Old timer told me to use a shop vac instead of a brush... now I'm not sure which way is better

So I was up on a job in Asheville last month and this veteran sweep, guy must have been 70 years old, told me to forget the brush and just use a shop vac with a hose attachment for cleaning flues. He said brushes scratch the liner and create more buildup over time. I tried it on a 14 inch clay flue and it worked okay but I feel like I missed some creosote near the top that a brush would have scraped off. Has anyone else gone back and forth between these two methods and which one do you think actually gets the job done right?

2 comments

2 Comments

sagey691d ago

Betty nailed it - brush then vac is the way to go. That old timer wasn't wrong about scratching, but a good round nylon brush won't hurt a clay liner much. I do a light pass with a 7 inch poly brush first to knock the crust loose, then follow up with the shop vac and a crevice tool. The vac alone just polishes the creosote instead of removing it. That sticky layer near the top you mentioned? A vac won't touch that, you gotta break it free first. Only time I skip the brush is on those super fragile stainless inserts where the warranty freaks out about scratches.

betty_scott181d agoMost Upvoted

That old timer had a point about scratching but shop vacs alone dont cut it for heavy buildup. Brushes are still needed to break up the crust before vacuuming. Best method I found is brush first then vac behind it to catch what falls. Takes longer but you get the job done right without missing anything.