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Overheard a rookie say 'just cram the brush up there' and had to stop myself from laughing
I was at a supply shop in Portland last Tuesday and this young guy was telling his buddy you don't need to measure the flue before you sweep. Just shove the brush in and hope for the best. That took me back to 1998 when I did the same thing on a job in a old Victorian. Wedged the brush so bad I had to take apart three sections of pipe to get it out. Took me two hours and I lost the whole day's pay on that single house. Has anyone else had a close call like that early on that stuck with you?
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the_piper5mo ago
Wait, did you really think measuring was optional at first too? Honestly I was the same way when I started out in 2010, figured I'd just feel it out and get lucky. But after a real close call where I almost wrecked a brand new liner on a tight flue, I totally changed my tune. @patriciareed that snake story is gold and honestly proves the point better than anything. Now I measure everything twice and still double check before I shove a brush anywhere near a pipe.
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john_cooper5mo ago
Holy crap, wait - the brush is still in the wall? That's insane. Ngl, that's the kind of thing that would haunt me forever, knowing I left a tool buried in the drywall. Tbh, I bet that snake is living its best life in there, completely rusted over by now. Man, I gotta ask - did you ever try to fish it out again or did you just call it a loss and move on?
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