​Whether performing chimney inspections or reading a chimney inspection report, one thing is clear: It is hard to argue with a high-resolution picture taken during a chimney inspection with a camera showing defects deep inside the flue. A chimney inspection done with the naked eye is no comparison to an internal chimney scanning. I used a 5’ chimney prop with hidden defects in the chimney inspections and classes I taught for 21 years. Almost 99.9% of the time, the inspectors missed an opening defect within the flue by inspecting only with a flashlight and the naked eye. These defects were only 17” from their face. 

Images and videos from scanning chimneys are one part of the equation. If you read a report with multiple pictures, can you understand what the defects are and what caused them? Here are some other questions to consider:

1. Can you identify and define “What is a defect?” within the chimney interior?"
2. Can you determine how the defect was created or the most probable way it was created?
3. Did you rule out other causes and conditions, leaving probable causes as to why the defect is there?

In my forty years in the chimney industry, I have accumulated a lot of images, videos, and knowledge regarding chimney construction and defects. I have also spoken at national and state organizations and taught at a national trade organization school for over twenty years (Chimney Safety Institute of America). 

This wealth of experience led me to envision a way to share this information with the chimney industry and anyone interested in internal chimney inspections, culminating in the following book. The Chimney Scanning & Inspection Guide.
Within this book is a brief outline:

• Where to start – Use IRC, NFPA 211, local codes, or the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
• Where to put drop cloths and prepare the area for the inspection
• How does scanning chimneys fit within the Levels of Inspection (NFPA 211)? Where do the Levels of Accessibility fit into all this?
• How do structure integrity and flue condition compare to what is the ideal chimney in the code books?
• What is happening within the flue and the chimney?
• What is the probable cause of the defect or symptom, along with an explanation?

Operating a chimney camera using the proper techniques and observation skills should produce more answers regarding the flue’s condition rather than presenting more questions. Since there are many types of installation, we segmented this book into modules to provide a step-by-step approach to chimney scanning by chimney type. The modules include:
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• Scanning a Masonry Chimney and Fireplace
• Scanning a  Masonry Chimney and Fireplace with an Appliance (Hearth Stove & Insert)
• Scanning a Masonry Thimble Chimney Serving an Appliance(s) (Solid Fuel or Liquid Fuel(s)
• Scanning a Prefab Chimney and Fireplace
• Scanning a Prefab Chimney Serving an Appliance (Solid Fuel or Liquid Fuel(s)

Each installation type offers its unique challenges. We detail the differences between types of installations, including conditions to be alert for and the typical defects for each. The training modules listed above tell you the best access points and offer a step-by-step assessment process for home protection, defect diagnosis, and cleanup. If you would like more information about our books, click here. Otherwise, continue reading our blogs to learn about your interests.

We began our venture into the chimney industry as chimney sweeps in Pennsylvania in the 1970s. We swept chimneys and inspected them with the only available tool—a flashlight and, later, a mirror. It always left us feeling discomfort that there wasn't a better way to see into the chimney, and we might be missing something. Thus, we began building the first designated chimney inspection camera, and 40 years later, we are still manufacturing chimney cameras. 

Since we were chimney sweeps, we knew a chimney camera had to be tough. Chimneys can be rough and damaged, have sharp edges, contain acids, and pose a multitude of risks to any camera. Our commitment still stands today as we continue to manufacture commercial quality equipment designed specifically for the chimney industry.
 
In the video, Tom shares a story that would have shattered most cameras. A drop off a 40-foot building with only a damaged switch and a repair of $350. Tom also demonstrates as he drops our camera off the mezzanine at a distance of 16'. 

We are committed to quality, and we repair and upgrade our equipment. We get it. We understand the challenges of inspecting, cleaning, and relining chimneys.

When looking up a dark chimney flue with a flashlight, you will see what the light illuminates in degrees of shapes and shadows. Remember, you will also be looking at it from just one angle. Visual acuity (clarity of vision) differs from person to person. It is a rating of a person's ability to recognize small details precisely. Many factors can affect the quality of a person's eyesight, one being brightness. Because you shine a flashlight into a dark chimney flue, similar to looking into a dark tunnel, the details you can gather with the naked eye are minimal. However, a Chim-Scan® Chimney Camera can provide a close view with adjustable lens angles and variable light brightness. This surpasses the naked eye, captures details, and provides images and videos.

