Wish I'd switched to a polypropylene brush years ago

I used to spend 20 minutes on a single flue with a stiff wire brush, fighting soot and scratching up the liner. Last month a guy I met at a job in Akron convinced me to try a poly brush and my arm isn't tired after three sweeps. Has anyone else had way less buildup with the plastic bristles over the metal ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

west.claire14d ago

Yeah, that line about "preserving your pipe" hits home. I've got a couple of older stainless liners that were getting chewed up by wire brushes before I switched. The poly ones just glide through now, less arm ache and no new gouges to worry about. It's kind of a relief, honestly.

wren_jackson14d ago

Hang on a sec though - poly brushes are gentler on the liner for sure, but I wouldn't say they cut down on actual buildup any better than wire bristles. They just don't scratch the metal up as bad, so you're not making the surface rougher for next time. It's more about preserving your pipe than getting a deeper clean.