Went with a poly brush over a wire brush for cleaning flues last Tuesday

I had to pick between a stiff poly brush and a standard wire brush for a heavy creosote job on an old masonry flue, and I went with the poly one because I was worried about scratching the liner. It actually handled the buildup fine, but I had to run it through about 6 extra passes to get it all off. Any of you guys found a certain brand of poly brush that really cuts through tough stuff without taking forever?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_mason1216d ago

Heating the poly brush up is a good tip @the_sean, I never thought about that. Its funny how that same principle shows up everywhere, like how a warm tire grips the road better or a hot knife cuts butter smoother. I gave it a try with my brush and warm water and it definitely cut down the passes on a tough flue I did yesterday.

the_sean16d ago

Guess it depends on what you're trying to do with the brush. I've found that heating the poly brush up a bit in hot water before starting helps soften the bristles just enough to dig in better on the first pass without scratching. Saves me a couple of extra runs on heavy buildup. Also check the bristle density on the brush you're buying, some of the cheaper ones are too sparse and you end up chasing the same spot over and over.