I think using a shop vac instead of a brush is bad for most chimneys

After I cleared a clogged flue at an old farmhouse outside Gettysburg last month, I noticed the fine grit had scratched the liner where a poly brush wouldn't have, so has anyone else seen damage from vacuum-only jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

derekgibson14d ago

Huh, I never really thought about the liner getting scratched up like that, but it makes total sense now. I used to think shop vacs were a quicker option for routine sweeps, but hearing about the fine grit damage and that hose meltdown story really changed my mind. It's kind of alarming how that hidden ember risk is so easy to overlook, especially on older chimneys. I guess I'll stick with the brush and drop cloth method from now on, at least for the main cleaning.

wilson.jesse14d ago

My buddy Mike out in Lancaster had a shop vac meltdown on a job back in 2018. He was cleaning out a big masonry chimney and the vacuum hose got too close to some hot creosote still smoldering in the flue. The hose started smoking and then the whole vac unit just died, plus he had to scrape melted plastic off the firebox walls. He swore off using anything but a brush and a drop cloth after that, said the shop vac was just asking for trouble with hidden embers. I think the grit scratching thing is real too, especially on those newer stainless liners.