Reversing a chimney brush

[ScottB]

I looked all over the boards for this but apparently nobody is talking about it. I have a 6" stainless chimney, got a 6" poly brush to clean it. When I started to push it in from the top, I realized that it would not come out. The bristles had wedged themselves in. I tried twisting it and it was too tight for that as well. So I pushed the bristles down enough to dislodge it. Went to the local store and tried pushing a wire brush into a section of chimney. Same thing happened. I had to push it all the way through to get it out. Asked the clerk and he said that you had to push the brush all the way through to the stove so that it can expand and come back through the other way. None of the product manuals (Drolet stove, Selkirk chimney, Rutland brush) say anything about this. Unfortunately I didn't pay close enough attention to the construction of the stove to see if there was a big enough opening in the top for the brush to clear this way. My stove pipe and chimney go straight up and out with no elbows. But from the image in the manual where they talk about the bypass damper, it appears that this space doesn't exist. And some of the stoves at the store (other brands than mine) had a damper at the outlet of the stove.

So what am I missing? Are you supposed to be able to reverse the brush mid section in the chimney? Doesn't feel like it is possible. If not, then how do you clean it without taking the stove pipe off? Is there another type of brush that is reversable?

 

[burntime]

Do you have a 6 inch brush in a 5.5 inch liner? I have a flexable selkirk and poly brush and I scrub all the way down and back up with no problems.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

The ridges really grab that SOB. Is it properly sized? Is there a problem with pushing it all the way through? If it works, then just do that. One run through- just one way is all my liner needed- if it needs more scrubbing then repeat or trim down the bristles just a bit.

 

[andybaker]

I have a Rutland brush to clean out my 6" stainless steel chimney. I go up and down with just fine. I wouldn't be able to push it through anyway because of the afterburner tubes are in the way. I will tell what stupid thing I did this year. The brush screws onto the pole and then I start to push it in. I always kinda twist the pole as I'm running it up and down so the pole won't work its way out of the threads. I start pushing it up and down and its making a loud shrieking noise because it's such a tight fit. Well, as I'm doing this a very, very large hawk must have heard the shrieking and flies over and lands on my neighbors roof. He's walking back and forth looking at me angrily and takes off and flies right over my head. While being distracted I had started twisting the pole the wrong way and the pole came out of the brush with it in there about 4'. I thought I was screwed but somehow managed to catch the threads after about 5 minutes of carefully feeling around for the hole in the brush with the end of the pole. I pulled out and screwed it back in good, double checked the right way to put pressure on it so I didn't do it again. I'm way up my roof looking around the neighborhood to see if anybody saw this stupid stunt, luckily no one did.

Anyway, maybe just because your brush is new it's extra stiff and needs a little more muscle, just don't do what I did.

Andybaker

 

[ScottB]

It's a 6" chimney and a 6" brush.
I don't think that there is space to push it into and open space the stove so it can reverse.
It seems REALLY tight and doesn't feel like it will reverse. When I tried to pull it out of the chimney, it felt like the chimney was starting to move. Do I just need to really force it back? I made a connector pole out of 1" PVC pipe and fittings.

 

[meathead]

If you can push it down enough to dislodge it, just do that and then pull it back up. You could trim the brush down a bit with some dikes. Or go to plan B and pull like h$%& and see what happens.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Scott- that's how mine is as well. Tie a rope to the ring on the other side with something for weight so that you can pull it through from the bottom if it gets stuck. Mine was clean after I got it through, so hey- it worked.

 

[BurningIsLove]

Agreed....sounds like your brush may be one size too large. I had a similar problem my first time, but as it turned out, I wasnt applying enough pulling force to reverse the metal bristles. Once I rigged up a better safety line and could apply more force w/o fear of falling off the roof, I was able to reverse the direction with some force. You could also put a pair of vice grips on the rod to apply more leverage. Alternatively if that doesnt work, you could trim a few of the bristles off, but do so incrementally in small bits.

 

[Pagey]

I ended up trimming my 6" poly brush to make it a little less snug. Before, it was so snug that it was almost impossible to reverse the brush from even the first 3' section of the SS liner. I could only imagine trying to reverse it after getting down 18'! I cleaned my liner with the trimmed brush, and it did just fine. I got about a cup of light, brown flaky stuff. Now I suppose that if one had some of that nasty, black, tar-like stuff in his liner a tighter fit might be called for. Someone please correct me if I am spouting nonsense. It's been a crazy week.

 

[BrotherBart]

Which Drolet stove do you have?

 

[Hogwildz]

Tie rope on lower end to pull it down, tie rope on upper end to pull back up, wallah. I think BB does it this way.
Make sure you USE good rope!

