Spent $450 on a new camera scope and it's the best money I've ever dropped

I've been sweeping chimneys for about eight years now, and I always thought those fancy inspection cameras were a gimmick for new guys. My old method was a strong flashlight and a lot of guesswork. Then I got a call for a weird draft issue in an old farmhouse outside of Boise. I spent an hour up on the roof and in the fireplace trying to figure it out. Finally bit the bullet and bought the FlexView Pro camera kit. Within five minutes, I spotted a huge crack in the clay liner about ten feet up that was totally hidden from below. Showed the homeowner the video, and they booked a full reline on the spot. That one job paid for the camera three times over. It completely changed how I do inspections. Who else made the switch to a camera and found stuff you were missing for years?

3 comments

3 Comments

noah9142mo ago

Wait, you went eight years without a camera? I'm honestly shocked you made it that long on flashlights and guesses. That crack would have been a total nightmare to find the old way, and the homeowner probably never would have believed you without the video proof. It's wild how one tool can flip your whole business from feeling around in the dark to actually knowing what you're looking at. That's not just a new gadget, that's a total game changer for doing the job right.

walker.hayden2mo ago

My buddy in Denver found a whole bird's nest blocking a flue with his first camera scan.

mary_kelly28d ago

I used to think spending money on a camera was kind of overkill, you know? Like, old school methods worked fine. But hearing stories like this (and that crack one someone mentioned) totally changed my mind. It's crazy how much you're flying blind without one.