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Do-it-yourself oven repair and cleaning: step-by-step instructions and possible nuances. How to clean the chimney in the furnace of a private house - the most complete guide How to clean the chimney of the furnace

If you heat your house with coal, firewood or all kinds of briquettes, you probably wondered how you can clean the chimney in a private house? In the presented article, we will analyze all possible methods, as well as the reasons why clogging occurs?

Why does the chimney get clogged?

There are several reasons why the draft in the stove at home may disappear and it will stop functioning properly.

  1. Before the heating season, the owner of the house did not clean the stove from soot and dust accumulated during the warm season.
  2. The vortex “fracture” has not been cleared.
  3. The pipe itself in the house is not airtight; it drags in a cold stream along with street dirt.
  4. There is no "umbrella" on the house.
  5. Birds or wind-blown debris.

Do not forget that the most ordinary firewood on the walls of the chimney leaves soot many times greater than from coal. That is why it is recommended to periodically “throw” a chimney sweep log into the light, which allows you to slightly, but clean the pipe in the house. After the firewood, a significant layer of soot can collect, so do not be too zealous with the firewood.

How do you know if your chimney needs to be cleaned?

It is easy to understand that cleaning the chimneys of stoves and fireplaces from soot is about to be required if you notice that the draft has disappeared or combustible gases enter the house. It will also clearly make it clear that enough burning has accumulated on the walls of the chimney channel after the burning of the fuel that particles of debris brought by the wind appeared on the walls inside the house and in the bathrooms adjacent to the channel. This is due to the blockage of the output channel.

How to properly clean a chimney?

In the old days, people cleaned stoves with sodium chloride or common salt - these are the so-called folk remedies. Now you rarely see that in the village, thus, someone was cleaning the "wells".
To know how to properly clean and which method will be most effective, you need to determine the cause of the blockage, the density and size of the soot layer (or the presence of an object). It will depend on this, which of the methods will be correct and expedient to clean it?

Manual mechanical cleaning

Of the advantages of this particular cleaning method, it is worth noting fully environmental safety. Various chemistry is not used, and the whole lack of work comes down only to the fact that there is a danger of falling from a height during work.

Chimney cleaning tool - rope with a core and a brush

Cleaning the chimney with your own hands will require you to have a certain tool. So, mechanical cleaning of chimneys can be performed using the following devices:

  1. Giri. Thanks to big weight, it breaks through large layers of soot. It is recommended to additionally attach some scratching devices to it in order to increase the efficiency of pipe cleaning.
  2. Hard brushes. Additionally, take care of the long handle so that you can penetrate into remote corners.
  3. Ruff. By the way, you can make it yourself. Sold special stainless fixtures with weighting compound and chain. Of course from plastic bottle will not replace a professional “adapt”, but it will be possible to achieve even a slight result.
    When using a ruff or brush, do not forget about protective equipment. Get:
    • Respirator.
    • Glasses.
    • Gloves.
    • Safety rope.

Folk chimney cleaning methods

Potato peelings - a folk way to clean the chimney

They learned to clean the chimney with their own hands in ancient times, using various folk methods. You can clean the "well" yourself using:

  1. Aspen firewood. Peculiarities:
    • a lot of energy is released;
    • temperature perfectly cleans brick and stainless chimneys.
  2. Potato peels.
    Prepare about one bucket of cleanings, dry them thoroughly. Flood the stove with a high-calorie agent, put dried cleanings on top. Subsequently, hot steam containing starch will soften the soot, heavy briquettes will fall, and light ones will fly away.
  3. Salt.
    Pour a couple of glasses of salt on the fire, when interconnected with air, an environment is formed in which soot will not accumulate.
  4. Chainsaws.
    This method of cleaning with a chainsaw is not recommended due to its danger. You need to climb onto the roof and insert the intake valve into the chimney and start the saw motor. It is better to attach a special outlet pipe to stay clean and direct the soot to a specific area.

How to clean the chimney using chemicals?

First on the list, consider the drug PCA, a fairly strong remedy.

NOTE: It is not necessary to unpack the packaging, it is burned entirely.
Second remedy folk application. Includes the composition of copper sulfate, saltpeter and crushed coal. This powder must be sprinkled on red coals, in the process a reaction is formed, due to which soot will “slide” from the walls of the chimney.

Closes the top three chemical reagents able to remove soot from the walls. As in the first case, it is not necessary to unpack the package. It is necessary to put it in the fire in this form, during combustion, active substances are released that perfectly fight soot growths.

Chimney blockage prevention

Pipes, chimney wells need to be cleaned periodically, despite good draft. After the winter season, it is advised to do a complete revision of the stove using any of the listed methods. The presented chemicals will allow you to exfoliate the soot, after which its large fractions can be easily removed during preventive cleaning.
Salt solutions can also be used for prevention, especially if you have a solid fuel stove. It also allows you to easily get rid of a small layer of soot, which is divided into small and large particles that settle at the bottom of the chimney.

