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Customer told me my brush was too stiff and it changed how I clean flues

Had an older homeowner pull me aside last month after I swept his chimney. He said my poly brush was scratching his clay flue liner and making it worse over time. I didn't believe him at first, but he showed me the tiny grooves in the liner he pointed out from a previous sweep. After that, I switched to a softer nylon brush for standard clay flues and only use poly on metal liners now. It only cost me about $30 for the new brush, but it already saved me a callback on a job last week when the liner looked way cleaner without the scratching. Has anyone else dealt with this issue with poly brushes on old clay?
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3 Comments
richard_young80
Huh I actually think that NFPA reference might be about steel brushes not poly ones. Poly is softer than clay so it shouldn't scratch much unless there's already damage.
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abby_morgan18
Didn't some NFPA article warn poly brushes wear down clay liners over time?
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simon_carr
NFPA 211 actually says poly brushes are okay for clay tile, no mention of steel.
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