
  • I have a 2 year old, SANYO 27" tv. Last night, my ...
  • you know the aqueduct in france? since it is built out of .....
  • WHY AM I HEARING A BUZZING SOUND WHEN MY DOOR BELL RINGS?
  • how do you remove dried kilz primer? ...
  • my washer machine will not change cycles. keeps running ...



Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.
Question List | Become an Expert | Terms of Service | Security & Privacy | About Us
© 2003-2009 JustAnswer Corp.