I’ve been involved in the chimney industry since the late ‘70s when my wife and I started our chimney sweeping business. Anyone who was a sweep during this time enjoyed a business that boomed during the fall and winter, then fell off in the spring and summer. How times have changed. In these early days, there were no criteria for chimney inspections. Chimney sweeps swept the chimney, maybe noted some issues to the homeowner about the soot level,and left. Litigation and insurance companies started to change the industry and were the basis for developing the industry’s Standard of Care. 
Taking the NFPA 211 Annex and placing it into installation type.
One day, at the turn of the century, as I sat on my deck relaxing, my mind wandered back to the year 1998 when a bunch of guys and I drafted the Levels of Inspections, Degrees of Access, and the list of inspection items in Chapters 14 & 15 and in the NFPA 211 Annex. As I thought about how it would be incorporated into a chimney technician’s inspection, I realized it would be difficult for the technician to try to hit all the inspection items from memory. Additionally, some items would apply to one type of installation, but not all. Today, 25 years later, some chimney technicians are still missing inspection items from NFPA 211. It’s almost as if our industry Standard of Care slipped through our fingers. Is it because there are too many items for a technician to inspect? No, we've become lazy and pick and choose what we want. This led me to begin my 10,000 hours of creating what became the Flue and Hearth Notes™ inspection forms. 
Different Installation Types.
Forty years ago, before NFPA 211’s Inspection criteria, an inspection form was created with a fireplace and a handful of inspection items to check. It was in triplicate form, and chimney sweeps used it for all types of installations. It was used for all chimneys. However, a fireplace inspection differs dramatically from a chimney serving a gas water heater and an oil boiler venting into one flue. Unfortunately, some chimney sweeps and technicians still use these forms.  Twenty years ago, I envisioned building a comprehensive inspection form Based on NFPA 211 but for specific applications such as a Masonry Fireplace, a Prefabricated Fireplace, a Masonry Thimble Chimney Serving an Appliance(s), and a Prefabricated Chimney Serving an Appliance(s).  Although these installations all have chimneys, each chimney vents a different type of heating unit or fireplace. In addition, the fuels can differ: LP gas, natural gas, oil, coal, wood, and pellets.
No installations are the same, but you will see the same types of defects.
Every installation is unique, but the types of defects are the same across the board. For instance, defects can range from vertical and horizontal cracks, protruding mortar joints, stacked liners, and misaligned liners to missing chimney liners.
Start creating a Unity track: Defining what’s important.
One of my all-time favorite stories is one Tom Grandy shared about a trip to the dentist. As with any dental visit, almost everyone gets the lecture about how to floss twice a day, and we are given the same demonstration of how to floss each time we brush. One day, after a lecture on flossing, Tom shared what we all feel, and the dentists regularly hear. “I hate to floss!” I suppose that day, the dentist had heard it for the umpteenth time, and he was ready. He responded, “OK, just do the teeth you want to keep!” This has similarities to our industry. A technician can’t just pick and choose what they want to search for (the insurable cracked flue liner). All inspection items must be investigated (NFPA 211, Chapters 14, 15, and the Annex). I felt pulling all this together would create unity on chimney inspections in our industry since it didn’t seem to be happening.
The start of the Flue and Hearth Notes™ (10,000 hours) of form building and why and how they are built.
I began with the vision of a unified form. I grouped inspection items with installation types. I further included an area for defects related to specific areas, such as a chimney liner. I grouped inspection items per area where they were found in the chimney or fireplace. I included information on appliances. I had professionally created drawings and pulled everything into multiple inspection report forms. Recently, I added more forms to the offering and broke them down by fuels. We now have eight form types: Masonry Fireplace, Masonry Fireplace with a Hearth Stove, Masonry Fireplace with an Insert, Masonry Thimble Chimney Serving a Solid Fuel Appliance, Masonry Thimble Chimney Serving a Liquid Fuel Appliance(s), Prefabricated Chimney Serving a Solid Fuel Appliance, Prefabricated Chimney Serving a Liquid Fuel(s) Appliance, and Prefabricated Fireplace and Chimney. We have Level I and Level II forms for each installation type. That’s 16 forms in total. But then, we went a step further.

