c/chimney-sweeps

Had to choose between two different brushes for a tight flue in an old house in Savannah

I used a standard poly brush first and it just kept getting stuck, then switched to a smaller wire whip style. The whip cleared the creosote in half the time without any binding. What do you all use for those really narrow, old masonry flues?

3 comments

the_riley•3d ago

My uncle told me to always wear a mask even on a quick clean, and I brushed him off.

I was doing a simple inspection in a 1920s bungalow and didn't bother with my respirator for the five-minute look. The old creosote dust was so fine I was coughing for two days straight. Anyone have a go-to lightweight mask they actually wear every single time?

3 comments

charles_green95•4d ago

A simple trick with a mirror showed me most people miss a key spot in the flue

I was cleaning a chimney in a 1920s house in Springfield last month and the owner kept complaining about a faint smoke smell even after my service. I went back with a small inspection mirror on a pole and looked up from the fireplace opening, not just down from the top. I found a huge, solid creosote buildup about 18 inches down from the crown that my rods and brush from above had just slid right over. It was a perfect ledge that trapped everything. Now I always do a visual check from below with a light and mirror before I call a job done. Has anyone else found a common blind spot like that in certain older builds?

2 comments

hart.mark•5d ago

A customer in Greenville made me rethink my whole approach to inspections

I was doing a routine cleaning for a nice older couple last fall, and the husband, a retired engineer, asked if I ever checked the smoke shelf with a mirror. I admitted I usually just go by feel. He brought out a small dental mirror he had, and when I angled it up there, I saw a crack in the flue liner I would have completely missed. He just said, 'Sometimes the old ways are the best for a reason.' Now I carry a telescoping inspection mirror on every job. Has anyone else added a simple tool that made a big difference?

2 comments

robertgreen•5d ago

Saw a huge difference in draft after fixing a hidden offset

I cleaned a chimney in an old house in Burlington last month that had a weak draft for years. The owner said they always had smoke roll back into the room. I ran my camera and found a 30 degree offset in the flue liner about 10 feet up that was almost totally blocked. Came back yesterday after fixing it, and the draft test showed a pull of 15 pascals, up from just 3 before. Has anyone else had a simple offset cause that much trouble?

2 comments

hollyg59•6d ago

PSA: The number of chimney fires in Portland last winter was way higher than I expected

I was looking at the Portland Fire Bureau's public reports and saw they logged over 120 chimney fires in the 2023-2024 season. That's a huge jump from the year before. It makes me think a lot of folks are skipping their yearly cleanings or using bad wood. How many of you are seeing more calls for fire damage clean-up?

2 comments

julia_patel•9d ago

Warning: that 'easy' inspection turned into a full chimney rebuild

Last Tuesday, I went out for a standard cleaning on a 1920s house in the old part of town. The homeowner said it was just a yearly check, but my camera showed a huge crack in the clay liner, about 2 feet long. The whole thing was basically unsafe. I had to tell them they couldn't use their fireplace at all until it was fixed, which meant a full reline costing over $5,000. It went from a one-hour job to a whole week of coordinating with masons. Has anyone else had a simple job blow up like that from one hidden problem?

2 comments

terry_thomas•10d ago

Pro tip: A trick for cleaning those tight flue tiles in old brick chimneys

I was working on a 1930s house in Cincinnati last week with those narrow 8x8 clay flue liners. My standard brush just wasn't getting the corners clean. I tried wrapping a strip of old carpet around the brush head, securing it with a hose clamp. The extra bulk and texture scrubbed the corners perfectly without damaging the tile. What's your go-to method for those tricky old flues?

3 comments

robin_bennett78•11d ago

PSA: I tried a new camera for inspections and went back to my old one

Everyone says the new digital scopes are better, but my old mirror and flashlight combo is faster for spotting cracks in a flue. I missed a key fault in a Dallas chimney with the fancy screen. What's your go-to inspection method?

3 comments

charles_green95•11d ago

Just realized my whole chimney cleaning process changed after a job in Burlington

Honestly, I used to start every sweep from the bottom up, using a basic brush and rods. Then I got a call for a big old farmhouse chimney in Burlington that was totally blocked. I had to go up on the roof and work from the top down with a rotary system, and it cleared in half the time. Now I check the blockage level first and pick my method based on that. Anyone else switch up their starting point based on the job?

3 comments

jake189•12d ago

Tried a new creosote remover from a supply house in Omaha and it actually made the buildup worse.

It was a gel formula that hardened into a crust instead of breaking down, took me an extra hour to chip out. Anyone run into a product that backfired like that?

3 comments

hayden709•13d ago

Had a weird thing happen with a new type of creosote remover spray

So I was working on a fireplace in an old house in Bellingham last month. The homeowner had bought this new spray can creosote remover from a hardware store, said it was supposed to turn the creosote to ash overnight. I was skeptical, but I figured I'd let them try it before my sweep. I came back the next day and the stuff had worked, but it left behind this hard, crusty white residue all over the flue tiles. It was like cement, way harder to get off than the original creosote. I had to use my stiffest wire brush and really go at it for almost an hour. I learned that some of these DIY chemicals can make our job a lot harder, even if they do part of it. What's your take on using chemical cleaners before a professional sweep? Do you tell clients to avoid them?

