PSA: Hand brushing vs. rotary cleaning on old clay flues

I spent last Tuesday wrestling with a 60-year-old clay flue liner in a house near Portland. The thing was caked with hard, flaky creosote, the kind that looks like tar chips. I started with my rotary kit and a poly whip, but it just kept bouncing around and making a mess. After an hour of fighting it, I switched to hand brushes, a 9-inch wire brush on a rod. It took longer, sure, but I got every inch of that flue clean without scratching the clay or leaving behind chunks. The rotary stuff is great for metal liners or light soot, but for old, brittle clay, hand brushing was way gentler and more thorough. I actually got a better seal on the cap too since I could feel the edges. Anybody else run into this where the fancy tool isn't always the right choice for a specific job?

2 comments

2 Comments

west.anna14d ago

Nothing beats elbow grease when the fancy stuff taps out like a toddler.

the_logan14d ago

West.anna nailed it - same reason old cars outlast new ones every time.