Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Famco Chimney Sweep in Pasadena: What to Know First
We sweep and service Famco chimneys, caps, and dampers throughout Pasadena as an independent Famco service provider. A standard Famco chimney sweep in Pasadena runs $189 to $329, and most jobs are completed the same visit, usually within 60 to 90 minutes. You’ll get a written price before any tool comes off the truck, so the number you approve is the number on the invoice.
If you own a Famco chimney cap, damper, or chase cover and you’re seeing creosote buildup, smoke backing into the room, or an odor that won’t quit, call (626) 657-5513. We’re Flint Chimney Co Pasadena, part of the Garrison Partners family, and we’ve been servicing chimneys in this area since 2002. Hank Delano runs the crew.
How Famco Products Fail – and How We Fix Them
- Famco Top-Mount Dampers with Stuck Cable Assemblies. The Famco energy-saving top damper uses a stainless cable that runs down the flue to a handle or knob in the firebox. In Pasadena’s dry, dusty air, that cable channel fills with fine grit and creosote dust, and the damper plate stops sealing. We remove the cable, clean the track, check the spring tension, and either relube it with high-temp graphite or replace the cable if the wire strands have started to fray. A damper that won’t close is a heat leak all winter and a bug entry all summer.
- Famco Chimney Caps with Torn or Loose Mesh. The expanded-metal mesh on Famco caps keeps birds, bats, and embers out. We see caps on older Pasadena homes where the mesh has pulled away from the frame, usually at the corners where the spot welds gave out. Squirrels find that gap in about a week. We inspect the mesh on every sweep and resecure or replace the cap when the welds are gone. A cap with a dime-size hole is a cap that isn’t doing its job.
- Chase Cover Leak Patterns on Famco Multi-Flue Caps. On multi-flue runs where a Famco cap spans two flues, the chase cover underneath is the failure point we find most often. Water sits where the cap frame meets the cover, especially after winter rains. The rust stains show up on the ceiling below within a year or two. We check the cover bolts and seam caulk on every sweep, and we’ll tell you plainly whether the cover has years left or is ready for replacement.
- Creosote Glazing on Famco Pre-Fab Pipe. Famco doesn’t make flue liner, but their caps and dampers sit on top of factory-built chimney systems all over Pasadena, and those systems accumulate glazed creosote faster than masonry flues. The tight clearances and smaller diameters of factory pipe mean a half-inch of glazing is a real fire risk. We use proper brushes and hand scrapers sized to the pipe, never a generic oversized tool that can gouge the inner wall.
- Damper Handle Detachment at the Firebox Face. We’ve seen the Famco damper handle or knob come off in the customer’s hand more than once. The set screw backs out over years of hot-cold cycles. Easy fix for us since we carry spare set screws and replacement knobs on the truck, but left alone, the damper gets stuck closed or flopping open, and you’re dealing with a smoky fire or a chimney that smells like a campfire every time the AC kicks on.
We stock genuine Famco components for common repairs, including replacement caps, damper cables, handles, and mounting hardware. When an OEM part is backordered or discontinued, we’ll tell you exactly what we’re substituting and why, always in writing.
Styles & brands we work with





Our Famco Chimney Sweep Process
Every Famco job in Pasadena follows the same six steps. No surprises, no upsell at the door, no mystery charges.
- 1
You call, we answer. A live person picks up 24/7. We ask what you’re seeing, what kind of fireplace or stove you have, and whether you know if it’s a Famco cap or damper. We book a two-hour arrival window and we hit it.
- 2
On-site walkthrough. The technician arrives in uniform, does a quick visual check of the firebox, the flue access, and the roof condition if it’s a top-mount Famco component. We write down what we see.
- 3
Written quote before any work. You get a flat price for the sweep, any Famco part replacement, and any liner or masonry work the chimney actually needs. You approve it before we start. If you don’t, we don’t work. Simple.
- 4
The sweep itself. We cover the hearth and surrounding floor, run the proper brush and vacuum system, and remove creosote, soot, and any debris sitting on the smoke shelf or in the Famco cap. Dust control is part of the job, not an add-on.
