Do-it-yourself chimney cleaning in a bathhouse: the best methods + prevention of soot deposits

It is difficult to imagine a good private home without a wood stove. However, any device requires regular maintenance in the form of cleaning. Therefore, over time, every owner thinks about how to clean the chimney pipe in a bathhouse from soot. After all, sooner or later the draft decreases, which leads to poor heating and smoke entering the room.

To save yourself from possible troubles, you need to timely service any equipment. In this article we will give recommendations for self-care of systems.

Types of clogs and the need for cleaning

The need to clean the chimney arises due to improper operating conditions of the stove. Some of them can be prevented at an early stage, and some are eliminated only as they appear.

The most common causes of blockages in pipes include:

condensation accumulation;
soot formation;
ash accumulation;
foreign objects entering the chimney.

Soot formation

If the pipe in the attic is not insulated, drops of moisture form on its surface. They absorb combustion products produced by firewood, forming soot. With each use of the stove, this layer gradually thickens until the pipe is almost completely overgrown.

Condensation accumulation

When using wet wood to light a stove, a large amount of steam is generated. It accelerates the process of overgrowing the chimney with soot, blocking the draft. Try to keep wood in a dry, ventilated place.

Foreign objects getting inside

If the chimney opening is wide enough and not covered with a protective cap, various foreign objects can get into it. Initially, they do not have a significant effect on the operation of the furnace, but as they accumulate, the draft begins to get worse and worse.

Resin deposition

Many bathhouse owners do not suspect that the material of wood used to fire the stove directly affects the rate at which the pipe becomes clogged. When softwood is used for kindling, a large amount of resin evaporates into the air, some of which settles on the walls of the chimney. It is prohibited to place objects made of plastic, chipboard and plywood sheets into the firebox.

Note! Experienced bathhouse owners advise using wood made from hardwood for ignition.

Ash accumulation

Chimneys made with a large number of bends become clogged with ash faster than usual. When designing a chimney, try to choose a simple design with a minimum number of elbows. If the situation forces you to use complex, bent structures, install special hatches near the bends, through which it will be convenient to clean out ash and other debris in the future.

Tips for the care and operation of sauna stoves and chimneys

In order not to bring the chimney to a critical state and not to put your life in danger, it is recommended to carry out its prevention.

It is as follows:

Once a quarter, burn a package of aluminum foil in the firebox. This metal turns plaque into dust.
Insulate the pipe to prevent condensation. Protect it from above with an umbrella from foreign objects.
Use fuel with minimal tar content.
Carry out scheduled preventive cleaning of the pipe twice a year.

How to check the status

If the oven begins to function intermittently, it is necessary to determine the cause of the malfunction. For this use:

visual inspection;
special video systems;
are guided by indirect signs that indicate a clogged chimney.

Visual inspection

The most affordable method that does not require owners to have certain tools or skills. Enough:

remove the pipe;
check its insides for blockages.

Special video systems

If you don’t have the strength or desire to dismantle the chimney, use special video systems. They are placed inside the chimney and inspect it for blockages along its entire length. This option requires significant financial costs, but you will know the current condition of the furnace with 100% accuracy.

Indirect signs

If you don’t have money for a video system, focus on indirect signs that appear when problems occur with the pipe. These include:

penetration of smoke into the room during ignition;
firewood burns slowly;
flakes of soot fly in the air;
during operation, the stove emits unpleasant odors;
the fire goes out randomly.

Slow kindling

Due to poor ventilation inside the chamber, smoke quickly fills its entire volume, and the firewood burns more slowly than usual. If this happens to your stove, it's time to think about cleaning it. There is no point in delaying this, since the chimney is already in critical condition and will soon fail completely.

Smoke comes in

In the event that smoke begins to penetrate through the damper in the stove, ignition must be stopped, and the chimney must be cleaned as soon as possible. In this case, the situation is extremely deplorable, since the chimney opening is completely clogged with combustion products.

Poor traction

Pay attention to the color of the fire in the firebox while the stove is operating. With good draft, the flames are directed upward and have a bright color. If the flame is dim and the reeds constantly fluctuate, it means that the draft is not sufficient, and the pipe needs preventive cleaning.

Black smoke

Black smoke escaping from the chimney indicates:

poor quality firewood;
pipe clogging.

You should either clean the pipe or select other firewood for ignition.

Soot flakes

Soot flakes flying in the air during kindling indicate severe clogging of the pipe. If this is not corrected, the chimney will become completely overgrown with soot, making it much more difficult to clean.

Arbitrary flame extinction

There are often cases when the flame in the firebox suddenly goes out. This occurs due to a lack of oxygen in the firebox, since the draft is minimal or completely absent. It is not worth continuing to use such a stove, as nothing good will come of it.

