include a camera run. Only Ken's truck has a ChimScan on it at this time.
Abbey Road does charge extra to use the ChimScan.(Short for chimney
scanning.) It takes more time to do a thorough camera run and one of Ken's
reports. We call these a " level one plus". It is the client's choice to scan or
not. We find that the scan and report can often be used as a baseline for the
chimney condition on that date. If there is a reason in the future to approach
your insurance company for a claim on the unit, a new scan would document
the change in the chimney due to a sudden occurrence event. The insurance
adjuster, as well as the decision makers, would be able to compare the two
reports.
A visual inspection on a ranch style home's fireplace is often acceptable as
long as the fireplace is not in a basement. A basement fireplace is equivalent
to a two story unit. It is not possible to see all clay liner surfaces in order to be
able to check for cracks or missing mortar joints. Of course, if a certified
sweep looks into a two story chimney and can easily distinguish one or more
cracked liners, and or missing mortar joints, there is not a need for the camera
unless there are hidden areas that cannot otherwise be checked visually. A
camera run is recommended even on a one story chimney when a house is
being sold. This eliminates potential errors. Ken has scanned a one story
chimney and found cracked liners that were not apparent during a visual
inspection.
Two story chimneys need to be scanned with a camera, if at all possible,
because of the length of the unit. These include one and a half story homes. I
have people call in to say that they live in a one story home. What we find is
that it is often a one and a half story, which means that the chimney is actually
two stories. But because the upper level may be unfinished, a lot of people
forget that it is even there. If there is a unit in the basement, that actually
qualifies as a three story unit. If there is more than one unit in the home, the
lower one often sits directly below the upper unit. Think of two upside down
funnels, (the funnel being the fireplaces), with one perfectly aligned under the
other. Picture the stem of the funnels as the chimneys. If both funnel stems are
straight, the stem of the lower funnel would be in the funnel opening of the
upper funnel. If fireplaces were built like that, the smoke from the lower unit
would fill the upper fireplace. (And yes, I have seen one or two built like this,
believe it or not.) In order for the smoke of the lower unit to exit the top of the
chimney, the flue,or funnel stem, in this case, has to curve out to the left or
right to get around the base, or funnel, of the upper unit. It will often curve
back towards the center as the flue gets higher. This creates some very blind
spots in chimneys. Not all were built to be able to run a ChimScan through, but
if it is at all possible, a camera should be used to check for problem areas.
I realize that this is a lot of information, but educating our customers is one of
the most important goals of Abbey Road Chimney Sweeps,Inc. The more our
clients knows about their particular unit, and the operation of it, the better it is
used. The better a unit is used, equates to a safer occupancy of the home.