The stove and fireplace are the main elements country house and dachas. They not only heat the room, but are also used as decoration. However, over time, the chimney becomes clogged, which negatively affects the operation of the furnace. And in the case of a fireplace, the smoke will come back and fall out into the room.

Draft deteriorates, and the stove or fireplace becomes difficult to kindle. If you encounter a similar problem, you will have to clean the oven. There are several methods for this procedure. Let's figure out how to clean the chimney and pipe with your own hands.

Why is the chimney clogged

Chimneys are often clogged due to non-compliance with the technology of laying a stove or fireplace. When laying the pipe, it is important to observe the parameters of the internal clearance. If the dimensions are smaller than required, the walls of the chimney accumulate combustion waste.

As a result, a large amount of soot and soot is formed inside. This leads to a decrease in traction and to the fact that it becomes problematic to kindle and melt a Russian stove or fireplace.

The efficiency of the chimney is affected not only brickwork but also the quality building materials. Poor-quality materials lead to the appearance of cracks in the pipe, which violates the dimensions and geometry of the inner lumen.

The walls begin to gradually collapse. Be careful, as such defects can not always be detected immediately due to the fact that soot hides them.

Improper use of a chimney is a common cause of blockages. First of all, this concerns the use of raw fuel, firewood with a high resin content when kindling devices.

In addition, the operation of the structure is negatively affected by the burning of plastic, polyethylene and other similar debris. As a result, streaks of solution form on the walls inside the pipe, which clogs the chimney.

In addition, foreign debris, small insects and even birds get into the pipe. Therefore, it is very important to install a protective umbrella over the pipe. Soot and soot, which form on the walls of the chimney structure, not only complicate kindling.

A clogged chimney increases the risk of fires. Accumulated soot can catch fire spontaneously! Therefore, it is important to quickly deal with the problem and the stove, properly clean the pipe.

How to clean a chimney with a brush

Using a special brush is the safest and easiest way to clean a chimney in a private house stove. It is important to choose the right brush model for diameter and length, as well as a separate brush for the chimney bends. By the way, it is in these hard-to-reach places that soot and soot settle.

Choose comfortable brushes with a flexible handle with nylon stiff bristles. It easily cleans the chimney of any material, quickly takes the desired shape, cleans well every bend and penetrates into the most remote corners of the device.

At the same time, the nylon brush does not scratch or damage the surface. By the way, the more scratches and damage in the pipe, the more soot accumulates inside the structure. For a fireplace, choose a long brush with two handles.

To clean the chimney with a brush, first of all, you need to prepare the room. To do this, cover the furniture with a film, and hang the windows with thick fabric material. Be sure to wear gloves, goggles and a respirator.

Wait until the stove or fireplace has cooled down, remove debris, wood residues and other foreign objects from the inside. Remove the damper from the chimney inlet and slide the brush inside, holding the product firmly by the handle. To clean the fireplace, a brush is inserted from below.

Thoroughly clean the inner surface on each side, making sure not to miss any hard-to-reach areas. Gradually advance the brush further, removing soot, soot, dirt and cobwebs. After that, remove the accumulated debris and soot, close the damper and rinse the brush in plain warm water.

Remember that you can only clean a completely cooled down and empty oven! Be sure to use protective equipment during the cleaning process! Clean off not only soot and soot, but also the cobwebs inside the pipe.

Other methods of mechanical cleaning

Instead of a brush, a classic garden watering hose is used. To do this, a rigid hose is inserted from above or below the chimney. Make a few cleaning movements, and the soot is already collected inside the device. For greater effect, you can attach a brush to one end of the hose, which is lowered into the pipe.

You can also scrape off soot and soot from the walls of the passage with brushes of various sizes, a ramrod, a weight on a chain or a long pole. By the way, you can also attach a brush to the pole. It is important that the tool is suitable for the dimensions of the chimney. These are more dangerous methods, as they clean the pipe from the roof.

To maintain safety, cleaning is done in calm, dry, clear weather with gloves, a respirator and goggles. You can only clean a cold and empty stove without debris or firewood inside.

There are also folk methods, which have long been used to clean the furnace. However, keep in mind that they are more suitable for prevention and do not allow debris and soot to accumulate inside the pipe or prevent soot from settling. Next, consider how to clean the chimney from soot with folk remedies

How to clean the chimney with folk remedies

  • Salt is an old and proven method. The chemicals that salt contains react with oxygen when heated. As a result, soot and soot will settle less inside the chimney, so this is more of a preventive measure. To do this, pour a small amount of table or rock salt onto the burning fuel during the fire;
  • Potato peeling is an effective method that will help remove soot and soot from the walls of the pipe. To do this, take dry potato peelings or cut potatoes into cubes and dry. It will take half a bucket of this product, which is poured onto hot coals. Hot steam settles on the walls of the pipe, after which the usual mechanical cleaning is carried out with a brush;
  • Aspen and birch firewood is an effective, but not the safest way. Firewood is placed in a stove or fireplace and a fire is lit. In this case, the doors, dampers and latches must always be open! During the fire, new firewood is thrown in. By the way, it is better to clean birch products from the bark. As a result, the soot ignites and comes out of the pipe in white flakes. But this method is only suitable for chimneys that can withstand temperatures of 1,000 degrees;
  • Aluminum cans are an unusual and safe way to prevent soot from accumulating inside chimneys. To do this, make a hot fire with plenty of hard coal and burn the jars. For high-quality prevention, this procedure is repeated every ten fireboxes.