Unpleasant odor during heating

The cause of the unpleasant odor is carbon monoxide. It is not removed through a clogged chimney, but goes indoors. If such a situation occurs, you should immediately stop ignition and ventilate the room.

Cleaning soot with a brush

The most accessible and simple way to clean soot from a pipe in a bathhouse is to use a brush. Taking into account the individual characteristics of the chimney, you should choose a suitable model that can reach all corners and bends of the pipe and clean the chimney along its entire length.

It is best to use a brush with nylon fibers. Having sufficient strength and flexibility, such fibers penetrate deeply into the thickness of the soot layer and gently remove it without damaging the surface of the pipe.

The advantage of such a nylon brush is that it is perfectly capable of reaching the bends of the chimney pipe in order to remove soot and soot from there. But it is not advisable to use hard brushes in this situation, since they can leave scratches and nicks on the surface of the chimney, on which more soot will accumulate.

The flexible handle of this brush makes it easier to reach far corners and is convenient to manipulate.

Methods for cleaning a chimney

Chimneys have been around for hundreds of years, and during that time many ways to clean them have been invented. Highlight:

mechanical method;
chemical;
cleaning using traditional methods.

Which one to choose depends on your capabilities and preferences. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Mechanical method

Previously, this method was used everywhere, and there was even a special profession - chimney sweep. Now it has almost gone out of use, but the method is still used due to its accessibility and effectiveness. You will need:

a brush whose diameter exceeds the diameter of the pipe being cleaned by 2 times;
a strong cable with which the brush will be immersed inside the pipe;
a heavy weight, the diameter of which should not exceed 50% of the cross-section of the pipe being cleaned.

Chemical method

The chemical method involves burning special substances that destroy the blockage without damaging the pipe material. Today, there are many types of drugs that have their own positive and negative properties.

Kominichek

A drug used to prevent blockages in chimneys. The principle of purification is based on the catalytic effect, through which soot is destroyed, turning into carbon dioxide.

Thanks to the special formula, the possibility of soot igniting in the chimney is prevented, which makes the cleaning process easy and safe.

Chimney sweep

Another preventative agent, the use of which prevents the formation of plaque on the walls of the pipe. It is recommended to use the Chimney Sweep at least once every 2 weeks, subject to intensive use of the stove. If the bathhouse is rarely used, you can throw the product into the firebox once every couple of months.

Anti-carbon chemical composition

A powder made using a special formula, the use of which allows you to combat plaque that forms on the walls of the chimney. On average, about two hundred grams of the substance are consumed when burning one ton of wood. The amount spent may vary depending on the manufacturer.

Salt

It is used only to prevent the formation of blockages and is not suitable if a thick layer of soot occurs. Algorithm of actions:

light the stove;
throw a handful of table salt into the firebox;
a chemical reaction is formed that prevents the deposition of harmful substances.

It is necessary to apply at least 2 times within a month, otherwise the method will not give any visible results.

Smoke box

The box is filled with a special mixture and is placed in the firebox while the stove is in use. Within a few hours, the product acts on the blockage, destroying and removing it. The effect lasts for 2 weeks, and repeated cleaning will be required no earlier than after 3 months. The product does not have an unpleasant odor, which is positively noted by many customers.

Vortex

A log weighing 750 grams, made from recycled wood. Helps remove harmful deposits and soot. It is enough to place a log while using the stove and let it burn completely.

POLESHKO-TE

It is used to clean the chimney, and the action algorithm is as follows:

light the stove;
place POLESHKO-TE in the firebox;
wait 1.5-2 hours until the product burns out completely;
We leave the ash in the firebox after ignition, since the residual effect lasts for another 1-2 uses of the stove.

SAGINET

An environmentally friendly product used to prevent blockages. Allows:

clean the chimney from soot;
increases the heat transfer of the kindling material;
increases cravings;
valid for 2 weeks after use.

Traditional methods

There is no desire to clean the pipe with a brush, and there is no money for expensive chemicals - do not despair. Folk remedies will come to the rescue, allowing you to clean the chimney almost as effectively, without additional financial investments.

Metal pipes are cleaned with ordinary water, and brick pipes are cleaned by burning potato peelings.

The essence of cleansing with water is as follows:

water is poured into the pipe from the street side;
You don’t need to pour a lot, a small volume of liquid is enough;
as soon as dirty water begins to seep into the firebox, start a fire;
continue to gradually add water into the pipe;
As soon as the wood burns completely, pour a bucket of water into the chimney - all the soot flows down, coming off the walls.

Potato peelings

A simple method that requires half a bucket of potato peels. It is dried in the sun, after which it is placed in the oven on preheated coals. The starch released during combustion softens the soot layer, and it peels off from the pipe, falling into the firebox.

Vacuum cleaning

In order to clean a chimney using a vacuum method, you need special equipment. A special device is placed in the pipe, which forces air inside. Under high pressure, the blockage is knocked out, clearing the entire length of the pipe. The advantages of the method include:

efficiency;
removal of deposits even in difficult areas of the chimney.

