26
I was at the old brickworks in Albany and saw a crew skip the top-down clean on a flue.
They were in a rush and just went bottom-up on a standard clay liner, saying it was fine. I watched them miss a huge chunk of creosote buildup near the top that later caused a small flash fire when the homeowner lit a test fire. It changed how I do things because now I never skip the top-down pass, even on what looks like a simple job. Has anyone else had a client call back with a problem after a rushed clean?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
leoshah2mo ago
Skipping the top-down pass on a clay liner is asking for trouble. That creosote chunk is exactly why the method exists, to catch what you can't see from below. It's wild they thought that was an okay shortcut.
6
emerychen2mo agoTop Commenter
Remember my first solo clean where I thought the bottom-up looked good enough? Found a nasty surprise chunk like that a week later when it rained and the customer called about a drip. Had to go back out in the rain, totally my fault for rushing. You ever have a job that came back to bite you because you skipped what seemed like a small step?
3
wilson.diana2mo ago
Yeah, I learned that the hard way too... had a callback for smoke in the house from a blocked top section we missed. Now my rule is to always run the brush down from the top first, even on a clean-looking liner. That initial pass loosens everything so the bottom-up clean actually gets it all out. It adds maybe ten minutes but saves a huge headache later.
1