Unpopular opinion: stainless brush is not always the answer on old flues

I was talking with a mason in Philly last month and he said I was wrecking my customers' clay liners by always using the stiff stainless brush. He showed me how the older flues just get gouged up and trap more creosote over time. Has anyone else switched back to poly brushes on pre-1980s chimneys?

2 comments

2 Comments

riverf341d ago

Poly brushes on old clay liners save you a headache down the road. Stainless just tears up the surface and makes future cleaning harder for no good reason.

the_joel1d ago

1960s era clay liner here. Replaced everything but the main drain last year. @riverf34 you're right about poly brushes being gentle, but they don't work well if you have calcium scale buildup. I tried a poly brush on a crusty spot near the steps and it just smeared the white stuff around. Had to switch to a stainless brush to actually break it loose. Then used the poly brush for the rest of the pool after that. So it's not one or the other, it's knowing when to use each.