She started sweeping chimneys in 1979 after she and her husband returned from a year in the Peace Corps in Swaziland. Crawling up tall ladders, hauling in a vacuum, and getting all sooty was just another adventure for this woman who grew up on a dairy farm and had previously worked as a milk tester. After all, how many women in 1978 would get married and spend the first year of marriage in Africa, 8304 miles from home?
For those of you who aren’t familiar with sweeping chimneys, it is a dirty and dangerous job. Back in the day, sweeping equipment was heavy and awkward. The sweep had to unload this equipment from a truck or van. The vac was the size of a 50-gallon drum and had to be wheeled into the home along with a bunch of awkward rods and brushes. The drum of the vacuums was metal and heavier than today’s versions. Often, the sweep would lay down tarps, get the vacuum going (to minimize any soot), and then climb a ladder to the roof.
Once at the roof, they had to maneuver onto what could be a steep slope and make their way to the chimney. Once at the chimney, it was time to sweep. Soot dust usually came up in those days, but sometimes residue or chunks would fall into the firebox. So, after maintaining balance on the roof and navigating back and down the ladder, they would have to clean up debris in the firebox. The homeowner asked her and her husband if they got everything and if it was safe. Questions like this made them both uncomfortable because they could only see so much.
They discussed the need to be able to see into the flue. Literally. They asked around at a National Chimney Sweep Guild Convention in 1983, and no one had answers. For the next year, when her husband spent a lot of time researching and developing this idea, she would sweep during the day and listen to his findings or help him at night. This was also while she took care of the office work.
Esther had her hands full marketing and getting the message across about the need for chimney cleaning by a professional. In the eighties, people didn’t think they needed to have their chimneys swept. After all, a chimney was built of masonry. So, how could a chimney fire destroy a masonry chimney or a house? Chimney fires happened, and the word spread, like the fires, that a chimney fire could ignite the home. Still, homeowners felt they could clean a chimney just as well as a sweep and didn’t want to pay for the cleaning.
Then, when her husband finished up on the chimney camera after a year of research and engineering it himself, they scanned their first chimney. What an amazing view! Even in black and white, it was apparent there was a whole different world inside of the chimney. Defects such as hidden breechings, flue cracks, and other types of damage, which weren’t identifiable with the naked eye and a flashlight, became visible. As more chimneys were scanned, they began to realize the risks that America’s homeowners faced. Unknowingly, they became the first man and woman in the entire world to scan a chimney!
In 1984, they introduced the Chim-Scan® Internal Chimney Evaluation System at the NCSG Trade Show in Washington, D.C. It was described as “the showstopper of the convention – High-tech meets chimneys!” and CNN interviewed her husband. Initial orders proved disappointing. After all, this was the first chimney camera anyone had seen, and sweeps thought they could see everything necessary in the flue. Word started getting around once they started working with insurance adjusters doing fire investigations.
Esther Urban continued to sweep chimneys occasionally and manage the responsibilities of an office. Most of their customers were happy repeat customers. Sales of the cameras started taking off, and her husband Tom was offered a job as Director of Technical Advisory Services in Fairfield, Iowa, working for a distributor named Copperfield. They sold their sweeping business and moved. She continued to manage the day-to-day operations of the Chim-Scan® business and the Chim-Scan® cameras, and the Urbans changed the chimney cleaning industry into a chimney inspection and repair industry.
Anyone who was around “back in the day” that became a successful sweep due to their hard work has to agree we wouldn’t be where we are without the Urbans and their Chim-Scan® Cameras. Some may argue this point, but as one who lived through this time and was heavily involved as a technical consultant and innovator for the largest supplier in the industry, I’m happy to argue this point with you. Without chimney cameras, would the industry have grown like it has? Sure, it might have come along eventually, but perhaps chimney sweeping would have retained its “top hat run a brush down the flue because he has nothing better to do” job? Instead, with the help of Tom and Esther Urban, the diagnostics of what was found in chimneys was born with the Chim-Scan®.
It is said that we stand on the shoulders of our ancestors or predecessors. Whether it's those who settled and built this fine country we take for granted or a couple who “took it to the limit” (and beyond), it's time to appreciate them and give them the accolades they deserve. Esther Urban literally climbed beyond the accepted female norms of the day. She was the first woman to scan a chimney in the U.S. She helped create an industry and a better place for women, and that’s enough to put her (and Tom) on a pedestal for all they have contributed to our chimney industry. Forty years have passed since the inception of Estoban, the manufacturer of Chim-Scan® Internal Evaluation Systems. Thinking about where the next 40 years will take this industry is exciting. 

