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Found out 90% of chimney fires start from creosote buildup in the smoke chamber, not the flue
Saw that statistic in a NFPA report last night and it blew my mind. How many of us are just checking the flue and calling it good when the real danger is hiding above the damper?
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logantaylor13h ago
My buddy just paid for a full chimney rebuild after his insurance company sent an inspector. They found the smoke chamber was basically solid creosote, like an inch thick in some spots. He'd been getting his flue cleaned every year like clockwork and never thought to have them look above the damper. Whole thing cost him twelve grand and he was without heat for three weeks in January.
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ben4027h ago
Yeah I read a similar thing from the NFPA last month and it made me rethink everything I thought I knew about chimney maintenance. @logantaylor's story is brutal but it's exactly what happens when nobody checks up there.
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