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Showerthought: Wire brush vs poly brush for flue cleaning
I used a wire brush for years on my jobs in Portland. Last month I grabbed a poly brush on a whim from a supply house on 82nd. Took half the time to clean a 8 inch flue and no scratches on the liner. Anyone else switch and not go back?
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jamesroberts1mo ago
The first time I used a poly brush on a 6 inch liner over in Beaverton I literally stopped and said out loud "this is WAY better." @theagibson you are absolutely right, I felt like an idiot for dragging a wire brush around for years. The poly just glides through soot without that awful scraping noise and my forearms don't ache the next day. No more worrying about gouging the stainless steel on a high efficiency furnace vent either.
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wendy6281mo ago
Just to clarify real quick because I see this a lot - the poly brushes are actually called "polypropylene" not just "poly" if you're ordering them from a supply house. But yeah you're right that they're way easier on liners. One thing though, make sure you're not using them on clay tile flues with heavy creosote buildup from wood burning. I've seen guys try that and the bristles just fold over and don't scrub hard enough. They're really designed more for gas and oil vents where you've got that light fluffy soot that practically falls off. Wire brush still has its place for the tough stuff.
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