Edited to protect the poster from lawsuits.

 

[Pagey]

Tie rope on lower end to pull it down, tie rope on upper end to pull back up, wallah. I think BB does it this way.
Make sure you sue good rope!

OMG, we live in such a litigious society! *rolleyes*

 

[BrotherBart]

Make sure you sue good rope!

I tried that once. The judge threw the case out of court. :coolsmirk:

 

[Hogwildz]

Tie rope on lower end to pull it down, tie rope on upper end to pull back up, wallah. I think BB does it this way.
Make sure you sue good rope!

OMG, we live in such a litigious society! *rolleyes*

LMMFAO, OOPS, If ya can't get blood out of a stone, what can ya get out of rope.
Well maybe some toke if its made of hemp.

 

[ScottB]

OK, thanks for all of your input.
Let me make myself a little more clear.
It is a 6" chimney and a 6" brush. The brushes only come in inch increments.
I have an extension rod that I made out of 1" PVC pipe.
The stove is a Drolet Austral.
Below the outlet for the chimney on the top surface of the stove is the catalytic hoo hah and bypass damper. There is no chance of the brush coming down beyond the pipe, or of pulling it through.
I went back to the lumber yard where they sell such things and tried pushing the poly brush in question through a one foot length of chimney. I pushed it halfway in and turned it over. Tried pushing it back and there was no way in hell it was going that way. I tried calling Rutland, the mfg of the brush, but they are out on holiday until monday.
I just don't get it. I can't be the only one that has a stove without a free passage to the chimney. I can't be the only one with a 6" chimney. I can't be the only one with this brush. In fact, I am now getting pretty irritated about the situation. Suggesting that I should have to trim the bristles on the brush to just the right length is a bunch of crap. They should have designed and made it at just the right length.
This is obviously a design flaw for this application. If anyone from Rutland is reading this, I would be happy to design you a brush that actually works.
And while I am busy ranting, would it be out of the question for at least one of the companies involved (stove, chimney, brush) to explain some of this in their instructions?

 

[Hogwildz]

OK, thanks for all of your input.
Let me make myself a little more clear.
It is a 6" chimney and a 6" brush. The brushes only come in inch increments.
I have an extension rod that I made out of 1" PVC pipe.
The stove is a Drolet Austral.
Below the outlet for the chimney on the top surface of the stove is the catalytic hoo hah and bypass damper. There is no chance of the brush coming down beyond the pipe, or of pulling it through.
I went back to the lumber yard where they sell such things and tried pushing the poly brush in question through a one foot length of chimney. I pushed it halfway in and turned it over. Tried pushing it back and there was no way in hell it was going that way. I tried calling Rutland, the mfg of the brush, but they are out on holiday until monday.
I just don't get it. I can't be the only one that has a stove without a free passage to the chimney. I can't be the only one with a 6" chimney. I can't be the only one with this brush. In fact, I am now getting pretty irritated about the situation. Suggesting that I should have to trim the bristles on the brush to just the right length is a bunch of crap. They should have designed and made it at just the right length.
This is obviously a design flaw for this application. If anyone from Rutland is reading this, I would be happy to design you a brush that actually works.
And while I am busy ranting, would it be out of the question for at least one of the companies involved (stove, chimney, brush) to explain some of this in their instructions?

I don't understand why there is a problem like you have, but it seems you have the problem non the less. Scott, there are some companys that make or will custom make a specified size brush for you, I think in 1/2" increments.
You could use say a 5-1/2"er and then just go up & down the sides a 1/4 or 1/2 at a time to ensure covering all the surface.

Here is a site I found for another forum member with same problem a couple months ago...
(broken link removed)

 

[ScottB]

Thanks for the reply and the link.
I looked at their step by step instructions for cleaning a chimney. They are the most thorough I have seen so far. But they say to remove the damper plate. That doesn't work for me. As I said, the catalytic assembly is also in the way. And I am certainly not taking that out.
As far as the brush size is concerned. This is a production chimney that should be able to use a common production brush. Why is that so hard?
I will be calling Rutland on Monday to see what they have to say. I spoke with Selkirk today, and they weren't much help. They said to not use a metal brush, but couldn't really help me beyond that. They talked about removing the stove pipe to get the clearance. Not a good option as far as I am concerned. I just want a brush that fits.

 

[Hogwildz]

Thanks for the reply and the link.
I looked at their step by step instructions for cleaning a chimney. They are the most thorough I have seen so far. But they say to remove the damper plate. That doesn't work for me. As I said, the catalytic assembly is also in the way. And I am certainly not taking that out.
As far as the brush size is concerned. This is a production chimney that should be able to use a common production brush. Why is that so hard?
I will be calling Rutland on Monday to see what they have to say. I spoke with Selkirk today, and they weren't much help. They said to not use a metal brush, but couldn't really help me beyond that. They talked about removing the stove pipe to get the clearance. Not a good option as far as I am concerned. I just want a brush that fits.

