My mentor said to skip the wire brush on creosote - big mistake

Old timer named Bill told me to just use a soot eater instead of a wire brush for heavy creosote buildup. Did that on a job last month and the customer called me back a week later with smoke backing up into their living room. Anyone else been burned by advice from the older guys in this trade?

2 comments

2 Comments

rileynelson19d ago

Stick with the wire brush every time for heavy creosote, it's not worth the risk.

grant_hart19d ago

Wait, you use a wire brush for heavy creosote? I've only ever tried the chemical stuff and a scraper, and I can't imagine getting all that gunk off with just bristles. How do you keep the brush from just glazing over with tar halfway through? I'd be worried about pushing it deeper into the grain or scratching up the flue liner (if it's metal, at least).