TIL my old way of checking for blockages was missing a big problem

Last month in a Portland bungalow, I found a clean flue but the homeowner still had smoke backing up... so I borrowed a borescope from a plumbing buddy and found a huge bird nest crammed in the offset, three feet down from the top. What's the weirdest hidden blockage you've ever pulled out?

2 comments

2 Comments

matthew3393d ago

Man, that's a crazy find! I can totally see how you'd miss that with a normal check. It makes me wonder how many other weird blockages are just hiding out of plain sight. I bet that homeowner was relieved you figured it out before winter hit. What did you end up doing to get it all cleared out?

keith2643d ago

Actually, I kinda think the opposite. Most of the time, a good visual check catches the big stuff. People get spooked by one weird story, but honestly, those hidden blockages are pretty rare in my experience.