I finally beat that dumb ash blockage after 3 painful hours

Had a job last Thursday on a old farmhouse in rural Ohio where the flue was completely clogged with wet ash from a wood stove. Thought it'd be a quick 20 minute scrape and vacuum, but nope - that stuff was packed like concrete from some moisture issue. Ended up having to chip it out with a hand scraper and spent way too long on my knees. Anyone else deal with wet ash clumps that turn into basically cement?

3 comments

3 Comments

owens.laura19d ago

Took a chisel and hammer to one of those a few winters back. Honestly felt like I was chipping concrete off a foundation instead of cleaning a flue.

xena_hernandez9819d ago

Felt like chipping concrete off a foundation" is a bit much, don't you think? I've cleaned plenty of creosote buildup and a good stiff brush and some elbow grease always did the trick for me. Unless you let it go for YEARS without ever looking at it, it's really not THAT bad.

brian_hart19d ago

@xena_hernandez98 must have magic brushes then. Wet ash is a whole different beast compared to dry creosote. Glad you got it sorted after all that chipping.