How to clean voids around clay liners?

[justinandlaura]

How to clean smoke chamber and voids? I have 2 clay flues, one to the basment and one stops at the fireplace. There is a large void between the 2 flues and the brick walls of the chimney that seems to be fair full of creaote deposits from a coal/wood stove that was vented only as far as the damper plate. How am I to clean these voids as there is no way to access them from the top and they are irregularly shaped. I'm installing an insert with a full length liner. How concerned should I be?

 

[bholler]

How to clean smoke chamber and voids? I have 2 clay flues, one to the basment and one stops at the fireplace. There is a large void between the 2 flues and the brick walls of the chimney that seems to be fair full of creaote deposits from a coal/wood stove that was vented only as far as the damper plate. How am I to clean these voids as there is no way to access them from the top and they are irregularly shaped. I'm installing an insert with a full length liner. How concerned should I be?

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You could try feeding a rotary cleaner up through there. But if I was doing that install I would remove the 8x12 liners to make that area easy to clean. It should have never been used like that

 

[begreen]

Kind of scary. It looks like smoke can go up alongside the liner.

 

[justinandlaura]

Kind of scary. It looks like smoke can go up alongside the liner.

It can thats exactly correct, and the town inspector approved the installation for the previous owners. Im pretty nervous about doing anything with it.

 

[bholler]

It can thats exactly correct, and the town inspector approved the installation for the previous owners. Im pretty nervous about doing anything with it.

That is why I have said many times passing inspection doesn't mean much at all.

 

[justinandlaura]

You could try feeding a rotary cleaner up through there. But if I was doing that install I would remove the 8x12 liners to make that area easy to clean. It should have never been used like that

One of the liners is for the furnace /water heater, im concerned if i bust out the fireplace liner ill also bust the other one i'd like to keep intact. ugh

 

[bholler]

One of the liners is for the furnace /water heater, im concerned if i bust out the fireplace liner ill also bust the other one i'd like to keep intact. ugh

Yeah that is a definite risk. And another problem with the chimney construction. The 2 flues should be separated by brick

 

[EbS-P]

Can you get a 10 or 12” Polly brush and trim to a rectangle they probably make rectangular ones
Too. You will need the rods anyway with an insert

 

[bholler]

Can you get a 10 or 12” Polly brush and trim to a rectangle they probably make rectangular ones
Too. You will need the rods anyway with an insert

That won't clean the crap out of area next to the 8x12 liners

 

[EbS-P]

That won't clean the crap out of area next to the 8x12 liners

On second look that’s a much larger void than it first looked. Rotary is best answer. I probably would have screwed my wire brushes to the lingered 2x2 pieces I could get up there and then keep screwing the the 2x together. Not as good a a rotary.

 

[Rob_Red]

other than using for few ambiance fireplace burns per year I am not a fan of clay liners in general. In one season (after a pre season professional cleaning) I had mine glaze up, have a small chimney fire and crack, I only knew anything happened when my smoke detectors and CO alarms wouldn’t quite because smoke was coming into the walls.

 

[begreen]

One of the liners is for the furnace /water heater, im concerned if i bust out the fireplace liner ill also bust the other one i'd like to keep intact. ugh

The alternative is to do the best cleaning you can and drop down an insulated liner. The Duraliner system can transition to their flex liner connector that can be insulation wrapped so that the offset is not necessary.