Saw a guy using a leaf blower to clean a chimney flue yesterday

He was up on the roof of a house in Cedar Rapids, trying to blast out the creosote from the top down. That just pushes all the soot and debris into the smoke shelf and firebox, making a bigger mess and a real fire risk. How many of you have had to fix a job after someone tried a shortcut like that?

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linda_wood5mo ago

That's a great way to start a chimney fire.

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the_elliot4mo ago

3 neighbors on my street had flue fires last winter from those chemical logs. @linda_wood your warning is dead right, the residue they leave is like varnish for creosote. One sweep told me he's seen flues with over a quarter inch of glaze buildup from just two seasons of using them.

4

morgan_butler5mo ago

Honestly used to think those chemical logs were fine for a quick clean burn. Then a neighbor had a real chimney fire, and the fire chief said those things leave a weird, sticky glaze inside the flue. It traps more creosote over time. Now it's just seasoned wood and an annual sweep for me.

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