Cleaning with chemicals

Today, manufacturers offer a special oven cleaner for cleaning pipes and chimneys. This is a very easy, but not the most effective and economical method, since the soot will fall off only in some places.

Therefore, in the future, you will have to clean the pipe with a brush. In addition, chemicals leave bad smell, which can only fade after a few days.

Popular cleaning products are PHC, Kominichek, Log-chimney sweep. In addition, a mixture of copper sulphate, saltpeter and crushed coking coal can be used. Such preparations are placed during the burning of a stove or fireplace on burnt fuel.

When using these products, be sure to follow the instructions and do not exceed the dosage! Chemical compositions render quick effect and are not safe for humans, but the effect disappears after two to three months. And you have to clean the pipe again, which is costly and not economical.

After cleaning by any method, soot and debris that have spilled out must be removed. If you do not want or are afraid to clean the chimney yourself, you can always turn to professionals!

It is necessary to clean the stove even if it is not heated for a long time, since various wastes still accumulate inside the pipe. Regular cleaning is the key to proper and long-term operation of the chimney. And the accumulation of combustion products reduces the performance of the device.

In addition, regular maintenance and cleaning of the chimney or chimney is important for human health. After all, due to soot and debris in the channels, dangerous carbon monoxide is formed.

Regardless of which type of fuel is preferred, chimney cleaning is very important. Since over time, all the combustion products that are discharged through these channels form soot and plaque, and, in other words, soot inside your chimney. Such pollution can and should be cleaned with your own hands, and continue to enjoy the pleasant evening crackle at your hearth. . How to do this, and which method is more acceptable to you, you will learn by reading the options below.

Why you need to clean chimneys, stoves and fireplaces from soot

When using stove heating of your home, you must not forget about the safety of your health, and the safety of the property of the house as a whole. Since fireplaces and stoves are an open source of fire, they must be provided safe use in everyday life, so it is necessary to clean the chimney in a timely manner.

During the combustion of any fuel, whether it is firewood or a special briquette, carbon monoxide, which is very dangerous for the human body. The chimney channel with good traction provides us not with smoke, but with a comfortable state and coziness.

In a clogged chimney, however, from the products of combustion, plaque forms on the walls of the pipe and over time, the soot layer becomes thicker, thereby making it difficult for the passage of smoke. Because of this, traction deteriorates, which, as a result, will lead to a drop in efficiency, overspending heating material, smoke penetration into rooms. It is with such difficulties that you will have to fight, while neglecting to clean the chimney.


There is also a risk of ignition of the chimney from the inside, due to the same soot. This can lead to destruction (cracking) of the pipe walls. However, the biggest danger is a flying spark, which can become a source of fire.

What happens if you do not clean the chimney from soot:

  • Reduced draft, poor smoke permeability;
  • Wear of the chimney from the inside (cracking);
  • Loss of efficiency, consumption of firewood (briquettes);
  • The probability of ignition of the chimney inside;

The safe operation of your fireplaces and stoves directly depends on chimneys, which are an important part of such a source of warmth and comfort in your home. Keeping them clean will keep you safe.

How do you know if your oven needs to be cleaned?

First of all, the intensity and time of operation, as well as the choice of fuel for them, affects the state of clogging of stoves and fireplaces. When using raw logs as the main logs, blockages will show up more often in the chimneys.

Spruce and pine are used for firebox. However, this type of wood is more resinous and should not be used too often. Most best option- a firebox with dry firewood that has lain for at least 1.5 years. The first "symptoms" of blockage in the chimney pipe will be obvious, and it will not be difficult to notice them.

Signs of a clogged chimney:

  1. First of all, you need to pay attention to the smoke. White or clear smoke comes out of a clean chimney. If it needs to be cleaned the smoke will be gray or even black. However, this can be affected by the resins that the wood contains.
  2. Cleaning of fireplaces and stoves is necessary if the fire has changed color from light orange to orange.
  3. The stove needs to be cleaned if not all the smoke comes out through the chimney. Part of the smoke in this case may return back to the house.
  4. The time during which one briquette or log burned down was halved.

If you notice one of these signs, then it's time for you to clean the chimney. However, even if they are not, it is advisable to free the chimney from soot twice a year.

Methods for cleaning the stove

If you see that the chimney is clogged, then you need to start cleaning it. Of course, a chimney sweep can help you with this, but it's cheaper to do it yourself.