Minus:

When using the method, a lot of dirt is thrown out, which settles throughout the area.

Thermal method

A dangerous method that involves burning deposits with flammable materials. It is not recommended to use if there is a large amount of deposits, as the chimney structure will not withstand the load.

Cleaning the outer walls

It is not necessary to clean the outer walls of the pipe, since this will not have any serious effect.

Perhaps the heat transfer and service life of the pipe will increase slightly, but these indicators are too insignificant to affect anything.

Making your own cleaning brush

You will need:

broom;
metal cable;
hairpin;
washers;
clamps.

We bend the pile on the broom, and then thread a pin with a pre-installed washer into the lower part. We press on the base of the broom and put on the following fasteners. We secure the cable and adjust the pile to the diameter of the chimney. We attach a small metal weight to the brush, the weight of which should be at least 2 kilograms.

How to clean a pipe from soot in a bathhouse with your own hands

Cleaning the chimney pipe of a bathhouse is not a difficult task, but it is necessary to observe the order of work and accuracy.

Chimney inspection

Cleaning begins with an inspection. Based on the results obtained, a suitable method is selected. If the sauna chimney is equipped with inspection hatches, they are all opened. The accumulation of soot at the connecting joints of a metal pipe indicates their depressurization. The chimney will first have to be disassembled, each element cleaned and reassembled, treating each joint with heat-resistant paste.

Making your own pipe cleaning brush

If you don’t have a factory-made brush at hand, you can easily make one from a PET bottle. The diameter of the bottle is selected to approximate the cross-section of the pipe. The container must fit freely into the channel. The bottom of the bottle is cut off, the body is cut halfway into strips 1.5 cm wide, and folded over the sides. A rope is threaded through the neck, the load and the bottle itself are secured so that it does not move. The ruff is ready.

Important! Brushes with metal bristles should not be used to clean steel chimneys.

Primary cleaning

The chimney pipe of the bathhouse begins to be cleaned from the street. The first step is to dismantle the head. Thick soot build-ups are scraped off and thrown onto the ground or into a bucket. Clean the head itself. If the bathhouse has not been used for a long time, nests of birds, wasps, and wild bees can be found inside the chimney channel. All items are removed using hooks or other devices.

Soot removal

Based on the inspection results, one of the existing cleaning methods is selected. It is important to know that manufacturers of metal chimneys do not recommend burning them. Only the mechanical method is applicable here, but without the use of steel scrapers and brushes.

How to clean a brick chimney in a bathhouse

All existing methods are applicable for a brick channel. Filling water using the traditional method is excluded. Brushes will work even with metal bristles, but caution is needed. Scratched walls are an increase in the roughness of the channel. Soot will get caught on burrs and potholes, and the bathhouse pipe will clog faster. It is optimal to blow out a brick pipe using a vacuum method or clean it by burning chemicals.

Recommendations from experienced specialists

There is a lot of advice from experienced specialists, the main ones are listed below.

How to prepare properly

Proper preparation includes:

selection of tools;
use of personal protective equipment in case of mechanical and thermal cleaning;
following the instructions from the manufacturer.

Combination of methods

To achieve maximum results, it is recommended to combine several methods, alternating them with each other.

Prevention

In order not to disassemble the entire chimney and not spend huge amounts of money on restoring the stove, do not forget about preventive measures. One prevention per month is enough to forget about a clogged pipe for a long time.

What weather is best to do it?

It is better to carry out cleaning in dry weather, in the absence of wind.

Insurance

When cleaning the chimney mechanically, do not forget about the safety rope, which will protect you from falling from the roof.

Refusal of resinous tree species when burning

Coniferous trees contain a lot of resin, which settles in large quantities on the walls. If you use deciduous trees, you can forget about blockages for a long time.

Instructions for chemicals

Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the chemical container. You should not experiment, because it will not lead to anything good.

Burning aluminum cans

A rather unconventional way to clean a pipe in a bathhouse is to burn aluminum cans, which produce virtually no soot. To get rid of soot, you should burn the jars about once every ten kindlings.

However, to get the right temperature and get the can to burn and not just warp and change color, you need to use solid carbon. If the oven temperature is high enough, it will take about 5 minutes to burn one can.

Horizontal section

The methods for cleaning straight chimneys are more or less clear, since the only difficulty is choosing the right cleaning tools. It is much more difficult with winding chimneys, especially those with many horizontal sections.

Attention! According to SNiP rules, the total length of the horizontal sections of the chimney pipe should not exceed one meter.

Care should be taken to clean such structures at the manufacturing stage:

Install special metal doors directly near the horizontal sections;
Arrange the removed bricks if the chimney is brick.

This way, you will always have access to even the most difficult to reach areas.