Heating a country house or a bath is not complete without a boiler or stove. These devices require the installation of a chimney, which can become clogged with soot during operation. In order for the stove to work properly, the chimney must be periodically cleaned. There are different cleaning methods - chemical, mechanical and folk methods. In the first case, cleaning is carried out with different compositions; in the second, you need to climb onto the roof and lower the device into the pipe. The choice of method depends on the chimney design and the degree of pollution.
Chimney clogging reasons
Combustion of fuel requires sufficient carbon oxidation. This process requires high temperature and oxygen. If one of the conditions is violated, soot is formed, which clogs the chimney.
Reasons for the formation of plaque on the pipe:
- Use for heating raw firewood. In this case, when they enter the oven, they begin to dry, which consumes a large amount of energy. As a result, the temperature goes down, the carbon does not warm up well and soot is formed.
- Incineration of plastic and polyethylene, as well as scraps of plywood, chipboard and OSB. They contain substances that clog the chimney.
- Weak cravings. Insufficient height of the pipe leads to it, the conversion of the combustion process to decay and the accumulation of soot deposits.
Pay attention to the type of fuel. Spruce and pine form soot faster, but it is not always possible to use expensive oak and hardwoods. In this case, it is recommended to take the wood without resin and dry it well.
Chimney cleaning methods
Before removing soot from the chimney, a suitable method should be selected. There are only three of them: mechanical, chemical and manual cleaning.
With a mechanical one, a ruff is pushed into the chimney, which knocks soot off the walls. This method is not always possible to use, since not every pipe has good accessibility. In addition, all the contents of the pipes are poured down, after which the garbage must be removed.
The chemical method uses powders and logs. They are placed in the firebox. Under the influence of temperature, substances are released that soften the soot and it flies into the pipe or falls down. It is better to use such funds for prophylaxis when there is little soot plaque.
Folk methods are also used to clean pipes. The problem of soot formation is dealt with with salt or potato peels.
If professional cleaning is required, you can contact the fire department and call a specialist. The quality of the work will be at the highest level, but you will have to pay for the services.
Mechanical cleaning
This method of pipe cleaning involves the use of additional tools. The most common devices are ruffs. They come in different diameters for specific chimneys. The brush-brush is put on the end of a long and flexible cable, a metal ball can be attached under it for easier downward movement. The structure is lowered into the pipe and rises, as a result, soot is cleaned from the walls.
Before you clean the chimney in the stove with your own hands with a ruff, you should take care of technical safety. When working on the roof, you need to provide insurance in order not to fall. Gloves, goggles and respiratory protection will also be required. A respirator is needed, as when cleaning, small dust particles are formed, which get into the mouth and nose.
Not every type of chimney can be cleaned from the roof. Sometimes it is necessary to clean the chimney from the sandwich pipes. In such a case, cleaning from the bottom is required using a brush on the flexible hose. Professional pipe cleaners use special vacuum cleaners to collect soot that crumbles during operation.
Before you clean the chimney pipe in a private house, you should put a container in the fireplace in advance, into which the combustion products will crumble.
Dry cleaning
If the chimney in the country is not too clogged, you can use various chemical compositions to remove a small layer of soot. If the chimney is made of brick, such substances will make mechanical cleaning less frequent. As an independent cleaning agent, they are used for chimneys made of ceramic or stainless steel.
Periodic use of dry cleaning of chimneys of stoves and fireplaces from soot makes it softer, after which it is easier to remove the residues mechanically. The combination of these two methods will keep the chimney free of deposits for a long time.
Among the most popular soot cleaning products for pipes are the following:
- Kominicek. It is a Czech drug that is sold in paper bags in the form of granules. In a preheated oven, put a bag on the wood without tearing it. During the combustion process, substances will be released that will effectively clean the pipes. Recommended for use when the soot layer does not exceed 2 mm.
- Polena. Produced under the names Chimney sweep and others. Boxes will differ in appearance depending on the manufacturer. The rules of use are the same - the log must be placed in a well-heated oven. During combustion, smoke will be released, softening the soot. It will evaporate or fall down.
- Powders for cleaning pipes. Available in packaged powder bags. Place the bag in a hot oven. There are both domestic and foreign production.
After applying chemical cleaning methods, you should check the room. The fireplace or stove must be cleaned from the remains of crumbling soot. It is important to note that soot deposits may still crumble over the next few days.
Folk ways
If it is impossible to clean the pipes mechanically or chemically, you can use folk remedies. The simplest of them is the firebox of an already heated stove with aspen wood. The flame from them is hotter, the soot instantly burns out. But this method cannot be used for heavy deposits - soot can explode and damage the chimney. Therefore, before you clean the chimney, you should inspect it. It is recommended to use aspen for prevention. When kindling, it is enough to put a couple of logs to regular fuel.
