Clean the chimney with a metal-plastic pipe. Why chimneys become contaminated with soot and how to get rid of it yourself

Complex furnace structures
Often in large private houses, instead of a modern heating boiler, complex configurations are often laid out.

Cleaning Features:
• turns at an angle of 90 degrees are an insurmountable obstacle for brushes, brushes and hooks;
• find special cleaning holes (miniature doors) through which you can get into hard-to-reach places;
• if a “walking” brick is installed instead of a door, it is best to invite a specialist who knows all the intricacies stove masonry. Without special skills, it is very difficult to install a removable brick in place.

It is recommended to clean the chimney in early autumn, in calm weather, and here's why:
• in the hot summer the stove is not heated, so it is difficult to determine the degree of passability and effectiveness of the cleaning;
• in winter, the heating system must work properly, without any technical “interruptions”. In addition, there is snow on the roof, slippery and dangerous.

There is nothing better than conscientious prevention. It will protect the chimney from premature wear and extend its service life. Heat the stove regularly for 2-3 days in a row with birch or aspen firewood, cleared of bark. Do this at least 3-5 times a quarter, monitor the quality of traction.

It is still very early to write off stove heating - it is still actively used by a huge number of people around the world, in cities, and in rural areas, in poor regions and in well-off and prosperous countries. Moreover, to some extent we can say that home autonomous heating structures are experiencing a “rebirth”, since both stoves and fireplaces are rapidly becoming fashionable, and few suburban construction of a modern mansion can do without them.

Getting your hands on something you want or a fireplace is not everything. Such structures are always objects of increased danger, and therefore it is extremely important to be able to operate them correctly. The owners become familiar with this fairly quickly with the procedure for firing stoves in everyday use, with the types of firewood needed for them. But what’s surprising is that a negligible number of owners know how to clean a chimney with their own hands, and even fewer have done it practically.

This situation cannot be called normal. The safe operation of stoves and fireplaces in residential premises depends to a good extent on the serviceability and correct operation of the chimney system. Forgetting about this, careless owners expose their life and health to extremely high dangers and own, And their loved ones, risk the safety of their housing and acquired property.

A little theory and history

What causes clogged chimneys?

Why do build-ups form on the pipe walls that require regular cleaning?

The first factor is due to the most banal reasons - the burning of wood itself. This is a rather complex physical and chemical process consisting of several stages. Depending on the type of stoves (fireplaces, boilers), on the location and configuration of internal channels for removing combustion products, on the design, on the type of firewood used and its quality (or other fuel), both the quantity and completeness of combustion stages (flame phase or smoldering phase), which can change from one to another several times.

- So, in smoldering mode they mostly burn T solid components - coals. In this case, the gaseous products may have too low a concentration - this happens at the beginning of the furnace, until optimal temperatures are reached, and the process of releasing combustible pyrolysis gases has not yet been fully started. These gaseous combustion products quickly condense, so combustion at this stage is accompanied by the release of thick white smoke.

— In active flame combustion mode, pyrolysis gases become the main source of heat. As the temperature rises, the color of the flame changes (to close to bright white), and the smoke becomes almost invisible. But gradually their concentration decreases, and with one addition of firewood, the violent flame is soon replaced by a smoldering stage, for the reason that the gases have already escaped and the amount of combustible substances is becoming less and less.

Be that as it may, a lot of combustion products go into the chimney in any case. Mainly, with incomplete combustion, they become soot (small carbon particles), complex organic compounds, resins, and carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide). Almost all of these products are flammable, and under certain conditions can even form explosive mixtures.

At the stage of complete combustion, the organic content in the smoke decreases sharply, and the main products at the inlet become water vapor, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide gases.

• From the point of view of clogging of chimney pipes, the greatest problems are caused by smoke that is maximally saturated with incompletely burnt carbon residues (ash) and heavy resins. Therefore, it is very important to know how to choose the optimal ones - not every wood is suitable for these purposes, both in its specific heat transfer and in its biochemical composition, that is, in the concentration of heavy resinous substances. Firewood made from coniferous trees and timber is always characterized by increased resin content. By the way, not only this feature makes them undesirable for use in everyday life - just look at the table to see how much they are inferior in both density and heat transfer to firewood from deciduous trees.

