I finally stopped using the old wire brush method for creosote buildup

For 8 years I was the guy who just scrubbed the flue with a standard wire brush and hoped for the best, especially on those heavy glazed spots in the winter. Last month I got a job in Denver where the homeowner had a big chimney fire scare, and my inspector buddy showed me how he uses a rotary chain whip with a drill to break up that hard stuff. Switching to that took my cleaning time from 2 hours down to about 45 minutes on a normal run, plus the walls come out way smoother. Anyone else made the jump to rotary tools and noticed their brush kits just sit in the truck now?

2 comments

2 Comments

henryp401mo ago

My buddy swore by his wire brush until he chipped a neighbor's flue tile, then he switched overnight.

margareto261mo ago

Hold on, is chipping a flue tile really that big of a deal? I mean, it's not like he cracked the whole thing in half. A little chip probably isn't gonna cause a house fire or anything. Seems like a pretty simple fix if it even needs fixing at all. I've seen way worse from people just dropping stuff up there. Sounds more like he was looking for an excuse to buy something new, honestly.