My uncle told me to always check the damper with a mirror before starting a sweep

I ignored him for years, but last Tuesday in a 1920s house in Spokane, I started my rods and heard a terrible scraping sound. The damper was fully closed and I nearly ruined a set of SootSweeper brushes. What's the one piece of old-timer advice you initially brushed off that later saved you a major headache?

2 comments

2 Comments

roberts.paul18d agoTop Commenter

My buddy in Tacoma finally listened about the pilot light check.

wright.rowan18d ago

Wait, is checking the damper really that big of a deal? I always figured you'd hear it right away... but maybe @roberts.paul has a point about listening to the old rules sometimes.