- 5
Testing and verification. We check that the Famco damper opens and closes cleanly, the cap mesh is intact, and the flue draws properly. If we replaced a part, we test it twice. If something’s off, we tell you and show you, usually with a camera or a photo on our phone while you’re standing there.
- 6
Cleanup and your guarantee. We remove all drop cloths, vacuum the hearth area, and leave the fireplace cleaner than we found it. Any repair we make is covered by our 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If a covered repair fails within a year, we come back free.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterWhat Famco Chimney Sweep Costs in Pasadena
Here are the numbers we quote in Pasadena, written out so you don’t have to call just to get a ballpark.
| Famco Service | Typical Pasadena Price Range |
|---|---|
| Standard Famco chimney sweep (one flue, one fireplace) | $189 – $279 |
| Sweep plus Famco damper cable replacement | $249 – $369 |
| Sweep plus Famco chimney cap replacement (standard single-flue cap) | $329 – $559 |
| Sweep plus multi-flue Famco cap and chase cover reseal | $449 – $789 |
| Level 2 inspection with camera (often needed after a chimney fire or real estate sale) | $199 – $349 |
What moves the price: roof access difficulty (steep pitch, tile, third story), glaze-level creosote that requires extra scraping and chemical treatment, and whether we’re replacing a whole Famco component or just hardware. You get the exact number in writing before we start. Call (626) 657-5513 for a free estimate, and we’ll give you a range over the phone and a firm price on site.
Why Pasadena Homeowners Call Flint Chimney Co Pasadena for Famco Work
We’re not a referral service and we don’t subcontract. The technician who sweeps your Famco chimney is a background-checked, uniformed Flint Chimney Co Pasadena employee who has worked on Famco caps, dampers, and multi-flue systems all over the city, from the Craftsman bungalows near the Arroyo Seco to mid-century ranches east of Lake Avenue. We carry replacement Famco parts on the truck and we know which ones fail, why, and what they should cost.
But the real reason people stay with us is the paperwork. Every repair gets a written guarantee for one full year under the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If a covered repair fails, we return at no charge. No arguing, no fine print. We also work with DuraFlex chimney liners, HeatShield joint repair systems, and Gelco caps and covers, so if your Famco chimney needs more than a sweep, we fix it right with materials specified by the job, not by our margin. We operate under The Garrison Standard, and that means the price is the price and the guarantee is the guarantee.
The flue either draws or it doesn’t. Let’s find out which.
FAQs
No. Regular professional chimney sweeping is required maintenance for any fireplace or wood stove, and it does not void a Famco cap or damper warranty. What voids warranties is damage caused by improper installation or unauthorized modification. We work carefully and use tools sized to your specific flue, and we document everything we do. If you’re concerned, we can note the service details for your records.
Once a year if you burn wood more than a couple times a month during the winter. Pasadena’s wet winters and dry summers mean creosote accumulates fast during the burning season and then hardens during the off months, which makes it harder to remove the longer you wait. If you burn only occasionally or use gas logs, every two years is usually fine, but we still recommend an annual visual check of the Famco cap and damper since those are the parts that fail first.
Sometimes. If the mesh has pulled away at one corner and the frame is solid, we can resecure it or install a proper replacement screen. If the welds have failed in multiple spots or the frame is rusting through, we’ll tell you plainly and quote a full cap replacement. We carry genuine Famco caps and mounting hardware, and we’ll show you the damage before you approve any work. Call (626) 657-5513 for exact pricing.
Creosote builds up inside the flue. It’s flammable, and in a factory-built chimney the clearances are tight, so a chimney fire can spread into the chase and the house structure fast. Separately, the Famco cap gets clogged with soot and debris, the damper jams, and you start getting smoke backing into the room. The sweep costs a couple hundred dollars. The repair for a chimney fire or water-damaged chase usually doesn’t. Call us at (626) 657-5513, and we’ll give you a written price before any work starts.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner, Flint Chimney Co Pasadena at Flint Chimney Co Pasadena, serving Pasadena and nearby areas.