flue brush options?

[asknupp]

Does everyone use flue brushes to clean off soot from flues? If not throw some ideas of what you use or have seen used.

Thanks
Andy

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

I use the flue brush every day

[maple maniac65]

I am wood fired forced draft and brushing the flues is a must ever day. Cleanup at the end of the season invlovles taking the flue pan outside and spraying it with oven cleaner on the fire side and pressure washing

[maple flats]

Brush flues daily for best efficiency.

[BreezyHill]

Andy,

I wish there was another way but I have not seen or heard of anything that works as good as 5 minutes with a flue brush to remove the soot/ash that will insulate your unit an reduce your efficiency. I with there was a brush you could run on the flues mid day to clean them. It really makes that much of a difference.

One am my youngest son, that holds our boiling rate record, was in a rush to get going and forgot to brush her down. That morning sucked a$$. Could not seem to get her going good. I figured it was the AUF, but that was working fine, so I figured that something had plugged the arch or chimney so I let her burn out. Opened the rear flue door, brushed her down after shinning a light and he said $hite...I asked what??? I forgot to do that. No that cant be what it is...boy was I wrong. Fired her back up and she was cooking like crazy in no time.

The five minutes is worth an extra 5 to 10 gallons an hour of boiling rate.

Someday I will add AOF to burn more of that carbon up before it reaches the flues to get more out of the rig.

Good Luck!

Ben

[maplesyrupstove]

10540 used the flat bar-b-que bush to clean my syrup pan and I used the two brass bar-b-que bushes hose clamp to a hockey stick to clean my 4 foot flue pan.

[maplesyrupstove]

10541 My friend says a 1/16 of carbon on the flues is like an inch of insulation on them.

[Flat47]

I use a snow brush for vehicles. Has black nylon bristles that are fairly stiff - not sure I'd want to use it on my car. I have it hose-clamped to a broom handle, but I like the hockey stick idea, too.
And, yes - it is a must before every boil.

[asknupp]

Ended up tearing everything down and giving it a end of season cleaning. Won't do that again till end of season. Didn't know what everyone else did but sounds like if your able to just get the lose soot scraped clean then things are fine. I was thinking it had to be cleaned down to good metal for good efficiency. Hands are black and sore.ugh. thanks everyone.

[MapleMark753]

We had a regular "maple" fire side flue brush, but it broke 3 times. Now use a bottle brush fron TSC. Cheap, works good hose clamped to a telescoping paint handle.
For those who boil with open pans (like us) try to cover the pans when brushing. Even if you don't see it when brushing, a very fine air born carbon dust can find its way to your pans. Learned that one the hard way:) take care, Mark

[Worcester]

i got a 3 dollar triangle BBQ wire brush.
fits perfectly between the flues of my salvage leader king pan.
have not been brushing every boil but will now.