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Showerthought: A homeowner in Boise made me rethink my whole approach to explaining creosote
I was finishing a sweep at a place in the North End last month, and the guy asked me to show him what I found. I pulled out the brush and started my usual talk about 'combustible deposits' and 'stage three buildup'. He just looked at it and said, 'So it's like the chimney's arteries are clogged with bacon grease, right?' That hit me. My words were too technical. Now I keep a small jar of the worst creosote I find from each job. When I show homeowners, I say 'This is the flammable gunk. It's like tar in your pipe. If it gets hot enough, your chimney is the fuse.' Using that jar and the simple words changed everything. People nod and get it right away. They ask better questions, too. Has anyone else found a plain way to explain the danger that really clicks with customers?
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marywilson1d ago
You need both the jar and the science talk, not one or the other.
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parkerbrown1d ago
But what if being too simple is actually the problem? Calling it "bacon grease" or "flammable gunk" makes it sound like a dirty oven, just a cleaning issue. My customers need to understand the specific science of a chimney fire to really respect it. If I just say "tar in your pipe," they might think a hot burn will clean it out, not realizing that's exactly what ignites it. I use a small model chimney to show how the flames jump and the tiles crack from the heat. You need the technical words like "stage three" and "combustible" because they signal this is a serious hazard, not just a mess. Dumbing it down can make a dangerous thing seem too casual.
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