Smart man, for investing in the proper tools, Paul. While cleaning out the mess above, there were some remnants left down deeper inside the pipe. Because I'm too cheap to invest in tooling, I started off dropping a broken broom handle down and thru. It just sliced its way, and wasn't effective. Then I tried a longer brass rod, and whittled it around, (careful not to drop, cause the clean-out below wasn't deep enuff for extraction). When that didn't work, I dropped a red brick thru it, and yet it "still" hung in there. I finally loaded it with a barrage of red bricks, which finally did the trick. I think I wuz up and down that stupid ladder 25 times that morning, when the sun was 90°, and the humidity was about 80%. Maybe I'll hire Dick Van Dyke next time.Sunny Boy wrote: ↑Sun. Jul. 18, 2021 10:37 amSquirrel nests have been the problem here in the unlined brick chimney for the kitchen range.
Like most of the old houses around here, my chimneys have slate caps. That's why they've lasted about 120 years. However, that makes them a nicer weatherproof home for critters. Gotta check each fall with a mirror in through the ash cleanout door. I keep a set of chimney cleaning rods and brush just to pull down any nests.
Paul
TOTP
