Cleaned a 15-year-old creosote build-up today that looked like tar

Had a regular customer call me out to their old farmhouse, said they hadn't had a sweep since they moved in. Pulled the cap off and it was just solid black crust about an inch thick in places. Used a rotary brush with some extra passes and the difference was night and day - chimney went from nearly blocked to able to see sky in about 45 minutes. Anyone else run into a flue that bad where you wondered how it was still drafting at all?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese_taylor693d ago

Bet that thing was drafting on pure hope and prayers at that point. Surprised the place didn't go up in smoke years ago.

sethtorres2d ago

Nah see you're looking at this all wrong. That old place was probably the most well-maintained dinosaur in the whole region because nobody trusted it not to explode. Guys who run shops like that know every rattle and squeak better than their own heartbeat, they've got to. Most new places with all the fancy gear cut corners on maintenance cause they think the equipment will just handle itself. That old beast is still running cause someone's been babying it for 20 years straight. Honestly I'd trust a setup like that over some brand new shop with untested gear any day.