If your chimney requires cleaning too often, then you need to find out why it is clogged. Usually the problem is not right choice fuel or in the absence of a protective cap.


Sooner or later, every owner of a private house faces the question: "How to clean the chimney without dismantling it?". There are several ways and we propose to talk about them.

Chimney cleaning methods:

  1. To clean the chimney by mechanical means, you will need a special device. The meaning of such cleaning is to remove soot by scraping it off.
  2. Chemical chimney cleaner. Chemistry is now presented in a wide variety, so you can easily find the right remedy.
  3. Cleaning with folk remedies is one of the ways to remove soot from the chimney. At this time, there are a huge number of options for cleaning the pipe.

Each method is good in its own way. With purge chemicals you can handle it on your own, but we’ll talk more about removing soot by folk remedies and mechanically.

How to clean the chimney with folk methods

Folk ways to clean the chimney are considered the safest. They gently clean the soot and do not lead to serious consequences. To clean chimneys in folk ways, you do not have to disassemble the stove. All the actions described by us are easy and safe.

If you heat the stove with wood, then instead of an ax, you can use a chainsaw. If you cut wood correctly, you will save a lot of time.

The cleaning pocket is designed so that it is most convenient for a person to remove soot from the chimney pipe. If you built the stove and fireplace correctly, then cleaning should not be a problem.

How to clean comics with folk remedies:

  1. The first way is to heat the stove with aspen wood. The meaning of this method lies in the fact that such fuel heats the chimney to very high temperatures, which helps to clean it. Therefore, burning a chimney with firewood is a great option.
  2. Another great option is to heat the stove with wood and salt. A layer of salt is laid out on the fuel, after which a fire is kindled. Such a composition decomposes soot into components and cleans the chimney. The remaining powder will help clean the vacuum cleaner.
  3. A fun way to clean your chimney is to burn it with potato skins. To do this, it must be dried and put in a melted oven. After that, the soot is easily brushed off with a whisk. In addition to cleaning the chimney, this way you can get rid of food debris.
  4. You can also clean your chimney with walnut shells. To do this, add a couple of handfuls of peel to the melted oven. From such high temperature the soot will come off by itself. This way you can also get rid of unnecessary garbage.

Such folk ways effective only when the soot layer has not yet reached a critical size. Heavily clogged "chimney wells" can only be cleaned with chemistry and a brush. However, before such events, you need to post an announcement for your household so that they do not melt the stove.

How to clean the chimney mechanically

Most effective way chimney cleaning - mechanical. With the help of rough exposure, you can achieve much greater results than with the use of salt or potato peelings.

Some "inventors" for cleaning the chimney suggest burning aluminum cans. However, the effectiveness of this method has not been proven. Since the reviews about it are not unambiguous.


There are several ways to clean the chimney mechanically. We suggest that you first familiarize yourself in detail with the most common of them - cleaning the chimney with a brush.

Instructions for cleaning the chimney with a brush:

  1. First of all, you need to take care of choosing the right brush. A tool with a long and flexible handle, as well as a nylon handle, is suitable for you. Such a brush is not only stiff enough to clean the chimney of soot, but also able to penetrate even the most inaccessible corner.
  2. Try not to scratch the pipe from the inside. Such damage contributes to a faster and more abundant accumulation of soot.
  3. Before cleaning, you need to take care to protect your eyes and respiratory tract from soot. To do this, wear goggles and a protective mask.
  4. Furniture, windows and walls in the house also need to be protected. To do this, everything needs to be covered with film or newspapers.
  5. Make sure the chimney has completely cooled down. Remove residual fuel, including coal and soot. Remove damper from chimney.
  6. Insert a brush into the chimney from the roof side and thoroughly clean the chimney. Do not skip a single section and do everything gradually. Repeat the same for the fireplace.
  7. After cleaning the chimney, return the damper to its place. Rinse the brush thoroughly in warm water.
  8. Without removing the protective film from furniture, walls and windows, wipe off the soot that has entered the room. After that, remove the protection and carry out a wet cleaning.

This method is considered the most effective and safe. However, there are several other options for mechanical cleaning.

You can take a garden hose to water the plants. To the end that will descend into the chimney, attach a round short brush. Next, the hose must be lowered and removed from the chimney until the soot collects inside it.

The mechanical method of cleaning the chimney is considered the most effective. In addition to the brush and hose, you can use a brush or cane. The most unusual option is a weight on a chain. However, this option is very dangerous and can cause the collapse of the chimney.

How to clean the wells in the stove (video)

Cleaning a chimney is a dirty but necessary job. If you want to save money from family budget, then you can completely do without the help of a chimney sweep. In addition, soot cleaning different methods- this is very interesting job. If you have already used one of the methods described above, or have some version of your own, then you can write your opinion below!

Owners of stoves and fireplaces are well aware of the need for regular maintenance of their heating boilers. No matter how perfect the design is, cleaning the chimney will definitely be required. Various factors influence its clogging rate: operating conditions, device design, quality and type of fuel, etc. However, even in the most ideal conditions, at least once a year, the chimney must be cleaned. Often this operation is carried out by employees of special companies, but if you wish, you can handle it yourself.

