Rant: Had to pick between a $200 camera scope and just trusting my brush in a tight Philly flue.

Old brick row house, flue was maybe 8 by 8. Couldn't see a thing past the first bend. Boss wanted me to just run the brush and hope. I bought the scope myself. Found a huge mortar chunk and a bird nest we would have just pushed down. Who else has paid out of pocket for a tool the shop should have?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliver21d ago

Good on you for buying the scope. A lot of bosses would rather risk a callback than spend the money. You saved yourself a bigger headache later.

grantschmidt1d ago

Exactly, @oliver2. I bought a cheap borescope for under a hundred bucks after a nightmare job tracing a drain line. The time you waste guessing where a clog is or what's behind a wall costs way more than the tool. A boss who won't buy one is just betting your time and their reputation to save a few dollars. That scope paid for itself the first time I found a broken pipe inside a finished ceiling without cutting three holes. Now it's the first thing I grab for any hidden problem.