Resinous substances fall with smoke onto the internal surfaces of the pipe, becoming an excellent “adhesive substrate” for the adhesion of soot deposits.

• But that's not all. Regular use of freshly cut, damp or improperly stored firewood is fraught with considerable danger. High humidity wood - this is the reason for abundant condensation on the walls of the pipe, which also “fits” very well rising up tiny soot particles.

• Everything would be fine, but nowadays many homeowners also consider the stove as a “universal waste disposer.” This means that a large amount of household waste goes into the firebox. It turns out that a huge amount of polymers, food waste, and other substances pass through the oven, which, when burned, produce whole “bouquets” of a variety of fats, resins, esters, and non-combustible solid particles, which very quickly lead to the lumen of the pipe becoming overgrown.

• A factor stimulating frequent chimney blockages may be poor quality work performed by the stove maker. Narrowing of the pipe channel, too many turns or incorrect angle, mortar residues on the inner surface of the wall - etc. - all this provokes the build-up of soot waste in such places. In addition, poor thermal insulation of the chimney or ill-conceived pipe wall thickness that does not correspond to the order scheme can lead to excessively abundant formation of condensate - and this is another step towards an emergency situation.
• We cannot exclude the possibility that some birds decided to build nests in the pipe, which was not protected from above by a cap, in the summer, when the stove was not in use. In addition, random debris, such as dead leaves, can get into the pipe. From such little things, it would seem, sometimes it becomes quite difficult to grow punchable plugs.
• Soot accumulating on the walls may, under the influence of any external reasons the whole piece will peel off and fall down. If the fragment is large enough, it often happens that it stands askew in the cavity of the pipe, and then a full-fledged blockage quickly grows on the basis of this “jumper.”

The dangers of clogged chimney pipes

There are many reasons, but no matter which of them causes the blockage, it poses many very serious threats:

• Tapered the gaps in the chimney sharply reduce draft, and therefore it is very likely reverse movement smoke - indoors, from the combustion chamber. In addition to the fact that smoke itself is unpleasant, the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning increases sharply.
• Low draft leads to an increase in the volume of condensation on the internal surfaces of the pipe, that is, further clogging of the chimney can occur even faster, like an avalanche.

• A thick layer of soot is quite strong thermal insulator, which prevents the furnace channels from heating to the desired temperature. This situation always, without exception, leads to a drop in the efficiency of the heating device and to excessive consumption of the fuel used.
• Soot is unburned solid residue, but this does not mean that it is non-flammable. On the contrary, a thick layer of soot deposits under certain conditions can easily be ignited by a flame, for example, from sparks rising with the flow of gases. This leads not only to the burning of the pipe walls, but also to the vulnerability of the entire house. This situation is one of the main causes of fires in buildings equipped with stoves.

• A chimney overgrown with soot becomes a real fire hazard for neighboring buildings - from such an uncleaned chimney very often “fiery tails” fly out - sheaves of hot solid soot particles.

Such situations are described without any exaggeration. All these troubles can occur in combination, almost simultaneously, and the consequences are sometimes the most tragic. That’s why you should never forget about regular inspections and cleanings.

How often should cleaning be carried out?

Cleaning a pipe that is heavily overgrown with soot deposits is an extremely difficult task. It is best not to let this happen, but to carry out regular inspections and preventative cleanings of the chimney.

The fact that this needs to be done is probably already clear to everyone. But who will do this?

Where can I find a chimney sweep?

But this is a problem in our time, and a considerable one. There are not many chimney sweeps left - professionals, in the understanding that has been put into this concept for several centuries.

