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?

3 comments

3 Comments

eric_ramirez673mo ago

You saying it prevents callbacks about weak draw is what got me. I always figured the top brush was enough, but I'm adding that underside scrub to my routine now.

alice_reed473mo ago

Right? I was the same way for years lol. Getting that underside clean makes such a huge difference, it's wild.

anthony12722d ago

@eric_ramirez67 My buddy skipped the underside once and got a callback so bad he almost quit plumbing.