Got a stubborn creosote dam out with a trick my grandad used in the 80s

Honestly, I had this job last month in a 100 year old farmhouse near Lancaster. The flue was blocked solid about 8 feet up, and my rods just wouldn't bite. Ngl, I was about to call for a camera. Then I remembered my grandad used to pack a small bag of rock salt into a burlap sack and send it up on a line, letting it soak overnight. Tried it, and the next morning the dam was soft enough to break up with a single pass of the brush. Has anyone else used an old method like that, or is it just a weird family thing?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade_hernandez3mo ago

My uncle in Vermont swore by soaking a potato in vinegar for the same thing.

emma_rodriguez342mo ago

Actually, jade_hernandez, that's for drawing out a splinter.

lily3943mo ago

Tried that once, it made a real mess. Honestly, I just use a paste of baking soda and water now. Leave it on for about twenty minutes, then scrub it off with an old toothbrush. Works way better and doesn't smell like a salad.