By the way, the need for the emergence of such specialization in the Middle Ages is directly related to massive urban fires, which from time to time shook many densely populated European cities and literally destroyed them to the ground. There is an awareness of the direct relationship between the risk of fires and the condition of chimneys, and an understanding of the importance of qualified maintenance of stoves and pipes. And already in the XVII ÷ XVIII centuries first in the German principalities, and then in other countries of Northern Europe, guilds (workshops) of specialists - chimney sweeps - appeared. And in Denmark, for example, this was even carried out by royal decree, which once again proves the importance attached to their work.

By the way, this is one of those professions with which the largest number of all kinds of superstitions, signs and prejudices, urban legends and amazing, unlikely stories are associated.

On the one hand, chimney sweeps, always smeared from head to toe with soot, seemed to be outcasts who were even forbidden to move on the sidewalks for the “clean public.” But on the other hand, all representatives of this profession have always been distinguished by a rather elegant appearance - a fitted short jacket with necessarily shiny buttons and a wide leather belt, and the obligatory headdress - a top hat. They say that, perhaps, the tradition of wearing a top hat came not only from the desire to look “impressive” - it’s just that this voluminous, high headdress contained a lot of equipment and accessories necessary for work. In addition, it could serve as a good shock absorber when, for example, a brick falls on your head.

The activities of chimney sweeps sometimes evoked some mystical feelings - they were often credited with being close to “evil spirits”, they frightened naughty children, they often appeared in folklore - legends, songs, ballads, etc. Feature– very often the plot was based on the fact that under the soot-smeared mask of a chimney sweep there was hiding some kind of exile or a once-lost child of “blue blood”.

Despite all the wariness towards representatives of this profession, they were rather treated with great respect. And in many countries it is still believed that touching a chimney sweep and getting your finger dirty with soot is a sure sign good luck soon.

In many cities of Central and Northern Europe, monuments to chimney sweeps have been erected. These specialists are in great demand there even now. There are even special schools, studies in which, by the way, take several years and include, in addition to narrow technological areas, many special related disciplines, including mathematics, physics, fundamentals of architecture, ecology and even economics.

True, the “weapons” of a modern chimney sweep are much richer than before. And most importantly, devices have appeared that allow telemetric inspection of pipe channels in order to quickly find the main areas of contamination and remotely control the process of their cleaning.

Where can I find a good specialist in our area?

• Well, firstly, you can search in regional periodicals in the sections of advertisements for the provision of services. By the way, competent specialists– chimney sweeps are highly valued and surely their names and contacts should be known locally.
• Secondly, in many cities, regional centers and etc.. Specialized companies have been created and are operating - enterprises engaged in servicing furnace and boiler equipment. Surely, one of the types of services provided is inspection, repair and cleaning of chimneys.
• And thirdly, if all this is not available in local conditions, or if there is simply no desire to involve someone from the outside, you will have to learn the basic cleaning techniques yourself.

Mechanical manual cleaning of chimneys

For a long time, the main method of servicing chimneys was their mechanical cleaning, and, therefore, the main tools of chimney sweeps were brushes, pipe cleaners, heavy cannonballs on cables, scrapers, brooms and other devices. What is characteristic is that all these tools and technological methods of working with them have not undergone any significant fundamental changes to this day.

Roof side cleaning

Cleaning tool

So, to clean the chimney channel from above, from the roof side, it is usually used rope(rope) on which they are attached (tied or buckled up carabiners) hard brushes for cleaning the walls from soot and a massive weighting agent - traditionally a cast iron core with an eye was used for this.

The heavy load (the core) serves a dual function. Under the influence of its gravity, the brush-ruff (one or even several) moves in the chimney channel from top to bottom. But in case of severe blockages, the chimney sweep first breaks through the channel with the core, using it as a percussion tool. Only after the passage of the canal has been achieved, brushes can be used.

The round shape of the core is very convenient in that it minimizes the risk of it jamming in any tight, soot-covered areas of the chimney. However, this is not a dogma at all, and the craftsmen in the manufacture homemade instrument use other available loads. The main thing is that the suspended object is well centered so that it does not get skewed anywhere.