​Our cameras feature a high-resolution chip for taking images and videos during chimney inspections. These cameras provide focus from 2” to infinity and beyond. Each camera will need a Chim-Scan® Unit to run it. 

Here are our seven cameras and their applications:
The J3D™ Camera has two cameras. A top camera for straight-up views and a side camera with a 0-90° tilt. The camera rotates continuously in a 360° pattern without having to hold a button. You can adjust the rotation speed from slow to dizzy. We do suggest a slower speed when recording a video. You can stop rotation at any time to take a photo. The J3D has 30 dimmable LED lights to brighten even the darkest chimneys. There are two rows of 9 lights above and below the side camera and 12 on top of the second camera. Both white and orange stabilizers and a rod adaptor are included.  

The Lighthouse™ Tilt Camera is the bottom half of the J3D. It features 360° of continuous rotation without having to hold a button, and the rotation speed can be easily adjusted. The camera includes a 0-90° Tilt and 2 rows of bright LED lights that are dimmable. Both white and orange stabilizers and a rod adaptor are included. 

The Mini-Enviro is the New Version of the Enviro.
Mini-Enviro™ Camera Lineup
The Mini-Enviro Camera is a high-resolution camera with 9 bright LED lights and has four different ways to use it. This economical camera provides high-resolution images and videos when inspecting chimneys, chases, attics, crawl spaces, and other hard-to-reach areas. The Mini-Enviro™ and the JS Ball ™ are priced attractively and are a great addition to your system to have as a backup camera. Here’s our lineup:

Our Mini-Enviro™ Camera set in a bracket provides high-resolution images and videos from a side view for detecting defects when scanning flues. It is set into a 3-D bracket and includes a built-in new-style mini whisker with orange and white stabilizers and a rod adaptor. The bracket is called the scanning bracket and is the most popular style. And is the standard for the camera. When you order the Mini-Enviro™ with other brackets, you won’t get this bracket. To rotate the camera, you must manually turn the chimney rods. It is a power-packed yet economical camera. 

Our new JS Ball with Mini-Enviro™ Camera was originally custom-designed for a customer, but it worked so well that we added it to our catalog. It also captures high-resolution images and videos. This camera is fixed at a 15° angle for viewing multiple interior chimney defects such as misaligned flue tiles, open mortar joints, cracks, damaged liners, and more! Like the Mini-Enviro™ Camera above, the chimney rods must be turned to scan the flue using the barber pole and reverse barber pole method. This small camera measures 5¼" high, 2" wide when facing head-on, and 2 ½" from front to back.  It also includes orange and white whisker stabilizers and a rod adaptor. 

The Dryer Vent Camera Plus™ is a Mini-Enviro™ enclosed in the Dryerball bracket (less than 2.5”) with a probe to navigate 90° elbows. The Mini-Enviro Camera is enclosed in a ball. This system includes a 35' no-kink continuous flexible rod (a 50’ custom rod is available) and a case with an easy-access cutout.

Our Mini-Enviro™ Camera on the Wired Gooseneck Rod is excellent for hard-to-access areas such as ash pits, fireplace smoke shelves, and other hard-to-reach places where a flexible camera and rod are needed, like attic spaces, wall cavities, smaller woodstoves when inspecting the interior and chases.
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The Mini-Enviro™ is permanently attached to the Gooseneck Rod and cannot be removed. This protects the camera from falling off, and when it is paired with a painter’s pole, it’s even more stable.

The Mini-Enviro™ Camera on a Painter’s Pole provides high-resolution images and videos of challenging areas such as crawl spaces, unfinished attics, chimneys that are too far from the access door, and other hard-to-reach areas. It features 9 bright LED lights, a wired flexible Gooseneck Rod, and a wired telescoping 16’ painter’s pole. It is also ideal for checking gutters. To see images of it in use, click here.

These cameras cover a multitude of applications. Remember, each requires a Chim-Scan® Unit for smooth camera operation, video and image capture, and storage option.

