PSA: I finally switched to using a shop vac on my chimney liner installs

Used to think pulling a chain and rod was the only way for 8-inch liners after a bad vac experience 3 years ago in Akron, but a older sweep showed me his setup last month and I got a 6-inch liner down in 10 minutes flat. Anyone else ditch the old methods for a vac on tight bends?

3 comments

3 Comments

ward.jamie1mo ago

First tried a shop vac on a tricky 90-degree bend and it shocked me how fast it worked.

wyatt1351mo ago

Taking the opposite side here for a second, but shop vacs on drains can actually make a clog worse if the seal isn't perfect. The suction can pull water out of the trap, sure, but it also tends to push debris deeper into the pipe if there's any air leak. Seen it happen to a buddy's kitchen sink where he ended up with a wet mess on the floor and the clog still stuck. Snakes are brutal and slow, but at least you know exactly what you're hitting in there.

calebc401mo ago

Jump right in and realize that's how a lot of life's little problems are. You spend an hour trying to snake a drain or pry open a stuck lid, then one weird trick nobody talks about solves it in 30 seconds. It's like when I spent a whole afternoon trying to get a stripped screw out with a drill, and a rubber band between the bit and the screw head pulled it out first try. My buddy swears by using a hair dryer to loosen a rusted bolt instead of all that penetrating oil. In my experience, it's those backwards, simple fixes that work best. Your mileage may vary.