Found a way to clear a stubborn flue blockage without a full teardown

Had a job in Albany last week where the homeowner said their fireplace hadn't drawn right in two years. The brush and rods just hit a solid stop about eight feet up. Instead of quoting a full liner replacement, I tried a trick an old timer mentioned: I taped a shop vac hose to the cleanout and ran my leaf blower down the chimney top for about ten seconds. It blew a compacted bird nest and about three pounds of debris right into the vacuum. Has anyone else used this two tool method on a blocked flue?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahcraig5d agoTop Commenter

That trick with the leaf blower and shop vac is genius! I've used a similar push-pull idea for smaller stuff. Once on a really packed creosote blockage, I ran the blower for a minute, let it sit, then did it again. It took a few cycles to break it all loose. You gotta be ready for a huge dust cloud in the firebox though, even with the vacuum running.

kellygrant5d ago

Heard about using a pressure washer from the top for really bad creosote? Seems risky for the brick though. Your method sounds way smarter for a nest.

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paul_ramirez5d ago

Honestly, pressure washing from the top is a terrible idea. You'll force water into the brick and mortar, which can cause real damage when it freezes. Tbh, even for bad creosote, I'd stick with mechanical cleaning tools first. That dust cloud Hannah mentioned is no joke either.