Brushes are attached above the core, in one or two tiers.

Modern brushes can be made of plastic or have long metal bristles. (It is strictly forbidden to use metal brushes on chimneys mounted on stainless steel pipes). They differ in shape: most of them are round, but you can find special brushes for rectangular chimneys.

The brushes are equipped with rings at the top and bottom for assembling them into a common structure - for attaching a cable or other circuit elements - additional brushes and a core.

There are models of long brushes designed for quick and high-quality cleaning of straight cylindrical chimneys. Plastic or metal pile in such products can be arranged in a spiral.

If desired, you can find ready-made “chimney sweep kits” in specialized stores. They are equipped for a certain diameter of the chimney and include all the elements necessary for cleaning the top - a rope (cable), a weight, a set of brushes and carabiners.

If you assemble such a device yourself, then the brush can be purchased at the store. But, apparently, there are situations when buying it for some reason is not possible at the moment. If the chimney needs urgent cleaning, but there is no brush, you can make it yourself, using it as source material old plastic bottles.

Miniature	Description of the work process
	An ordinary plastic bottle is taken and cut in two so that the upper part is about 150 mm in height. Cuts are made on the walls in increments of approximately 15 mm. The length of the cuts depends on the diameter of the chimney to be cleaned. You need to orient yourself so that with the petals bent, the diameter of the resulting brush is 30 - 40 mm larger than the size of the chimney.
	A hole is drilled in the cork (in the center) through which the rope will pass.
	After the petals are cut and bent, the plug is drilled and screwed into place, you get something like this homemade brush. It is necessary to make two such brushes - they will be located symmetrically, towards each other.
	Any massive object can be used as a load (in this case, an old bronze door knob). The weight of the load must ensure that the brush passes down through the chimney channel.
	A strong cord is securely tied to the load and then threaded through the hole in the plugs of both brushes.
	In order for the lower and upper brushes with the “pile” directed towards each other to be located at a distance from each other (from 150 to 200 mm), a glass of the appropriate height must be inserted inside this prefabricated brush. To do this, a cylinder is cut out of the remaining part of the bottle, cut lengthwise, and installed between the brushes. It is given a diameter approximately half that of the brushes, after which it is fixed with a regular office stapler. Then all that remains is to tie a fixing knot over the top brush plug - and the tool is almost ready for use!

This approach, by the way, is quite justified in country houses, where the furnace is not fired so often, and buying a professional tool or calling a specialist is simply unprofitable. And a homemade brush can cope with a one-time task no worse than a factory one. And there is no need to store it - you can always cut out a new one in a few minutes.

Video: another option for making a homemade “ruff”

How to clean

• Before starting cleaning, be sure to close all inspection hatches on the chimney. It is necessary to take some measures that will prevent the cleaned soot from falling out of the stove or fireplace onto the floor and onto interior items in the premises. For example, the hearth or combustion chamber is additionally covered with a wet cloth.
• Cleaning from the roof side must be carried out with obligatory observance special measures precautions, especially if the roof has a steep slope. Fall insurance is provided. Your feet must wear closed shoes with non-slip soles. Be sure to wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from soot or other particles. Hands are protected with gloves. It would probably be advisable to cover your face and hair, since soot is quite difficult to wash off. Such work should not be carried out during rain or strong wind. Naturally, starting such operations in a not entirely sober state, tired, or under the influence of certain medications is strictly prohibited.

• Cleaning begins by removing the umbrella (or other pipe head). Inspect the entire visible part of the canal and, if necessary, use a scraper, broom, or other available tools to clear it of debris and deposits.
• Next, a test pass is made with the core. If you come across large deposits, then the load should help deal with them - chip them off so that they fall down.
• After the load has shown the passage of the channel to the required depth, brushes are installed above the core, and the process of cleaning the walls from soot begins. The principle is simple, the work is quite tedious and dirty. The bottom of the brush moves under the weight of the load, and up when pulled by a rope. Slowly, in small sections, the walls are cleaned from the top and to the full possible depth.
• From time to time, inspection chambers on the chimney are checked - they are cleaned of soot that has fallen from above. They will be completely cleaned upon completion of work.