Guest Blog by Karen Foreman
Author of Design Ideas for Fireplaces, former industry technical consultant, marketing director, product specialist, innovator, and writer. 

​©2024 Estoban Corporation LLC. 

National Fire Prevention Week is just around the corner. Are you ready to promote your business? After all, as a chimney inspection business, you are already part of a fire prevention team, which is the chimney and hearth industries. According to the U.S. EPA, the leading factor contributing to home heating fires was failure to clean, principally creosote from solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily in chimneys (NFPA). How can you advertise your business while educating your customers and the public? Here are some ideas:
Bring it “online”! – what to do during a chimney fire!
Most customers have no idea what a chimney fire is. They don’t know how to watch for an increase in the draft, the clinking sound of breaking clay tiles, the creosote falling into the firebox or oozing into the appliance, and the loud whirring sound as the draft increases. They need to understand that while their chimney may be constructed of masonry or a prefab system, these are designed to vent combustion products and not necessarily the high temperatures and effects of a chimney fire. Post this information on your website and use social media to spread the message. Show your Chim-Scan® Camera in use and the pictures it produces. They may have heard about it on TV or at another venue, but not everyone understands the needs and steps they should take to protect their home and family.
Show it off! - Your van parked in strategic spots, employee uniforms, etc.
During fire protection week, there will be news with fire statistics, firemen (and women), fire stations, and more. Park your vehicle in a public place. At lunch, it might be a fast-food business. Park it where people driving by can see it. Consider putting a QR Code on your van so they can quickly scan your site while waiting for the traffic light or before heading back to work. Leave it out to advertise in other secure locations when you or a team member is off work.  
Teach it! - Kids, civic groups, etc.
Civic groups and kids’ groups are always looking for speakers to put on a presentation. Does public speaking make you feel uncomfortable? You must remember that you are providing a service that has helped reduce the number of chimney fires and likely saved lives. Pass out coloring books or flyers to the attendees. The National Fire Protection Association has a wealth of informational brochures, games, and coloring pages on its website. Go to www.nfpa.org, then to Events, and click National Fire Prevention Week. 
Own it!  - Newspapers, radio talk shows, TV Stations, etc.
Offer to demonstrate your Chim-Scan® chimney imaging camera. TV shows and newspapers love to have local news during this event and filming a chimney inspection adds interest. Radio talk shows are another great venue for spreading the word this week. Most homeowners don’t know the difference between types of creosote. They likely don’t understand that an all-night burn isn’t always a good idea. You own the information; share it!
Give it your all! - Drawings for smoke extinguishers, smoke alarms, CO Alarms, etc.
During Fire Prevention Week, run daily drawings on your social media accounts. If they “like” your posts, put them in the hat for a drawing for a free fire extinguisher, smoke alarm, and/or CO alarm package.
National Fire Prevention Week is one of our industry's busiest times. This year’s theme from the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) is “Smoke alarms: make them work for you!™” During this time, fire prevention is on people’s minds, and some fire departments may talk about chimney or heater fires. It is a great chance to tell your story and share some of the knowledge you’ve gleaned as part of the chimney fire prevention team.

​Esther Urban joined this industry when she started selling firewood, then became co-owner of a chimney sweep and repair business in 1978. She swept chimneys, helped with bids and managed the office. Then she became co-owner of Estoban® with the invention of the Chim-Scan© Inspection System.
​Esther currently manages the office at Estoban and continues to share in the inventive process as part of the Innovation Team.
She also builds cameras and provides creative input.
Esther has been in the industry for 43 years and has been in the chimney and hearth industry for 38 years.
She previously spent time in the Peace Corps in Swaziland, Africa as a volunteer in the 1970’s. She is involved in community service as a volunteer and has made numerous memory blankets and tee shirt blankets, donated to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) Auction. She is recently finished another chimney sweep baby blanket for The Gathering, sponsored by the South Carolina Chimney Sweep Guild. 

​©2024 Estoban Corporation LLC.