Went to a chimney cleaning trade show in Omaha and everyone was wrong about something

I drove 4 hours to that Midwest Chimney Sweep Expo last weekend in Omaha. All the big names in the industry were there pushing their fancy rotary cleaning systems with the vacuum attachments. I sat through three different demos and watched them try to clean a mock chimney setup. Not one of them could get the rotary head to handle a heavy creosote buildup without bogging down or flinging junk everywhere. I stood up during the Q&A and asked if anyone had actually tested these on a real masonry chimney that hasn't been touched in 5 years. Got a lot of dirty looks but no real answer. I've been using a simple wire brush and drop cloth method for 12 years at my own shop and I've never had a call back for a dirty flue. Why are we overcomplicating something that works just fine when we can spend that money on better safety gear instead?

3 comments

3 Comments

ryan_shah3824d ago

Hold up, I gotta call something out here. You said the rotary systems couldn't handle a heavy creosote buildup, but that's actually the whole point of them if you use the right chain or beater head instead of just the standard brush attachment. I've seen plenty of guys swap out the factory head for a heavy duty chain kit and it chews through five year old buildup like nothing. Not saying your brush and drop cloth method is bad, it clearly works for you. But those demo guys were probably just using the wrong attachment for the job, not the system itself being a failure.

taylorshah24d ago

Funny enough, I almost bought one of those fancy rotary setups last year until my own crew talked me out of it (they love reminding me of my bad ideas). Guess I dodged a bullet if even the sales guys can't make it work right in a demo. I'll stick with my brush and drop cloth, at least that way the only thing getting flinged around is my dignity.

linda11424d ago

...and yet those same guys using the chain kit are the ones I see replacing their motors every other season because the chain torque strips out the gearbox. Plus that chain setup chews up terra cotta liners something fierce, I've had to repoint three flues last year alone where the customer swore they only used a rotary system. Your brush and drop cloth leaves the flue intact, their fancy setup leaves a worn out liner and a broken machine. Sometimes the "simple" method wins because it doesn't wreck the thing it's supposed to clean.