Scott,
I own a non cat stove, so can't speak from knowledge re: a cat stove. But I assume the cat must come out for sweeping the chimney, otherwise I would think the crud would lay all over the top of the cat & possibly clog the pipe all together. Hopefully some cat owners will chime in. As far as the brush, either muscle the 6" through or bite the bullet and purchase a 5-1/2" brush. I highly doubt Rutland or Selkirk have an answer waiting for you.

 

[eernest4]

brushes fit really tight when they are new but as they get used more & more they crush down & wear down to a custom fit.

Eventually, they crush down & wear down so much that they are loose inside the pipe and don't do a good job of cleaning.

If you don't feel like using the strength to wear in the brush to a custom fit; prehaps because you are woried about the brush comming/(breaking) free of the handle, which is a legitimate concern; then do trim down the brush, just a little bit. Trim a little & try a fit down the stove pipe & if it is still too tight , trim a little bit more.

If you make the brush too loose, you will have to push it sideways to get it to touch the inside of the stove pipe & this could turn out to be both anoying & time consuming.

Another idea is to put a lubricant on the brush to help it slide better but this lubricant ends up inside your stove pipe & will probably make a mess & make cause smoke the first time you light the fire after cleasning out the chimney.

Do what you feel best about doing.

 

[wayneg]

I can't reverse the 6" polybrush in my 6" metal chimney either. I ended up having to push down from the top, then unscrewing the brush from the bottom (after removing the stovepipe). If I couldn't access the chimney from both ends I have no idea what I would do.

 

[velvetfoot]

I had the same problem with the stupid plastic brush and went back to metal.

 

[weezer4117]

please do not use a lubricant that is flammable the fire is desighned to be in the insert, not the chimney!!

 

[adrpga498]

I had the same problem when I bought a new poly brush. A friend at work told me that if I tried a slow pull or push during the "reverse" it won't budge. He said give it 1 quick hard pull or push depending on which direction you need to go. This will reverse all bristles at one time. Worked for me.

 

[cityevader]

Is it still stuck in the pipe?
If so, could you chuck up the handle in a drill and spin it while pulling up?
Just don't spin in reverse direction!

I just used a new Rutland 6" metal brush and it slid with no binding whatsoever. Maybe the poly ones are purposely sized a bit over?

 

[syd3006]

I have the same problem and taking the chimney apart is the only way that I have found to make it work. I posted last year trying to find a method of cleaning without taking the chimney apart to no avail. If you are interested here is my setup and my method for cleaning.

Starting at the stove which is a "Century Hearth" I have a 24"section of single wall stove pipe, above that is a 36" extendable section of single wall pipe which is essentialy a piece of 6" pipe with a slightly smaller pipe inside of it which will slide inside of it and extend its lenght. Above this is the thimble which connects to 2-36" sections of insulated "Supervent" chimney sections which extend from the ceiling inside the house to the chimney cap above the roof. The sections inside the house are fastened together with short screws and the insulated sections twist together. I start by taking the screws out of the stove pipe in the house. I then turn the thimble and pull it out of the insulated sections above and pull down on it which shortens the extendable section of pipe, I have to do this because once the inside of this pipe gets dirty it is very difficult to extend or retract and this way I can put more weight on it. Once I have pulled the extendable section together a couple of inches I can lift up on the 24" section enough to remove it. I then twist the thimble with the 36" extendable section still attached back into the upper insulated sections. Okay now the chimney is apart with a gap of about 26" or so between the stove and the 36" extendable section. I have a bunch of stacking plastic pails that I recycled from work that used to hold hydraulic oil which I stack up high enough that the 36" section of pipe is inside the top pail. I then go up on the roof, take off the chimney cap and push the brush down till it comes right out the bottom section of pipe and then pull it back up and out. Doing this about 3 or 4 times is usually enough. Now I'm done on the roof, I replace the cap and go back inside the house. The 24" section still needs to be cleaned I take it outside and run the brush through it a few times. I take the pails down, replace the 24" section of pipe on the stove lining up the screw holes and replace screws. I then twist the thimble out of the upper sections and pull it back out so I can connect the extendable section to the 24" section with the screws. Once these are connected I raise the thimble and twist it back into the insulated sections. Done!

This sounds like a pain in the neck and it is. I takes about an hour or so on a mild Saturday morning for me to do it. I don't like to pay to have someone else do it when I can do it myself and this the method that I came up with.