Just used a new plastic brush...

[velvetfoot]

and it went through almost too easy. Not much resistance. This is first time I used it. I had been using a 6" metal brush by Worster brush. The new one is also 6" by Shaefer. I had tried a plastic brush once before, but it was too stiff. This one seems too loose. I'm torn between going back over it with the metal brush or just calling it a day. Don't get me wrong, there was some resistance in spots. The lining is flexible stainless. I want to do the right thing with the plastic and less wear.

 

[Woody Stover]

Same think here when I went to the poly brush. I guess it's good enough if I'm just knocking off the powder, and not trying to scrub off glazed creo. I'm not really sure why they recommend poly. I though maybe because steel could poke/wear through a thin liner. Maybe there's another reason, though....

 

[BrotherBart]

The ends of steel brush bristles over time break off little pieces that can embed in the soot in the corrugations of of a flex liner and set up corrosion.

But most sweeps use steel for years on flex liners with no noticeable ill effect.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

What counts in the end is how the chimney looks.

 

[Woody Stover]

Thinking more, I wonder if the pressure you feel when you have to reverse a steel brush in the pipe would bend the poly bristles over time, if the fit was tighter?

 

[NortheastAl]

Thought steel brushes are a no-no in any stainless liner?

 

[velvetfoot]

Thinking more, I wonder if the pressure you feel when you have to reverse a steel brush in the pipe would bend the poly bristles over time, if the fit was tighter?

Yeah. It was very loosey goosey. Thing is, I had another plastic one that was so tight I couldn't use it.

 

[BrotherBart]

If you got the one this time that is made for Zero Clearance fireplace chimneys it has more but softer bristles. That is the one I use since I have 5.5 liners and brushes for them are all but non-existent. They are thinner not as stiff bristles so they make turns in chimneys easier. Mine gets it done great in both liners. The stiffer one I tried even cut to 5.5" was like dragging a bowling ball through the liners.

 

[fire_man]

I've done a lot of research on this one - I'm about to pull the trigger on a sooteater which has great reviews on Hearth.com and on Amazon.com.

My chimney installer made me promise not to use my old steel brush on my brand new rigid liner, even though the manufacturer said it was ok.

As a bonus: I won't have to climb up on my newly shingled roof anymore!

 

[NortheastAl]

I've done a lot of research on this one - I'm about to pull the trigger on a sooteater which has great reviews on Hearth.com and on Amazon.com.

My chimney installer made me promise not to use my old steel brush on my brand new rigid liner, even though the manufacturer said it was ok.

As a bonus: I won't have to climb up on my newly shingled roof anymore!

Go ahead and do it! Works great. Got mine through Amazon, and the price was right.

 

[velvetfoot]

The brush box says:
pro-sweep brush
item #: 34606
6" round
.050 prostran

(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/6-pro-sweep-medium-duty-poly-chimney-brush-34606-34606/reviews/category/chimney-brushes-round?p=2)

Screw it. I'm calling it good.

 

[fire_man]

I used a steel brush and one good pull through the liner was definitely enough, it fit really tight and cleaned quickly. I get the feeling with the poly brush you have to scrub back and forth if you want to get the same level of cleaning.

 

[velvetfoot]

It felt like in some places there wasn't any contact at all.

 

[fire_man]

If you always used a steel brush and switched to poly, you are probably just used to the gratifying snug spring-like fit which you won't get with poly.

That's another plus for the sooteater, the drill does all the work.

 

[velvetfoot]

I hear you, but I just don't want to buy more stuff.

 

[Highbeam]

My rutland brand poly brush is loose in the class A but tight in the double wall interior pipe. I just scrub up and down a lot and don't depend on a single pass to get it clean. The whole time I'm singing chim chimeree chim chimeree chim chim cheroo so a couple extra strokes is no problem.

It is loose enough in the class A that I could actually drop it into the pipe as I thread more sections of rod on. So yes, it is loose.

All simpson pipe BTW.

I was going to make a raunchy joke about brush size vs. pipe size but the wife would say it is my fault.

 

[WES999]

I posted this before, but here it is again.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...if-your-brush-is-too-small.70908/#post-894139
Try this your chimney will look like new.

 

[pyroholic]

I just got a Rutland poly for my 8" class A and it fit nice. First time I've ever cleaned a chimney, but it fit as I would expect and did a nice job. Got a half gallon of powdery creosote. Seems good for a vc defiant and less than ideal wood. Only 4 months of burning though to get that. Wood will be good this season so hopefully less next time. I'll check mid season to be sure.

 

[bag of hammers]

I use the poly brush - it's tight enough that I can't reverse it in the pipe - have to push it right out the bottom of the flue and then pull back up. Not sure if that's typical, but there's probably a raunchy joke in there too...