Should a flashlight and the naked eye be used to inspect a chimney?
I taught chimney inspection classes for over 21 years and used a prop with hidden defects (the images at the right). Almost 99% of the time, the inspectors missed an opening within the chimney flue using a flashlight and the naked eye. These defects were only 17” from their faces. If a chimney technician inspects a flue with a flashlight and notes there were no defects, they risk opening themselves up for liability or lack of disclosure for missed defects. If the chimney was scanned with a camera the previous year, and no events were noticed, a flashlight may be sufficient for the inspection if you performed a chimney scan inspection the previous year and they didn't use their chimney.

Currently, in the chimney industry, inspections with a flashlight are allowed on a Level 1 Inspection at least once a year, during a routine cleaning of the chimney flue, replacement of a connected appliance with one of a similar type, input rating, and efficiency according to NFPA 211. However, are you really sure you could see everything?

The language in Level 1 (15.3.2.4) asks for verification that the flue or flues are free of combustible deposits and blockage or obstruction. But the language in Chapter 14 of NFPA 211 does state that if the flue liner has softened, cracked, or otherwise deteriorated so that it no longer has the continued ability to contain the products of combustion (i.e., heat, moisture, creosote, and flue gases), the liner shall be either removed and replaced, repaired, or relined with a listed liner system (14.9). Can you determine all of this with a flashlight?

A camera with a tilting lens captures angles and textures and defines the movement of the flue tiles.
The beauty of inspecting chimney flues with an adjustable tilt lens, like the J3D and Lighthouse™ Tilt Cameras, is that changes to the masonry are more apparent when looking at it from different angles. If I look only at the sides of the chimney, I may miss the fact that the flue tiles are severely misaligned. If I look straight down or up the chimney, I will miss openings between the clay flue tiles. I may also miss a hole in a flue hidden by severely misaligned tiles, as the photos show. Instead, when using these tilt lens cameras, I can see how thick a mortar joint is, how much mortar is missing, whether the tile has damage and whether there is a hidden breeching, amongst other defects.
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Illumination is critical to diagnosing defects. What do you see if you look down a chimney with a flashlight? Most likely, you will see shapes, shadows, and lines. It will be up to your brain to form a picture and decide if these shapes, shadows, and lines constitute a defect. How good is your eyesight? How good is your flashlight?

When scanning a chimney with a properly illuminated camera, you can pinpoint defects as small as hairline cracks or degradation. If you look down a chimney and see creosote, can you define it? Is it a dark mass in the flue? Can you tell whether it is glossy, goopy, or tarlike creosote? Or is it shiny – almost reflective when the camera illuminates it head-on? How is the texture - puffy, granular, light soot, tarlike, or glazed? Can you see surface degradation?

Not every chimney camera is the same.
Now that we have described the ideal chimney scanning system, you need to know that not all chimney cameras have a tilt lens and adjustable lighting. Not all lenses can spin in a circle. With some systems, the technician must properly turn the camera while inspecting and videoing the flue. This video often ends up a wobbly mess, which gives the viewer an inclination to car sickness. The quality of the camera and the ability to get clear, focused pictures are essential to finding and diagnosing defects. Unfortunately, a camera with poor images shines a bad light on the technician. If the customer can't see a clear picture of a defect, it's a credibility wrecker.
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In closing
A chimney can be seen as a unique appliance in the home. It is a channel whereby the products of combustions shall pass through and exit the atmosphere. A chimney may also be a part of the fireplace or heater's draft. It must keep the elements out of the home, yet not without closing off the drafting function. It is exposed to heat inside and cold outside. It is exposed to the elements - rain, snow, wind, and weather events. There is no doubt that it is integral to the home. When it comes down to having an inspection and you are a homeowner reading this, demand that the chimney is scanned with a chimney camera. Especially one with quality photos, such as the Chim-Scan® Internal Evaluation Camera System.
If you are a chimney technician, remember to use your camera on every job!

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