Becoming a Chim-Scan® Factory-Trained Technician is a unique factory training program. It starts with our Chimney Scanning and inspection Guide. You can take the test once you feel confident that you know the information. You will receive a patch, certificate, and the Chim-Scan® Factory-Trained designation upon passing. 
 There are many benefits of becoming a Chim-Scan® Factory Trained Technician: 
• You may be able to get lower insurance coverage rates. Ask your agent about this.
• You receive a certificate, a patch, and the number upon passing. 
• You receive a copy of our Chim-Scan® Technician Logo for advertising. 
• This book is packed with great information: 

•  There are over 400 pictures in the book.
• The book explains Levels of Inspection and Access Points
• When to refer to IRC and NFPA 211
• Angles of imagery
• Probable cause
• The Four Pathways
• Five modules featuring multiple installation types

1. Masonry fireplace
2. Masonry fireplace with an appliance - insert or hearth stove
3. Masonry thimble chimney with a solid or liquid fuel appliance(s)
4. Prefab fireplace & chimney
5. Prefab chimney with a solid fuel or liquid fuel appliance(s)

The open-book multiple-choice test is based on this guide, the Chim-Scan® Manual, and knowledge of the Chim-Scan® System. Each question is worth one point. Since this is an open-book test, 85% of correct answers are passing scores. 
You can take the test online. Once you finish the test (100 questions) and press the Submit Button, you will receive your pass/fail at that time. Your Certificate of Completion is ready to print directly off the site. You can take it up to two times before you incur an additional charge. 
Here is the breakdown of the test and manual cost: 
The training Manual is $200 in print form, including the test for one person (there is a retest fee if the test needs retaking more than twice). If you order your book(s) before 1/31/2025, you will only pay ($87 + $15.50 shipping.) 
For each test, it is only $50 for each individual from the same company. For information on taking the 
test, scan the QR code below, visit our website at www.chimscanfactorytraining.com, or give us a call to order at 641-472-7643. 

Terra cotta flue tiles have been used for almost a century as an accepted liner for masonry chimneys. A brand-new flue may look like the photo shown on the right. The tile is new; it should not be broken (or, in this case, have a cutout view). 
 As the chimney is being built, flue tiles stack on each other and are mortared together with a joint. In the past, masons often used mortar such as type "S" or type "N" mortar, the same mortar they used to lay the brickwork. These mortars can erode, leading to open mortar joints and shifting flue tiles. Today, codes require a non-water-soluble refractory cement that withstands the onslaught of moisture. This creates longevity for your masonry flue. 
Equally important is a smooth interior mortar joint (specified by codes). The picture on the right is an example of a brand-new ideal joint. Mortar that protrudes into the flue can hinder flue gases and smoke. This may affect the way the fireplace burns. A smooth joint is an optimal joint.
Many other types of damage can happen to a masonry flue. To ensure your flue is in an operational-ready condition, ask the chimney sweep to continuously scan your chimney with a Chim-Scan® Internal Video Inspection System each year your chimney is cleaned.  Catching defects early and making repairs can preserve your investment in your fireplace, chimney, and home. 
#chimney inspection, #chimney camera, #chimney flue, #scanning chimney

​Prefabricated chimneys have been in use for decades as a Listed, accepted substitute for masonry chimneys. Prefabricated chimneys and venting product installations can vary based on the product, the installation type, and the appliance type. It’s important that these chimneys be inspected annually and cleaned. Inspecting the chimney with a Chim-Scan® Internal Evaluation System is a great way to ensure the chimney is in a continued operational condition.

All manufacturers of prefabricated chimneys test their products at a recognized laboratory to a test standard.is the creator of the test standards. Tests include several challenging factors the chimney must pass, including temperature, duration, torsion, chimney brushing, and rain tests, to name a few. 

Once the manufacturer successfully passes the test, the product installation instructions must be approved, each component properly labeled, and an agreement must be signed for random manufacturing plant inspections. Then the manufacturer is offered the Listing. 
The manufacturer may choose to offer a training program for installers. The installer's job is to install the chimney or vent, using the listed components to recreate it in the same manner as the manufacturer's installation during the testing for listing or approval. 

A new chimney pipe is shiny inside and should not have any denting or damage inside or outside. The joints should connect firmly, and all supporting components must be used. After a new chimney pipe is put into use, it must be inspected at least annually and cleaned as specified in the maintenance section. Again, the best way to see inside a series of chimney sections is with a Chim-Scan® Internal Video Inspection System.
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With proper installation, usage, and maintenance, your prefabricated chimney system should give you years of use. After all, they have been used to vent fireplaces and hearth appliances for decades.