There are safer ways to clean the chimney with folk remedies. A kilogram of table salt or a bucket of potato peelings is placed in a hot and heated oven and heated. They should be dried beforehand so as not to lower the temperature in the firebox. The action of the funds will be milder than from chemicals.
Determining the cleaning time
Over time, deposits will form on pipes made of any material. It must be cleaned, otherwise the chimney will not work efficiently. When clogged, a back draft effect is formed and the smoke enters the room, and not to the street. This can also lead to failure of the oven.
When choosing a cleaning time, you need to pay attention to the following factors:
- Downtime. When was the last cleaning done, in what way.
- Chimney design. How can the pipes be cleaned. The smoothness of the walls is also taken into account.
- What kind of fuel is used. Was raw wood used for the firebox? Have plastic and other rubbish been thrown into the stove?
There are a number of signs by which one can understand that it is necessary to clean chimneys and chimneys from soot.
- Change in smoke color. With a clean chimney, almost transparent smoke comes out into the street.If it begins to blacken, soot has accumulated in the pipe, which must be removed.
- Changing the color of the fire in the furnace. Under normal conditions, it should be light orange, and the wood should crackle characteristically. If an orange color appears, the chimney should be cleaned.
The simplest and most reliable way is a preventive check of the chimney by specialists. For this they use special weights that are placed in the pipe. If they easily pass to the oven, there is no precipitation or they are minimal. In the event of obstructions, urgent cleaning is required.
Consequences from uncleaned chimneys
A stove or fireplace is a potential fire hazard. For this reason, when working with such heaters, it is imperative to observe safety precautions, which include periodic cleaning of pipes.
The main consequences of uncleaned chimneys:
- Fire. A large build-up of soot may result in a fire in the ventilation pipes.
- Reduced efficiency of the heating system. Plaque leads to a decrease in the heat capacity of the pipe and poor smoke extraction. As a result, the house will be poorly heated and there is a risk of smoke entering the building.
- Health problems in humans and pets. With poor cleaning, soot and other dust particles accumulate in the pipes, which enter the respiratory and visual organs. They can cause serious illness to the occupants. In addition, chimney ducts clogged with soot poison all people and animals in the room with carbon monoxide.
- Explosions. Soot tends to explode when accumulated, so it must be removed periodically.
To keep your home safe and healthy, you should do preventive pipe cleaning. The frequency of the procedure depends on the type and material of the chimney, as well as the frequency of its use.
Just a ruff, not any powders and a log of a chimney sweep, and even more so for cleaning potatoes. Only a mechanical way is not convenient
When the chimney is completely clogged, neither the kaminichek nor the chimney sweep will help. There is a way, try to light the stove, and throw a used gas lighter into it. Hold the firebox door. A little cotton, a column of soot over the pipe, and voila! Traction !!!
For more than 30 years I have been cleaning the chimney only with aspen wood. I only heat the stove with aspen once a year and don't expect any trouble.
I don’t understand. What chimneys are we talking about every time? About the iron ones? I have a brick chimney with an internal passage of 200x200, in turn. How is it necessary to clog up such a passage with soot than to heat it? The main flame is in the first revolution. And if there, something does not burn. settles in a sump. After winter, I take out 4 scoops of ash through the cleaning. The second turn passes the smoke, settling the large ones that have not been burnt in the first turn. The third chimney throws smoke on the gun. From the bottom, the first and third are connected. In the spring, 2 scoops of ash. I haven’t cleaned a pipe for 40 years, I hope I won’t be in another 40 years.
I heat with dry birch wood, no problem.
If you heat the stove correctly: with dry birch, alder wood, and for prevention at the end of the firebox, throw a couple of dry aspen woods, then there will never be any problems. And after each firing of the stove, it is necessary to clean the firebox itself. (Placing coals and ash burnt to ashes in a tight bag for further use in the country) That's the whole secret.
you won't warm up the brick well through the soot
Reading the comments, I noticed one thing - everyone is talking about the fact that they heat with dry wood. It is clear that then little soot is formed. But because of the government, now people are forced to heat with anything, including garbage with plastic, and therefore the problem of cleaning the chimney is relevant. Although I noticed that if plastic is brought into a hot stove along with wood, it burns well and gives a little soot. But if someone tries to melt plastic waste and uses wet cod sawdust, then a problem appears and you have to clean the chimney once a year. wells and stoves so that you have to clean the chimney two or three times a season.
The most important thing in this case is to bring the dew point outside the chimney and even the chimney. This can be achieved by insulating the existing structure with basalt or mineral wool or glass wool to prevent condensation of soot and tar in the wells or chimney.