That old timer's advice about creosote buildup actually saved my customer $900

A retired sweep at a Nashville trade show told me to always probe the flue bends with a flex camera, not just the straight sections... I blew it off for 2 years until last month when a homeowner's chimney fire scare traced back to a blockage exactly where he said it'd be. Anyone else gotten heat from a pro only to find out they were right the hard way?

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margaret23422d ago

Ha, funny you should say that! I actually think all this flex camera stuff is a total racket half the time. You get these old guys at trade shows who sound all wise and mysterious, but they just want you to buy more gear you'll use once a year. My uncle swept chimneys for 40 years with just a mirror and a flashlight, and he never missed a blockage that mattered. The real issue is that most creosote buildup happens in the straight sections anyway because that's where the smoke cools and sticks. Sure, a bend can catch stuff, but I've cleared plenty of flues with a basic brush kit and never had a complaint. And honestly, if a homeowner's chimney fire scare was really from a bend blockage, that's on the original install, not on your sweep method. I'm not saying probes are useless, but I'm not about to start charging customers extra time and money because some retired guy at a booth told me a spooky story. You do the same job, just faster and cheaper, and the customer's happy, that's what matters to me.