Found a way to clear a stubborn flue blockage in a 1920s house in Spokane

I was on a job last week in an old Spokane neighborhood, and the homeowner said their fireplace hadn't drawn right in years. The brush and rods just wouldn't get past a point about 15 feet up. Instead of forcing it, I hooked my shop vac hose to the cleanout and had my helper tap the chimney crown with a rubber mallet while I ran the vac. The vibration broke up what felt like a solid nest of old mortar droppings, and it all came down in one chunk. Has anyone else used vibration to loosen a packed-in blockage like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_riley9d agoMost Upvoted

Heard about a buddy who had a similar problem with an old brick chimney in his attic. He got his kid to jump up and down on the roof near the stack while he watched the cleanout. A whole mess of broken tile and what looked like a bird's nest just fell out. Said it saved him from taking the whole thing apart.

drews559d ago

Tapping the chimney crown" is genius... I always tried to muscle through blockages before.

hannah_craig9d ago

Tried that last winter when my flue was acting up. Got a rubber mallet and gave the crown a few solid taps from the roof. Heard the whole creosote chunk just drop down into the firebox. Way better than poking at it for an hour with a brush.