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Found a trick for cleaning really old creosote buildup
I was working on a house built in the 1920s over in Oak Park last Tuesday. The flue had this thick, sticky creosote that just would not budge with my regular brushes. Tried spraying a mix of warm water and trisodium phosphate on it first, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then went in with a wire brush attachment on my drill. Came off way easier than I expected. Has anyone else tried something like that for the tough stuff?
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casey_campbell12d ago
OH man, I gotta push back a LITTLE on that one @james_butler. TSP is definitely harsh, but for REAL old creosote, you kinda NEED that strength. I've used it on flues that had layers from the 1940s and it was the ONLY thing that cut through. The trick is to not leave it on too long and rinse good after. If you go too gentle with weaker stuff, you'll be scrubbing for hours and still end up with a mess.
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