Instead of a cable with a load, long flexible shafts with a brush screwed onto them or prefabricated rods are increasingly used in our time. These tools are more versatile, as they allow you to clean chimneys from below, from the side of the stove (fireplace). Let's look at them below.

Cleaning the chimney from the stove side

A tool with a load is effective only until the first serious turn - even at an angle of 45 ° the passage will be problematic, and with a rectangular one it is guaranteed to stall.

To carry out cleanings, if the design of the furnace is well thought out, there must be special vents and hatches that allow cleaning tools to be inserted into the pipe cavity without resorting to disassembling it. But here gravity no longer becomes an assistant, but quite the opposite. And in order to push the brush inside the chimney, it must be placed on a rigid and at the same time flexible support.

For small areas, up to 3 - 5 meters, you can purchase a special set in the store - one or more brushes and a flexible fiberglass rod with a handle at the end.

This device is quite multifunctional. It is used by changing only brushes of different diameters for cleaning ventilation systems, small sections of chimneys, sewers.

A more professional approach - special tool, in which a flexible shaft of much larger diameter is wound onto a drum. The size of the areas being cleaned is, of course, much larger. Markings are usually applied to the flexible shaft, which allows you to accurately monitor the depth of the brush entry into the pipe.

Finally, these can be prefabricated rods that are screwed to one another as the brush moves deeper into the chimney.

You can find similar sets on sale, complete with required quantity rods made of fiberglass, and brushes of the required diameter - plastic and metal.

The rods are usually 1 m long each, equipped with threaded adapters for mutual installation with each other or for installing a brush. As a rule, there are 10 such parts in a set.

The table below shows an example of cleaning an external chimney using this kit:

Miniature	Description of the work process
	A correctly assembled external chimney at its lowest point must have a plug with a condensate collector, a tap for draining it, for inspection. Exactly this comfortable spot for cleaning.
	The plug is completely removed to open the passage into the cavity of the chimney pipe. The removed part can be immediately cleaned of dirt, fallen soot, and other foreign objects.
	Since the stainless steel pipe will be cleaned, we put the metal brush included in the kit aside - it cannot be used in this case.
	A cleaning brush is screwed onto one of the rods included in the kit.
	The same operation - against the background of an open entrance to the chimney.
	The brush is inserted into the pipe cavity and cleaning begins. Performing translational frictional movements up and down, the brush is gradually moved upward along the chimney channel. It is forbidden to make rotational (around an axis) movements, so as not to accidentally unscrew the assembled tool.
	As necessary, during the work, the total length of the central rod is increased - new rods are screwed on.
	And this miniature demonstrates the extreme flexibility of fiberglass rods. Thus, similar method Curvilinear sections of the chimney can also be cleaned (of course, up to a certain limit, but it will most likely be possible to cope with an angle of 45 - 60 degrees).

In a similar way, any areas of the chimney where it is possible to introduce a brush are cleaned. This can be done when cleaning from the roof, from inspection hatches or directly from the firebox (a typical example is a regular fireplace). Removing the brush from the pipe is done in the reverse order, with sequential dismantling of the sections.

The soot cleared from the surface of the walls is collected and removed - sometimes it is connected to this stage. After a certain pause, 30 - 40 minutes, necessary for the cleaned soot to completely settle, all inspection hatches and valves are checked. After cleaning, you may need to carry out minor repairs to the chimney - for example, repairing cracks or other defects in the external surface. The pipe head must be reinstalled.

By the way, it’s easy to make a set of similar rods yourself, using polypropylene pipes. Their flexibility, of course, is not as high as that of carbon fiber, but it may be quite sufficient for certain straight chimneys.

If there is, then making such a set of rods will take literally a few minutes. It is necessary to cut the pipe (Ø 20 mm) into equal sections (for example, 1 meter), and weld ordinary pipes along the edges of each threaded fittings by ½ inch. It is clear that the “father” is welded on one end, and the “mother” on the other.

