A happy Christmas means a warm and cosy Christmas, and that means heating the fireplace. But an ill-maintained fireplace and poorly managed flue can cause your fireplace to burn inefficiently or prevent smoke from ventilating properly. If left unattended, build up in your flue can even start fires.
Prevent catastrophes before they even start by seeing to it that both your fireplace and flue are clean and well-maintained. Online, flue and pipe cleaning brushes are available to aid you with the job. And with a little elbow grease, you could be on your way to warming up your home in no time.
Brush Selection
Choosing the right cleaning implement is just as important as the cleaning method of choice. Make sure your brush of choice is appropriate to the material your flue’s liner. Use metal bristles for clay liners and plastic bristles for metal liners.
Not all flue brushes are made equal. To ensure that you purchase the right brush size, measure the size of your flue liner from your roof. While you’re at it, measure the length of your chimney to be sure you buy enough rods to extend the brush to its necessary length.
Unclogging and Soot Removal
The flue’s primary function is to catch all the soot and residue and guide them out of your home. As such, your fireplace’s flue is very prone to build up. Clean your flue by first using a metal poker to scrape away the black creosote from the lining.
With your newly acquire brush and a lot of soapy water, go at the remaining residue with brisk, uniform strokes. Be sure to wear gloves and overalls as these can cling to clothes permanently.
While cleaning professionals are more than capable of handling this task, doing it regularly and on your own can save you not only time but also money. Be sure to maintain a schedule when it comes to flue cleaning so that you can continuously enjoy the warmth your fireplace provides.