Steel brush vs. rotary whip, got chewed out at a job in Portland

I was cleaning a quad insert last Tuesday and this homeowner's nephew, who I guess is a certified WETT inspector by the way he talked, ripped into me for using a steel brush on their stainless liner. He said it causes micro-scratches that grab creosote, and now I'm second guessing 8 years of doing it this way. I've seen rotary heads leave spiral marks on liners before, so who's actually right here?

2 comments

2 Comments

aliceg616d ago

Everyone's got an expert in their life who confuses opinion with fact. Same thing happens with my neighbor telling me how to rotate my truck tires, guy never changed a spare in his life. @spencer_hayes71 nailed it about the show-off part. If micro-scratches were the end of the world, we'd all be replacing liners every season, not just when somebody actually screws up. Same deal as people panicking about seasoning cast iron, a little wear isn't a defect, it's just use. You've got eight years of clean jobs backing you up, trust that over a lecture.

spencer_hayes716d ago

Honestly, that WETT guy sounds like he was showing off more than teaching. Yeah, steel brushes can leave tiny scratches, but so does every other method if you're not careful. The real key is technique and not grinding the brush into the liner like you're trying to sand off paint. Tbh, I've seen way more damage from guys who run rotary whips too fast and hot, those spiral marks are permanent and they definitely grab creosote over time. A steel brush used with a light touch and proper overlap basically polishes the surface, it doesn't gouge it. If you're second guessing after 8 years, just ask yourself how many liner failures you've actually seen from brushing versus how many from people who think they're experts on the internet. Ngl, the whole "micro-scratches" argument is a slippery slope because even the flue gas itself wears down the liner over time. Stainless is meant to take some friction, it's not a mirror finish that needs protecting. I'd stick with what works for you, just maybe switch to a softer brush if you're doing a really thin liner and want to shut the next know-it-all up.