Why is it necessary to clean the chimney at all?

When fuel burns in the heater, soot is released. Warm air lifts it up, where it settles on the walls of the chimney. Over time, soot accumulates, its layer becomes more and more powerful. This leads to unpleasant consequences:

  • The channel for the removal of smoke is narrowed, which gives a reduction in traction.
  • The wear of the walls of the chimney is accelerated.
  • The efficiency of the heating device decreases.
  • Increases the likelihood of fire inside the chimney.

Trouble can be prevented only by timely cleaning of the chimney from accumulated soot.

You may also find this article on how to make a brick chimney the right way:

Chimney cleaning methods

All options for cleaning the smoke channel can be divided into three groups.

Option # 1 - folk remedies

The most common remedy for the accumulation of soot in the chimney is rock salt. It is usually sprinkled on the fuel during combustion. However, this option can be considered, rather, as the prevention of soot formation. It will not help to radically clean the pipe.

A more effective chimney cleaner is potato peelings or just chopped potatoes. Their number is determined by the size of the heater, but on average it usually leaves about a bucket. Cleanings are poured directly into the fire. The starch released along with the steam softens the soot and it exits the pipe. After the procedure, it is necessary to clean the oven. Sometimes such an operation is carried out before mechanical cleaning, which is much easier.

Another remedy is aspen firewood. Several armfuls of such fuel are burned in a furnace. However, we must immediately make a reservation that this is a rather dangerous method. It involves heating the chimney to very high temperatures, as a result of which the soot begins to burn out. Before using this method, you should make sure that the chimney is strong. In addition, soot deposits must be small, otherwise even the most durable pipe will not withstand the loads and collapse.

Soot is deposited inside the chimney and closes the space of the outlet channel. Draft deteriorates, the efficiency of the heater decreases and the risk of fire increases

Option #2 - chemical compositions

The industry produces many products designed to clean the chimney. These are various powders, liquids and briquettes. They are added to the furnace during the combustion of fuel. They light up and emit substances harmless to humans, destroying deposits on the walls of the smoke channel, which crumble down. Among the popular means is PCA or anti-scale chemical composition. A special powder is put into the firebox along with firewood. Its quantity is strictly regulated: no more than 200 g per ton of fuel.

In search of how to clean your chimney from a small layer of soot, you should pay attention to the Czech tool Kominichek. This powder, when heated, causes a catalytic reaction, causing the soot to burn at a lower temperature. The most popular is the Chimney Sweep Log, which can be used in all types of appliances that run on liquid and solid fuels. You need to use the tool as deposits accumulate. On average, a fireplace that is lit once or twice a week will require one briquette for six months. But for a boiler that is constantly used, you will need one log every two months. In large fireplaces and stoves, two packages are burned at once.

Before using the Chimney Sweep for the first time in the heating season, you should inspect the chimney to be sure that it is not clogged with debris or foreign objects. The briquette can be burned with or without fuel. However, for maximum efficiency it is laid on hot coals. Before this, the log is taken out of the package, but the wrapper is not removed. You should wait until the briquette flares up, if this does not happen, the wrapper is set on fire from both sides. The action of the active substance lasts for two weeks. All this time, soot is possible. After this period, the pipe should be inspected and the furnace cleaned.

An effective tool for cleaning the chimney is a special log. When burning, it releases volatile substances that destroy the soot deposited in the smoke channel.

However, it is worth saying a few words about safety (more in the video):

Although, there is an opinion that all this is written with a pitchfork on the water:

Whom to believe is up to you.

Option #3 - mechanical cleaning

No matter how advanced humanity is in matters of technology, mechanical cleaning of chimneys, just like hundreds of years ago, remains the simplest, most reliable and effective way removal of soot and soot. Depending on which gas ducts need to be cleaned - vertical or horizontal, a variety of scrapers, shovels, brushes and panicles are used. You can make a tool for servicing furnace channels with your own hands or buy it in specialized departments of building markets. Most often, a ruff brush is used to remove soot in vertical gas ducts, and a poker and a brush with hard bristles are used in horizontal gas ducts. If necessary, a handle of the desired length is attached to the tool.

