c/chimney-sweeps

Heard a homeowner say they just burn the creosote off every year

That's a great way to crack a flue liner or start a real fire. Anyone else run into this dangerous idea lately?

Just read that a single chimney fire can hit 2000 degrees. That's insane.

I was reading an old fire safety manual from the library. It was just some boring looking booklet. Then I saw the number. It said a chimney fire can get up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit in the flue. That's hotter than a house fire. It really hit me how fast that heat can crack tiles and melt mortar. I've seen the damage after the fact, but knowing the exact temp changes things. Makes you respect the creosote buildup even more. How do you guys explain that kind of risk to homeowners without scaring them off?

Vent: I used to think those flexible chimney cleaning rods were just a gimmick until I saw a 40% drop in my time per job over a 6 month period after switching from my old rigid set.

The flexibility let me navigate two tricky offsets in a row on a 1920s colonial in Springfield without having to set up the ladder a second time, so has anyone else had a specific job that completely changed their mind on a tool?

My uncle said to always check the damper with a mirror before starting a job.

He was a sweep for 40 years in Buffalo. I ignored it once on a quick clean in January. Got a face full of old ash because the homeowner had it closed. Ruined my morning. Anyone have a favorite mirror brand or a different trick?

Serious question, has anyone else had a problem with the new flexible rods from that company in Denver?

I bought a set of their 8-foot rods for $180 last month thinking they'd be great for tricky offsets. The fiberglass core snapped clean through on the third job, sending my brush down a flue in a house over in Cedar Rapids. Had to explain to the homeowner why I needed to come back with a camera and a whole different setup. What do you guys use for tight bends that actually holds up?

My wife said I should start offering video inspections for an extra $50. I always thought it was a gimmick, but she made a good point about proof.

A homeowner in Burlington told me my camera work was 'like watching a shaky nature documentary'. Ouch.

Question about those old clay flue liners in historic homes

Last week in the old Victorian district, I found a liner from the 1920s that was cracked in a spiral pattern I'd never seen. It made me think about how the mortar mixes back then were so different, and the tools we use now to assess them. Anyone else run into a specific failure pattern with pre-war liners that taught them something?

Spent three hours on a simple flue cap because of a hidden wasp nest

I was doing a routine cleaning on a house in Springfield and went to remove the standard flue cap. It wouldn't budge, and I thought it was just rusted on. After an hour of gentle prying, I finally got it loose and a whole nest of dead wasps fell out, completely packed into the mesh. They had built up so much gunk it was basically glued shut. The cleaning itself took 20 minutes, but dealing with that mess took the rest of the morning. Anyone have a good method for checking for that kind of blockage before you start pulling?

Appreciation post: That one time a squirrel nest nearly burned down a house in Greenville

Got a frantic call last Tuesday about smoke backing into a living room, and when I got my camera up there, it was packed solid with nesting material just inches from the flue liner. We pulled out two full garbage bags of dry leaves and twigs before the home owner lit their next fire. How often do you guys find active animal blockages that bad?

Hit 1500 chimney caps cleaned this year and it changed my whole routine

I was adding up my work log last night and saw I cleaned my 1500th chimney cap of the year. It's a weird number to hit, but it made me realize how much time I was wasting on a simple step. I used to just brush the cap from the top, but after the first 500 or so, I started taking an extra minute to remove it and clean the underside with a wire brush. The difference in draft improvement was huge, especially on older homes in my area. Now I build that extra step into every quote for a standard cleaning. It adds maybe five minutes to the job but prevents so many callbacks about weak fireplace draw. Has anyone else found a small change like this that made a big difference in performance?

I finally understood the point of a mirror on a stick after a job in Springfield

I was cleaning a fireplace in a 1920s colonial and the homeowner, an older guy, mentioned his father always used a small inspection mirror to check the smoke shelf before calling the job done. I tried it and found a huge chunk of old tile I would have completely missed. How many of you actually use one of those for a final check?

I finally tried a full video inspection on a simple cleanout job

Honestly, I thought it was overkill for a basic brick chimney in a ranch house. I ran the camera up anyway and found a cracked flue tile about eight feet up that you'd never see from the top or bottom. The homeowner was shocked and booked a full liner install on the spot. Ngl, I'm not skipping the camera on any job now, even the easy ones. Anyone else had a simple job turn into a big find like that?

