# Poly or Wire Chimney Brush?



## patdale (Jun 18, 2012)

This year will be my first time cleaning the chimney on my own. I have 6-in. steel double wall piping.  Would it be better to use a poly or wire brush?  Thanks


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## pen (Jun 18, 2012)

I feel better using poly in SS myself, even though I doubt you'd have any problems with a metal brush.

pen


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## BrotherBart (Jun 18, 2012)

Metal brush is just fine in rigid piping and pretty much fine in corrugated liners. Most people use poly in corrugated liners and they do the job alright and allay any concerns about leaving corrosive bits of the brush in the liner.


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## velvetfoot (Jun 19, 2012)

I'd go with the poly if I could-just bought a new poly one - maybe that'll fit, otherwise I do wire.


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## firefighterjake (Jun 19, 2012)

pen said:


> I feel better using poly in SS myself, even though I doubt you'd have any problems with a metal brush.
> 
> pen


 
+1 . . . went with poly myself.


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## WES999 (Jun 19, 2012)

I use a poly.
I posted this some time ago: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...if-your-brush-is-too-small.70908/#post-894139

Try it if the poly is not doing as good a job as you would like.


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## Jags (Jun 19, 2012)

Also - if you are in the market for a brush, you might want to take a look at the "soot eater". It is a bit different design (and use), but I like mine.

(I have NO affiliation to the product, just a happy user)


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## patdale (Jun 19, 2012)

Thanks everyone. I had planned on getting the poly brush and come down from the top for the straight section and using a Soot Eater from the bottom up to get the two 45 deg. bends.


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## NextEndeavor (Jun 19, 2012)

Wear a cheap disposable breathing mask to keep the nasty stuff out of the lungs. Mine drafts really well even now and the very fine powdery poison floats right up into your face.


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## Wood Heat Stoves (Jun 23, 2012)

I use a wire brush myself but the poly brushes work just as well. Generally, the wire brushes last longer. I had always heard that you need to use a poly brush for sweeping a coal chimney because of the coal soot being explosive from a spark from a wire brush but we don't burn coal in this area so I don't know if that's true or not.


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## BoilerMan (Jun 25, 2012)

Poly.  My Class A explicitly states only poly is to be used, or the lifetime warrantee is not valid.  It's a SuperVent (Selkirk).  Funny thing is I had to but the poly brush at another store.........   Stainless steel's corrosion resistence is from it's oxide which protects it from oxygen.  If you scrape it off it has to "rust" more of it's self healing oxide to protect itself.  This means that you can actually make it corrode itself through, if you remove this oxide on a regular basis. 

Taylor


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## REDTAIL (Jul 17, 2012)

I bought some 1/4" fiberglass poles and a Rutland 6" poly brush for my 6" stainless steel
DuraVent chimney.  I took my wire clippers and clipped off about 1/8" half-way around the
brush, because it was a little too tight to get all the way down the pipe and through a mild bend.

It worked very well.  It took less than an hour.  The kit has already paid for itself in 2 years,
compared to hiring a professional chimney sweep.

I think they (Rutland) make them slightly too big for 6" inch chimney pipe.

It cleans really well and I can now get it to go all the down the chimney!


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## PapaDave (Jul 17, 2012)

Did the same Redtail, when I switched to 6". The brush was too difficult to get down the pipe, so I snipped all the way around.
Much gooder now.


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## Eric Johnson (Jul 17, 2012)

A wire brush won't melt quite as quickly as a poly one if you jump the gun and try to clean the chimney before it's cooled off. That said, I'd go with poly if you plan to use it a lot (say on a weekly or monthly basis). I used to do that because 1.) I had a creosote monster of a boiler, and 2.) with an internal straight (but corrugated) chimney liner with a clean out in the basement, it was easy to do, so frequency = peace of mind.


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## Hogwildz (Jul 18, 2012)

Eye roll...... where is that dead horse?


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## pen (Jul 19, 2012)

Hogwildz said:


> Eye roll...... where is that dead horse?


 
It's the off season. Just enjoy the chat while things are light 

pen


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## jensent (Jul 19, 2012)

Poly only per the manufacturer. Have high temp dbl wall insulated stainless steel chimney. Best check. Instructions claimed the steel brush would damage the chimney
Tom


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