I keep seeing sweeps skip the full video inspection and it's a mistake

A lot of guys in my area just do a quick flashlight look and call it good. Last month, I found a cracked flue tile on a 15 year old home that a competitor had 'cleaned' two weeks prior. The homeowner showed me the other guy's report with no mention of it. That crack could have led to a serious fire. I always run my camera the full length, which adds maybe 20 minutes to the job. It's not just about soot, it's about the liner's condition. How do you convince customers the extra time and cost for a full scan is worth it?

4 comments

4 Comments

skyler_johnson321mo ago

Tell them you're selling peace of mind, not just a clean chimney. A camera scan is cheap insurance against their house burning down. If they balk at the extra cost, ask if they'd skip a full home inspection for a cheaper walk around the yard.

simonlee1mo ago

Yeah, a buddy of mine had a close call like that. His regular sweep did the quick look for years, then a new guy with a camera found a huge gap in the mortar between the flue tiles. It was basically venting heat straight into the wall studs. The first guy missed it completely. My friend said the extra fifty bucks for the scan felt stupid cheap after seeing that picture. It's not about finding dirt, it's about finding the problems you can't see with a flashlight from the bottom.

ward.diana1mo ago

Exactly. That hidden gap is what scares me. A camera catches the slow burn risks, the stuff that could cook your walls for years before anything shows.

adam1869d ago

My neighbor's brother in Ohio had a chimney fire last winter from a cracked flue liner they never saw. The fire marshal said the heat had been weakening the wall framing for ages before it finally caught. That camera scan isn't just a fancy add on, it's the only way to check the actual condition of the whole system. It shows you the weak spots before they turn into a real emergency.