miamitchell•23d agoMost Upvoted

One Tuesday that nearly ended my elbow, and my day

Last month I had a routine cleaning in Arlington that turned into a four hour fight with a creosote buildup so thick it looked like tar. The homeowner said they hadn't burned anything since spring, but the flue was packed solid from years of neglect. I had to chip away at it with a rotary loop for almost two hours, and my arm was shaking by the time I finally got a clear view up top. What made it worse was finding a dead bird wedged in the damper, which explained the smell the customer kept mentioning. I charged $320 total, but honestly I think I undercharged for the mess. Has anyone else hit a buildup that bad and how do you keep your wrist from giving out halfway through? I'm thinking about getting a heavier duty drill attachment, but I want to hear what works for others first.

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finleyf8823d ago

Got a similar tar job last winter and switched to a paddle bit with a slow drill, saved my wrist.