That time I set a chimney fire because I skipped the secondary inspection

I was cleaning a flue in an old house outside Richmond last fall, and I thought I had it all clear after the first pass. Turns out there was a hidden ledge of creosote behind a loose tile that I completely missed. The homeowner called me three days later saying smoke was pouring out of the top. I had to rush back with a rotary kit and spend two hours fixing my own mess. Has anyone else had a failed inspection sneak up on them like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_wendy21d ago

Took me straight back to a job I did in a 1920s bungalow where I missed a bird nest crammed way up behind a clay liner. Homeowner called me a week later saying their power vent was struggling and making a weird sound. Had to drive back out on a Saturday and spend half the day pulling the cap and fishing out twigs and leaves with a shop vac. Those hidden pockets are the worst.

hall.joel21d ago

Got a call like that once from a customer who said their chimney was making a weird chirping noise. Turned out I somehow missed a nest stuffed behind some loose mortar way up high. Had to climb back up there on a Sunday with a wire brush and a shop vac, felt like a real idiot. Those tiny gaps always hide the worst stuff.

the_jake21d ago

The tiny gaps always hide the worst stuff" hits way too close to home. I learned the hard way to always double check around the smoke shelf and the flue tile joints after a similar mess. Pro tip if you ever run into that again: a cheap endoscope camera that hooks to your phone pays for itself the first time you use it to spot nests before you even climb up. Also a leaf blower works way faster than a shop vac for clearing out dry debris if you've got a helper to bag it below.