Old timer sweep told me to stop using wire brushes on clay flues

Ran into this 70 year old sweep named Hank at a supply shop last week. He saw me buying a pack of 5 inch wire brushes and just shook his head. Said he's been cleaning chimneys since the 70s and wires scratch the glaze off clay liners, making them collect soot way faster over time. Said he's only ever used poly brushes and a shop vac setup. I thought he was full of it but then I checked a house I did 2 years ago with wire brushes and the flue looked terrible compared to one I did with a rubber rod and nylon head. Anyone else ditch the wire for good?

2 comments

2 Comments

skyler51616h ago

Man, that's wild. It's funny how that tracks with a lot of other stuff in life too. People get stuck on the old way of doing things just because it works, not because it's the best way. I see it all the time with stuff around the house, like using a wire brush on a grill versus a nylon one it just causes more damage down the line. Sounds like Hank has seen enough busted flues to know what he's talking about. Glad you're seeing the difference for yourself now.

river_bailey216h ago

Three years I watched my neighbor insist on hand sanding his deck every season when a pressure washer would've cut the job down to a couple hours. People get real attached to the "this is how we've always done it" mindset even when it's clearly making things harder. Once you break out of that loop you start seeing it everywhere, from how someone loads their dishwasher to how they approach their whole work routine.