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?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_hugo1mo ago

But how big was this crack really? A small hairline crack in the flue liner isn't always an emergency. Did it actually need fixing right away, or was it just something minor the homeowner freaked out about? Sometimes guys overreact to tiny things they see with a new tool.

vera_murphy1mo ago

My cousin's a firefighter and he said even small cracks can let carbon monoxide leak into the house over time. He's seen calls where that was the cause, so it's not just about the size you see. The risk seems low until it isn't, you know? I'd rather fix a small crack than ignore it and have something bad happen later.

the_patricia1mo ago

That hairline crack was three inches long.