Rant: Homeowners who 'clean' their own flue before I show up

Third time this month I've arrived at a job in Westbrook to find the homeowner already had a go with a chain and a towel. They think they're saving a buck but they just scratch the liner and push soot deeper into the offset. Now I have to rod it twice and charge for the extra passes, plus explain why their smoke issue is worse. Anyone else deal with this on the regular, and how do you talk them out of DIY without sounding like you're just after the cash?

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the_felix1mo ago

Three chained flues last Tuesday alone, and one guy handed me a towel that smelled like burnt regret. I told him the chimney was basically a clogged artery and he was the heart attack, which got a laugh, then I showed him a picture of my own scratched liner from ten years ago when I tried the same thing. Now I just say, "Hey, I've been the guy with the chain, and the pipe won that round.

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