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Overheard a homeowner say 'chimney sweeps are just soot vacuums' and it kinda stung
Was working a job out in Maplewood last Tuesday, and the lady was on the phone with her friend while I was setting up. She didn't realize I could hear her through the living room. Said something like 'they just vacuum up the black stuff, it's not rocket science.' Took me a second to shake it off. But honestly, it made me think about how we don't really explain what we catch beyond the obvious. Like that creosote glazing I spotted in her flue, or the cracked crown that woulda let water in come spring. She didn't see any of that. Just the soot. Has anyone else dealt with customers thinking it's a simple job?
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miller.rowan1mo agoMost Upvoted
Oh, the 'soot vacuum' bit. That would sting, for sure." I had a guy once who watched me do a full inspection and then asked if I could "just blow the dust out with a leaf blower next time." He was totally serious. I mean, I get it - from the outside it looks like you're just poking a brush up a hole. But that leaf blower comment still makes me laugh when I think about it, mostly because I wonder how many people think that would actually work (and if any of them have tried it).
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the_lee1mo agoTop Commenter
Yeah, that leaf blower thing is gold. But honestly, I've heard worse. I had a guy once ask if I could just run a shop vac hose down from the roof and suck all the creosote out. He was dead serious. Said he'd done it before with his dryer vent. I had to explain gravity doesn't work like that and also his chimney was a clay liner, not a vacuum hose. Some people think you can just blow or suck everything clean and it'll be fine. Let's just say I've seen the aftermath of a few DIY "blowouts" and they usually end up with more black dust in the living room than the fireplace.
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michaeld481mo ago
Man, the leaf blower comment would've had me cracking up too. But also it's a little scary thinking someone might actually try that and burn their house down. I've had people ask if I could just "spray some water down there" to rinse it out, like that wouldn't turn their chimney into a mudslide and ruin their firebox. The real kicker is when they watch you spend 45 minutes inspecting every inch of the flue and then ask why it took so long lol. I always make it a point now to show them photos of the damage I find, just so they realize there's way more going on than filling a shop vac.
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