A chimney brush can be easily made from improvised materials

Previously, to clean the chimney, you could turn to a chimney sweep. Since today people in this profession are extremely rare, we will talk in detail about how to properly clean the stove or fireplace from soot:

  1. Clean the furnace of ash and unburned solid fuel residues.
  2. Close the blower, firebox and all cleaning doors tightly - remember that soot consists of microscopic particles that can penetrate into the narrowest gaps. Open fireplace should be covered thick cloth which should be moistened with plenty of water.
  3. Climb to the roof following the safety rules. You should have a ruff brush tied to a long rope with you.
  4. Inspect the vertical flue for debris contamination. If large third-party objects got into the chimney, or if a broken half of a brick blocked the smoke channel, then it can be released using a cable with a heavy ball-shaped weight. It is not recommended to use objects of complex shape (with a displaced center of gravity) for this purpose. Often they turn and get stuck in the furnace channels, requiring additional effort and time to remove.
  5. After removing the blockage, lower a bristly brush into the chimney and clean the walls along the entire height of the pipe with translational movements up and down. If the chimney has not been cleaned for a long time, or raw wood with a high resin content was used for the firebox, then a thick layer of deposits can only be removed with a metal scraper.
  6. Check the result of your work and go down. Your next target is the remaining vertical and horizontal channels. They can be accessed through the cleaning doors. Opening them one by one in the direction from the chimney to the mouth of the furnace, remove carbon deposits with scrapers and hard whisks and rake them out of the channels with a poker.
  7. Furnaces with a wide firebox, as well as fireplaces, are also cleaned from the side of the firebox. Lastly, the soot is scraped off the walls of the fuel chamber and the blower, after which the soot is removed and the under and grate is cleaned.

When finished with work, close and carefully seal the cleaning doors, carry out a complete wet cleaning of the room. The cleaning procedure is usually carried out twice a year, before and at the end of the heating season.

Fireplaces with straight chimneys can be cleaned from below, through the firebox. To do this, use a special metal brush, the handle of which is extended with the help of special extensions.

The problem of cleaning the chimney is easily solved. You can choose from several cleaning options. It is only necessary to take into account the amount of deposits accumulated on the walls of the smoke channel. All works including mechanical cleaning, you can do it yourself. You should read the instructions and follow them carefully. However, those who are not confident in their abilities or do not want to engage in dirty work may invite a professional. In any case, a clean chimney will delight its owner with excellent draft and long term services.

How to reduce soot deposits

Soot and soot are deposited even in the pipes of gas-fired furnaces. What can we say about the combustion of solid fuel - for him it is an even more natural process. At the same time, the amount of combustion products deposited on the walls of the chimney can be significantly reduced. To do this, follow a few simple rules:

  1. No trash. It is impossible to burn plastic, foam plastic, rubber and other substances with a high carbon content in the furnace of a solid fuel furnace.
  2. Prepare firewood ahead of time. Remember that high-quality dry wood burns almost without residue, with minimal release of soot and carbon-causing substances. Among other things, this is facilitated by a higher combustion temperature, which affects the course of pyrolysis processes. As for raw firewood, when they are used, water vapor is released in excess, as well as substances such as tar, creosote, etc. - they simply do not have time to burn due to low temperature. Subsequently, all these tar-like substances fall out in the form of hard-to-remove deposits on the gas duct channels and are the reason for the rapid overgrowth of soot channels - it sticks much more readily to the sticky substance.
  3. Use hard wood. Anyone who fires a stove on their own knows that oak, hornbeam, beech, aspen and acacia firewood are the best. In second place is the wood of walnut, apple, cherry, larch, poplar, sycamore, etc. But firewood from coniferous trees (spruce, pine, juniper, etc.) contains a lot of resin, so when using them, you will need to clean the stove significantly more often. As, however, and when burning with birch logs, which are distinguished by a high content of tar. By the way, today's fashionable fuel briquettes or pellet granules are also subject to a thorough revision at the time of purchase. If they are made from pine sawdust or sunflower husks, then it is better to bypass such fuel due to the high content of resins and oily substances.
  4. Make sure the wood burns optimally. This corresponds to a flue gas temperature of 150 to 350 degrees. With reduced heat generation, the carbon of the wood does not have time to burn out in the furnace and flies away with smoke, simultaneously falling out in the vertical and horizontal channels of the furnace.

In order to achieve the most complete combustion of wood, use the advice of experienced stove-makers. Here's what they recommend:

  • before laying firewood in the stove, keep it indoors for at least 2-3 days. During this time, they will dry out and warm up to room temperature, which means that they will not only burn better, but will not require additional heat for preheating;
  • before laying the main batch of wood, heat the combustion chamber by burning chips, pieces of cardboard, etc. in it;
  • as the firewood burns out, regulate the combustion process with a damper or blower door. Of course, the high temperature in the furnace is good because less soot is formed, however, in this case, the heat will not have time to accumulate in the body of the furnace, and will simply fly away into the atmosphere;
  • install a flame indicator on the chimney. With it, you can more accurately monitor the temperature of the smoke and keep the process of heat generation within optimal limits.

A temperature indicator mounted on the chimney will keep combustion within optimal limits.

Symptoms of an “overgrown” chimney cannot be overlooked. First of all, the color of the smoke changes. If the flue duct is clean, it will be light, transparent or white. The accumulated soot starts to burn, which changes the color of the smoke. It becomes thicker and darker. The hue of the flame in the oven can also change. Under normal conditions, it will be light orange. If a rich shade of dark orange appears, then it's time to think about how to clean the chimney.