Chemical cleaning of chimneys

Mechanical cleaning of chimneys is a very radical method that gives good results. But this event is quite difficult and very dirty. Is it possible to simplify this cleaning? It turns out that it is possible if you regularly carry out preventive work using special means chemical action.

The principle of their physical and chemical action may be different, but is aimed at common goals - removing already formed soot deposits from the inner wall of the pipe and creating conditions for the longest possible prevention of new soot deposits. Let's take a closer look at a few of these tools:

"Smoke"

The products of the Russian company Ecolays are produced under this brand. The range is represented by three different products:

Special box "Smoke"

The principle of operation of such a cleaner in the form of a cardboard box is extremely simple. It is simply installed in the combustion chamber (in a fireplace or stove) and set on fire. The entire cleaning process takes about an hour and a half. The chemicals included in the preparation in the box actively clean soot deposits, transform the resinous components, making them brittle and self-settling. As a result, the growths either crumble down or come out, carried away by the smoke.

By the way, the active effect of such cleaning is not at all limited only by the time of burning the bag - it continues for two weeks, and pronounced effect will be noticeable for at least three months.

Log "Smoke"

If the remedy described above is purely preventive, then a cleaner in the form of a log will also add an aesthetic component to the process.

This purifier is designed in the form of an ordinary log that can be used to heat a stove. By the way, the metal salts included in its chemical composition give a very interesting visual effect - a beautiful turquoise flame.

Otherwise, the principle of operation remains the same.

Cleaner for pellet stoves and boilers “Smoke”

Manufacturers have also provided a cleaner in the form of granules, which helps to cope with the problems of contamination of the internal channels and chimneys of pellet boilers and stoves. This type of fuel has its own specific features Therefore, a special approach is needed to the prevention of such equipment.

This cleaning agent has been given the characteristic appearance of ordinary ones - this makes it easier to mix with the main fuel. But, by the way, you can also use it in conventional wood-burning stoves.

Typically cleaning is carried out once every two months. For a flight boiler, you need to mix 10 kilograms of cleaner with a ton of natural pellets. If a regular stove is being cleaned, then it will be enough to add a kilogram of granules daily, for 5 days, to the firewood during one of the fireboxes.

Video: cleaning chimneys with Dymovoy brand products

Production of the companyHANSA

Technologists from the West German company HANSA, when developing preventative agents for heating devices, placed the main emphasis on the fight against creosote - resinous substances that, when interacting with water vapor, create that very sticky base on which soot actively settles.

The substances included in the preparations act in two ways. The first are aimed at active catalysis, so that carbon particles burn as completely as possible, leaving virtually no soot. Other substances react with creosote when exposed to high temperatures. At the same time, the resinous structure loses moisture, and therefore its viscosity. The remaining layer becomes fragile, brittle, it begins to crumble and almost completely burns in the flame of the hearth.

You can find several on sale types of similar cleaners that in Russia they are better known under the brand “Chimney Sweep”.

• The top miniature shows the “Chimney Sweep” product, made in the form of a loose mixture. The kit includes a measuring cup with which the dosage is made. The product is used both for cleaning and for preventive purposes, adding, for example, 1 - 2 measuring cups for every 4 - 5 fires of the stove or fireplace. This approach allows you to be sure that soot will not accumulate in the chimney.
• Below is the same product, but already dosed in sachets. The use is no different from the technique described above.
• The middle miniature shows a “Chimney Sweeper” log in a package. In this form, it is placed in a heated combustion chamber, ignited and left until completely burned out. To keep chimneys constantly clean, it is recommended to carry out such preventive maintenance approximately once a month.

Chimney Sweep cleaners are suitable for all types of stoves and chimneys. What is especially important is that they do an excellent job of cleaning the most difficult pipes in this regard - brick, which often have an uneven porous wall surface.

« Kominichek"

This is also a very well-known and widely popular Czech-made chimney cleaning product among Russians.

