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Can we talk about the wrong way to clean a fireplace insert?

I saw a guy in a local Facebook group bragging about using a pressure washer on a cast iron insert. He said it was 'spotless' after. That's a fast track to rust and cracked refractory. I did a repair job in Tacoma last month where the owner did exactly that, and the whole firebox lining needed replacing. Cost them over $800. Why do people think water and high pressure are okay for this stuff? Has anyone else had to fix a mess like this?
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3 Comments
seth_nguyen
Dude I just replaced a firebox liner for a lady in Puyallup who thought a shop vac and a garden hose would do the trick. She ended up with rust stains dripping down the whole front and the firebrick crumbled like damp cardboard.
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danielm15
danielm153mo ago
Did he post pictures of the rust yet?
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emmar75
emmar753mo ago
Pictures of the rust are one thing, but I'm more curious about the story behind it. Like, did he just notice it or has he been ignoring it for months? That context changes everything, lol.
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