What is the best choice for heating wooden house which option is more economical and profitable, you will find out in our next material:.

In any case, even if there are no warning signs, experts recommend inspecting the smoke duct at least twice a year. It should be borne in mind that cleaning may be necessary not only in case of an increase in the soot layer, but also from debris, bird nests, cobwebs, etc. that accidentally got inside. There are many cleaning methods and you can choose the best one only after determining the level of pollution, revision of the state of the chimney, etc.

Any chimney must be cleaned. Often, the design itself suggests how often such an operation should be carried out.

Even the correct operation of the vertical channel cannot guarantee the absence of soot on the pipe walls. Therefore, the question of how to clean the chimney from black plaque does not lose its relevance to this day. If you do not prevent the growth of a layer of soot in the pipe device, this is fraught with a violation of traction, which in turn can lead to a fire in the room.

Today, professional chimney cleaners are quite difficult to meet. Only they are able to carry out quality work even in hard-to-reach places. Specialists clean any bend in the pipe, and also check the condition of the entire structure. It is incredibly difficult to achieve a good result on your own and carry out a complete cleaning of the canal. But still, let's figure out how to do it right.

Domestic enterprises produce special products designed for cleaning chimneys. All these substances do not cause any harm to the human body. They are available as:

  • powder;
  • liquids;
  • briquette.

Let's get acquainted with the most famous and sought-after cleansers.

PCC compositions

This powder, which is poured into the furnace, has an anti-caking property. Its composition is similar blue vitriol. Approximately 200 g of such a substance is enough to clean 1 ton of firewood after burning.

"Comedian"

It has the form of a powder, the catalysis of which begins during heat treatment. At the same time, there is a decrease in temperature at which all soot burns.

"Log-chimney sweep"

It is produced in briquettes and used in conjunction with another type of fuel (solid, liquid). For cleaning small fireplaces, one part of the agglomerated material is laid for a period of 60 days. With large dimensions of the furnace, you will need to use two briquettes.

Before you start using the Log, you need to clean the chimney of debris. The product is burned on hot coals directly in the package. Its active substances will act for approximately 14 days. After that, you need to inspect the chimney, then clean the firebox.

Cleaner HG

This chemical, made in Holland, is designed to remove plaque on a domestic pipe. The manufacturer recommends using this powder once every 6 months. For hot solid fuel It is enough to pour two tablespoons of the product.

Before using any of the above chemical products, carefully read the instructions that come with the product. It is imperative to comply with all of these requirements.

Not every summer resident is able to use such cleansing compounds. This problem can be solved in another way, using folk remedies.

Proven folk methods


The most effective methods include the following:

  1. Rock salt. It perfectly cleans the channel, removes accumulated soot from the walls. The substance in the amount of 100-200 g is placed in a thin layer in the furnace. This technique corresponds to preventive work to remove soot in the chimney.
  2. Potato peel. This tool gives very good result. A bucket of cleanings must be placed in small parts in a burning firebox. They begin to burn together with the starch that is part of the potato. Hot air enters the channel and loosens the soot. This technology is considered preventive. Subsequent cleaning of the chimney is carried out manually.
  3. Brush load, attached to a strong cord. This element descends into the pipe, cleaning the inner surface and removing existing layers.
  4. Logs from birch or aspen. It is enough to heat the pipe with such pieces of wood to a high temperature. As a result, soot will burn out. Such a technique must be used with caution. With large deposits and low strength of the chimney, dangerous situations may occur, since aspen logs have a high heat transfer.
  5. Naphthalene. This chemical preparation perfectly cleans the inner surface of the chimney. For its application, it is necessary to first check the pipe for cracks. If there are any, they must be closed. A naphthalene tablet is thrown into the furnace. The heated soot begins to fly out of the chimney in the form of white flakes. It is important to remember that it is not safe to use naphthalene, since this tool can destroy pipes and ignite soot deposits. One of the disadvantages of this technology is an unpleasant pungent odor. High cleaning efficiency is achieved with a plaque thickness of not more than 10 mm.
  6. Walnut shell. This is an excellent tool with high heat dissipation. No more than 2 liters of hard nut shell should be thrown into the firebox. During combustion, the temperature rises to critical values, which can lead to pipe deformation and cracking. Therefore, such a limitation has been established. Due to the strong burnout, soot is completely removed from the pipe.
  7. Aluminum. Parts made of this material burn well in a large fire and prevent the formation of soot. In order for aluminum not to change its color and burn, the fire must be on coals. For example, it takes only five minutes to burn a can made of this non-ferrous metal.

What tools are needed

For cleaning work, it is important to prepare everything necessary fixtures, including the following:


The steel core is applied in various purposes. Its main function is to remove blockages. But if you attach a brush to it, this element will become much heavier, respectively, the efficiency of cleaning the walls of the chimney will increase several times. If you connect all the parts with a metal cable and use carabiners, you can adjust the length of the cleaning device.

mechanical cleaning

This technique is also considered popular. Large steel balls long years used to remove soot from pipes. They were tied to various items, easily coping with dense growths:

  • ruffs;
  • scrapers.

