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Chimney fire in Levittown changed how I inspect every flue now
Last March I got a call to a house in Levittown, PA. Homeowner said they smelled smoke all afternoon. Got there and the liner was cracked in three spots. Turns out they had been burning unseasoned pine for months. The creosote buildup was insane, like a solid half inch in places. I pulled out my camera and showed them the damage. They had no clue. After that job I started doing a full camera sweep on EVERY job, even routine cleanings. Costs me an extra 15 minutes but I've caught two more bad liners since. Who else here runs a camera on every visit or do you just eyeball it?
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kim9632mo ago
Yeah @simonp47, you hit the nail on the head. That camera's caught stuff I would've missed for sure, but it ain't magic. Last month I swept a flue that looked clean as a whistle on the screen, then the homeowner mentioned a weird smell near the attic hatch. Climbed up there and found a gap in the brick where the liner met the chimney wall, completely hidden from the camera angle. So now I do the sweep AND check the attic access if they got one. Still, I'd rather have the camera than not. It's like having a second set of eyes, even if they ain't perfect.
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