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I finally came around on pre-season chimney checks

I always considered them extra work. Spotting a huge crack before winter changed that. Now I know they're essential.

3 comments

3 Comments

eva_garcia561mo agoMost Upvoted

Tell me about it, I also had to learn that lesson the hard way. My own dumb move was not checking the damper and getting a face full of old ash when I first lit it. Now I'm a total convert to doing the checks too.

nathan2891mo ago

Your story about the ash made me consider the long term risks we ignore. A friend learned that a closed damper traps moisture inside the chimney all summer. That dampness mixes with soot to create a corrosive paste that eats at the metal. It caused his damper to rust shut completely by fall. The repair bill was huge compared to just doing seasonal checks. So now I see the damper check as part of preserving the whole system, not just avoiding a mess.

the_eva27d ago

Wow, my buddy's chimney liner cracked from that same corrosive gunk.