I was cleaning a flue in a 1920s bungalow and the homeowner asked why I never checked the smoke shelf.

I had been just vacuuming the main chamber for years, but that one question sent me back to my old training manual. Has anyone else had a basic step they totally missed for a long time?

Bought a cheap camera scope for $80 and it broke after two inspections

The lens fogged up inside a warm flue and the image went completely blurry. I had to redo both jobs for free. Anyone have a good brand that can handle the heat and moisture?

Showerthought: I just cleaned my 500th chimney this year...

I was updating my log book last night and the number just jumped out at me. That's 500 flues, mostly around the county, since January. It hit me because I remember my first year, I barely did 100 and thought that was a lot. The crazy part is, about 80 of those were just in October alone with everyone getting ready for winter. Has anyone else had a season where the numbers just sort of snuck up on you like that?

Rant: My cousin in Denver called our work 'just pushing a brush up and down' and it really got under my skin.

He said it over Thanksgiving dinner, and it made me realize how many people have no clue about creosote grades, proper inspection, or the safety codes we follow, so how do you guys explain the real skill involved to friends and family?

Tried a new creosote remover spray against my old paste method on a tough job in Springfield

The spray cut my cleaning time in half on a chimney that hadn't been touched in probably ten years. It just dissolved the heavy stage three buildup way faster than the paste ever could. What's your go-to for a really nasty, long-neglected flue?

I was cleaning a flue in an old farmhouse near Madison and the homeowner asked me a simple question that made me stop.

I'm tired of hearing that all creosote fires are a quick fix.

Had a call in a 1920s house in Tacoma where the homeowner swore they had a small chimney fire. Got on the roof, camera showed a massive, hardened third-stage creosote blockage about 8 feet down the flue. Everyone says to just use the right chain whip, but this stuff was like rock. Ended up having to rotate between chemical treatments and mechanical scraping for three full days. What's the longest a 'simple' blockage has ever taken you guys to clear?

My grandpa said to always sweep the flue before the firebox. I ignored him once.

He ran a sweep business in Boise for 40 years. On a job last month, I cleaned the firebox first on a standard brick chimney. Took me 45 minutes. When I went up top, a huge chunk of creosote had fallen and blocked the damper. Had to go back down and clear it, adding another 30 minutes to the job. He was right, you need to clear the path from the top down first. Anyone else have an old rule they learned the hard way?

Had a homeowner in Denver ask me if I could 'sweep' their gas fireplace insert with a vacuum.

I was setting up for a routine cleaning on a standard prefab unit. The guy was watching me get my rods and brushes ready, and he just pointed at my shop vac and said, 'Can't you just use that? It's got a hose.' I had to explain that the brush is what actually scrapes the creosote off the liner walls. He seemed genuinely surprised there was physical scraping involved. He thought it was just sucking out loose ash. Ever have a client who had a totally wrong idea of what the job actually is?

Honestly, I got a squirrel out of a flue in Denver by blasting the 'Baby Shark' song on my phone down the chimney.

The homeowner said it worked in 5 minutes after the critter had been stuck for 2 days, and now I'm wondering if anyone else has a weird noise or trick that actually gets animals to move.

This homeowner in Boulder watched me work for an hour and then said 'I could do that with a shop vac'.

I was up on his roof last fall, cleaning a standard clay tile flue. He came out with a coffee and just stood in his yard, staring up at me the whole time. I'm running my brushes, dropping the soot, the whole routine. When I came down, covered in the usual grime, he just points at my gear and says that line. I told him it's not about the dirt you see, it's the creosote glaze you can't, and a proper inspection for cracks or blockages. He shrugged and said his neighbor's cousin did his own with a leaf blower attachment. I handed him the bill for the full service, $225, and he looked at it like I'd charged him for rocket science. Has anyone else had a client who just refused to get that there's a skill here, not just a mess?

A customer in Denver called me out on my soot cleanup and it stung

Finished a standard sweep on a 1920s brick chimney last month, and the homeowner, an older guy who used to do masonry, pointed at my drop cloth. He said, 'Son, you're leaving more dust on my hearth than you're taking up the flue.' He was right. I was using a basic tarp and a shop vac from 15 feet away. I switched to a HEPA filter vac and a sealed containment system with zipper doors. My cleanup time dropped from 45 minutes to about 10, and the final inspection is spotless. What's your go-to method for keeping the mess contained during a job?