3 comments

laura_black31•13d ago

Shoutout to the homeowner who offered me a sandwich or a beer mid-job

It was a tight attic access in a 1920s house in Bellingham, and I was covered in soot. I picked the beer, which was a mistake because I immediately got the hiccups trying to drink it while still holding my brush. Anyone else had a 'kind' offer totally backfire on a job?

3 comments

kim733•13d ago

Saw a huge drop in callbacks after switching to a new creosote remover

I started using the 'Chimney-Clear Pro' chemical treatment on my regular cleanings about four months ago. Before that, I was getting at least two callbacks a month from customers saying their fireplaces were smoking again within a week. Since the switch, I've had zero callbacks from those treated chimneys. Has anyone else in the Chicago area seen results this solid with a specific product, or did I just get lucky?

3 comments

terry_wood51•17d ago

Cleaning a 1960s chimney in Portland and found a raccoon nest blocking the whole thing.

I was up on the roof, about to drop my brush, when I heard scratching and saw a whole family looking back at me. I had to call animal control and reschedule the job for two days later. What's the best way to seal the top after you remove animals so they don't come back?

3 comments

rivera.wade•17d ago

Spent a whole day on a 1920s flue that had a hidden brick collapse.

I finally got it cleared after 7 hours by using a camera scope and a custom bent rod from my truck, but who else has a good method for finding and fixing those hidden voids without tearing out the whole chimney?

3 comments

gray6•18d ago

Cleaned my 1,000th chimney yesterday and the owner gave me a trophy

It was a standard brick flue in a house over in Springfield, nothing special, but the guy had been counting my visits. He came out with this little plastic trophy that said 'Chimney Champ 1K' on it, lmao. Has anyone else ever gotten a weird gift from a customer after a job?

3 comments

elliotadams•18d ago

TIL a $500 inspection camera can't replace a good brush and a flashlight.

I argued with a new sweep in Boise who swore his tech made the old ways obsolete, but his fancy gear missed a major crack I spotted with basic tools. Anyone else see tech making us miss the simple stuff?

3 comments

markhall•20d ago

Spent $400 on a fancy camera inspection system and honestly, I think it's overkill for most jobs.

My partner convinced me to get the Chim-Eye Pro last fall. The idea was to show customers clear video of every crack and creosote flake. But after using it on maybe 30 sweeps, I'm finding it just adds time and complexity. Most homeowners' eyes glaze over when you show them the inside of their flue, and they just want to know if it's clean and safe. A good mirror and a bright light tells me 95% of what I need. Now I'm hauling this extra case, charging batteries, and dealing with software, all for a 'wow' factor that rarely matters. Am I the only one who thinks the old-school visual check is still perfectly valid for a standard maintenance sweep?

3 comments

faithwalker•21d ago

Heads up on a stubborn creosote blockage in a flue with a weird offset

Spent nearly 4 hours on a job in Springfield yesterday because the homeowner's insert created a 45-degree bend that trapped a solid 3-inch crust. Anyone else run into a hidden offset that caused a massive delay?

3 comments

cameron538•23d ago

Shoutout to the guy in Boise who showed me his camera setup last fall

I used to think a good flashlight and a mirror were enough to check a flue. That was my way for years, and I missed a lot of small cracks and gaps in the mortar. Then, at a job in Boise, another sweep I was working with pulled out a small inspection camera on a long, bendy pole. He let me use it, and seeing that clear video feed of the entire chimney liner was a game changer. I bought my own the next week, a basic model for about $400. Now I use it on every single inspection. It shows me things I could never see before, like hairline fractures starting near the top. It makes my reports way more accurate for the homeowner. Has anyone else made the switch to a camera, and which brand are you using?

3 comments

harper_carter81•24d ago

Shoutout to the old-timer at the hardware store in Boise

He said he never uses a brush smaller than 8 inches for a standard flue, even if it's a tight fit. I've been using a 6 inch for years thinking it was better for the tile. Anyone else follow that rule?

3 comments

bensingh•27d ago

Vent: My 1,000th chimney clean was a weird one

Just finished a job in Springfield and my service counter ticked over to 1,000. The milestone job itself was a real head scratcher, a massive old flue that had a fully intact bird's nest about 3 feet down, plus a ton of old mortar droppings. Took me almost 4 hours to clear it all out safely. It got me thinking, what's the strangest or most challenging obstruction you've ever pulled out of a chimney?

3 comments

the_riley•29d ago

I finally caved and tried the high-pressure method for a stubborn flue

My crew pushed for using high-pressure air on a clogged flue last job. It blasted creosote everywhere, ruining the customer's living room carpet and walls. Why do so many sweeps swear by this when hand brushing avoids such messes?

3 comments

derek670•1mo ago

I used to think my granddad's soot-stained handkerchief was just part of the job.

Now I use a full face respirator and can't believe we ever worked without them.

3 comments