Chimney Brushes

Creosote builds up in chimneys, which makes chimney brushes and chimney cleaning regularly essential. This build up is a fact of life and the more you use your chimney the more creosote you will have. Because creosote is a flammable material, it can cause chimney fires. It also reduces the amount of air that is drawn in to fuel your fire thus reducing the efficiency of your fire. You can reduce the amount of creosote that builds up in your chimney by using special creosote reduction products and by making sure that you are using dry seasoned wood and not green wood in your fires. You can also increase the air supply to your fire so that it burns more efficiently and creates less creosote. However, no matter what you do, there will still be a certain amount of creosote build up in your chimney.

This can reduce the air that flows to your fire creating even more creosote, so you want to regularly use chimney brushes and chimney cleaning product. Creosote build up can also cause health damaging fumes and smoke to remain inside your house causing breathing problems. If you are unlucky, the creosote will catch fire and you will then have a chimney fire on your hands. This is dangerous and expensive as you will have to have your chimney checked for safety before using it again. You will also have to get a certified chimney repair person to repair damage which is costly and time consuming.

To avoid this, you should have your chimney cleaned by a certified chimney cleaner periodically during the heating season.  If you prefer, you can clean the chimney yourself but you will need to make certain that you have the right kind of chimney brushes and chimney cleaning products before you attempt this.

When buying a chimney brush, your main concerns will be the stem of the brush, that allows you to reach right up to the top of the chimney, and the bristles of the brush it self, which will be performing the actual cleaning. The stem of the brush should be strong yet flexible to allow it to bend around any corners and bends in the chimney. It should be able to perform this without being damaged or permanently bent. You will also want to make sure the length is sufficient for your chimney and that it is easy to put the brush together and take it apart again.

The bristles of the brush should be wire and generally should be made of spring quality wire. This will be strong enough to scrape creosote from the wall of the chimney. The bristles can be single or double spiralled with double spiralling providing you with more bristles and better cleaning capabilities. Using chimney brushes and chimney cleaning products will ensure your chimney remains safe throughout the year.