This technology for removing all kinds of deposits has long proven its effectiveness.

Mechanical cleaning sequence

  1. The oven doors must be tightly closed to prevent soot from escaping.
  2. If plaque is being removed from the fireplace, a damp cloth must be placed on the combustion chamber.
  3. To make the cross section of the channels larger, you need to open all available dampers.
  4. It is required to put on and secure a safety belt on the body.
  5. The chimney is inspected on the roof. If the thickness of the soot layer is less than 2 mm, it is removed with a chemical substances. The trash just pushes down.
  6. Header is removed. With a stiff brush or scraper, all layers are removed.
  7. Hard-to-reach places are cleaned using a flexible brush. You can also use a cable that has at the end special nozzle. With each turn of the handle, the fixture moves down.
  8. By moving the suspended metal ball, soot layers and other large blockages can be removed. Work must be carried out carefully so as not to violate the integrity of the brickwork.
  9. After opening the chimney door, the soot layer is completely removed.
  10. The blower and the furnace compartment are cleaned.

If plaque is removed in an open fireplace, the treatment is carried out with a metal brush from the side where the firebox is located.

Upon completion of the procedure, it is necessary to melt the furnace to check the draft. Then the head is installed in place.

How to blow out a chimney with air

Another option for cleaning the vertical channel from accumulated soot is blowing with a powerful air stream. To do this, it is necessary to create a turbulent flow in the device, which, under high pressure, will blow out all the dirt from it. Such work is carried out only by a very powerful fan.

As an air blower, you can use a conventional chainsaw. The flow of the mixture of gases must be pulled out by the device.

This technique does not remove all deposits. Strong plaque is cleaned only mechanically.

Professional cleaning

It would seem that with the onset of the 21st century, the profession of a chimney sweep has disappeared forever. However, she remained and is very much appreciated. An interesting fact is that only the master has the right to put on the pipe cleaner's cylinder. To become such, it will take many years of work as an apprentice with a professional.

For a long period, the removal of soot in the chimney was carried out by the All-Russian Voluntary Fire Society. Times have changed, and today such services are provided by private companies. In order for the installed chimney to function properly, a number of procedures must be followed, including the following:

  • periodic audit;
  • cleaning;
  • prevention.

Such work is considered professional and is performed using special equipment. For example, a vacuum cleaner is connected, sucking soot through the firebox directly from the chimney.

Professional cleaning is necessary in advanced cases, which include:

  • a thick layer of hard soot covering the surface of the chimney;
  • serious damage to the canal walls;
  • inability to remove the formed plaque.

Potato skins can be regularly burned in the oven, which does not need to be dried first. This is an excellent prevention of soot formation in the vertical channel.

The same goes for nutshells. It has a high heat transfer coefficient. Just a few handfuls successfully replace half a bucket of coal.

When the design of the furnace provides for many turns of smoke movement, there are several bottlenecks, it is unlikely that it will be possible to completely clean the soot in one go. In this case, you will have to resort to folk remedies. With the onset of autumn, using a brush, you will need to rub the surface of the pipe several times and collect crumbling dirt.

The same deposits appear when plastic or synthetic items are burned in an oven. Soot covers the surface of the chimney with a thick layer, and it will be quite difficult to cope with it in the future.

Is it possible to do without cleaning the channel

Any high-quality fuel during combustion necessarily forms ash, and the combustion process itself is always accompanied by the release of soot. Exhaust gases lift it up, while part of this plaque settles on the inner walls of the chimney. Gradually, the layer of soot becomes thicker. As a result, one of the following situations may occur:

  • channel narrowing;
  • reduction of traction;
  • destruction of the walls of the system;
  • low boiler efficiency;
  • ignition of soot accumulated in a vertical channel.

When the draft decreases in the furnace, it begins to smoke heavily. The structure will be difficult to melt even with well-dried firewood.

When a large accumulation of soot occurs in the pipe, this negatively affects the combustion process itself. This situation can lead to a fire.

How can the quality of the procedure be controlled?

Cleaning flue ducts by chemical means many people are skeptical. They believe that such soot removal cannot be compared with the work of a professional chimney sweep.

Upon completion of the procedure, all masters check the quality of the manipulations performed. They analyze the general condition of the cleaned tubular device. For this purpose, various tools are used, for example, quite often a mirror comes to the rescue.

Large companies providing services in this area, as well as various service centers, use video cameras equipped with a special backlight function to control the quality of work. Such a device helps to give an accurate assessment of the quality of the work done and to see in which places it was not possible to remove soot.

Conclusion

The bakery needs a lot of attention. To make cleaning the chimney less difficult, it is first of all forbidden to use tar wood for the firebox. Then it will be much easier to remove soot by any of the above methods. It is important to remember that once a year it is necessary not only to clean the furnace, but also to inspect it and, if necessary, repair it.