It is an istallic mixture packaged in 14 gram sachets. Usually one such bag is designed for a kilogram of dry firewood. Chemical reagents convert soot deposits deposited on the pipe walls into a substance that burns even at low temperatures. high temperature. This can be attributed to the advantages of this drug. Disadvantages - its “power” is not enough if the chimney is very neglected and the soot layer on the walls already exceeds 2 mm. And one more limitation - processing using “Kominichek”, due to its peculiarities chemical composition and, as a result, odor, can only be carried out with the combustion chamber door tightly closed. Thus, this cleaner cannot be used in fireplaces with an open hearth.

There are many other cleaners, soot and tar converters, etc., both domestic and foreign. You can try some of them and choose the best option for yourself - both in terms of efficiency, ease of use, and cost.

Video: one of the chemical cleaning products - “The Cheerful Chimney Sweep”

Folk remedies for cleaning chimneys

There are many ways in which our ancestors, with varying degrees of success, fought the phenomenon of chimneys becoming overgrown with soot. Surely, some of these folk methods were taken into account when creating modern chemical cleaners.

Let's remember a few folk "recipes":

• Regular boiling water can be of great help in breaking through very strong old sooty clogs. Several liters of very hot water are poured into the pipe from above immediately before starting to light the stove.

Boiling water will soften it somewhat T hard growths, and the rising hot gaseous combustion products will destroy them, causing the soot to fly out in pieces along with the smoke.

• One of the most simple ways is to add a small amount of ordinary table salt to the firewood. Sodium chloride vapors appear to have a destructive effect on viscous soot deposits.

True, this method is applicable only as a preventive measure. It will not help deal with old, even small soot growths.

• Unexpectedly, naphthalene also helps in this matter. A standard tablet of this substance, thrown into a melted hearth, becomes an excellent preventive and cleansing agent. The soot begins to flake off and come out along with the smoke.

The method is proven, but, alas, not without its drawbacks. And the main one is that mothballs have a very persistent smell, which is very difficult to get rid of, and which is not pleasant to everyone.

• Do not throw away potato peelings - this is a very effective remedy for the accumulation of soot in the chimney. From time to time it is useful to pour peelings or even just finely chopped raw potatoes into a fully heated oven.

Rising vapors with a high starch content soften the structure of sooty growths. Some of them will fall off. And the remaining ones will be much easier to clean mechanically.

• For a long time, a mixture of coal, saltpeter and “blue stone” - copper sulfate - has been actively used to clean chimneys. The composition is made in proportions:

- copper sulfate - 5 parts;

- powdered coal (preferably coke) - 2 parts;

- saltpeter - 7 parts.

You don’t need a lot of this mixture at all - about 20 grams per hundred kilograms of firewood is enough. The composition is poured into preheated optimal mode oven, then close the firebox door very tightly. Carry out similar cleanings in the hearths open type forbidden.

• Finally, one of the most famous cleaning methods is the use of special firewood for this purpose. Thus, it was noticed that the fumes released during the combustion of aspen or alder contribute to the detachment of soot deposits from the walls of the chimney, and very high, but short-term heat allows the residues to escape with smoke or burn in the firebox.

It is interesting that neither alder nor aspen firewood can in any way be considered a high-quality type of fuel for heating rooms, or the heat transfer from them is small. But having a supply of such wood is still very useful. Occasionally, for preventive purposes, you can finish firing the stove by finally adding a few kilograms of alder or aspen into it. True, in this case it is necessary to ensure that sparks, which often fly out of the chimney during such a procedure, do not cause a fire in neighboring buildings.

So, there are a lot of means for prevention and regular cleaning of the chimney. Maintaining the stove in good and safe condition is the direct responsibility of every homeowner. And it’s up to him to decide whether to call a chimney sweep or do everything himself. The main thing is not to forget to do this, to elevate such events to the rank of priority. And, of course, strictly follow the recommendations for the correct operation of stoves - then you will not have to address cleaning issues so often.