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 New York: What to Know First
Famco chimney sweep service in New York is what we do for homeowners who want a clean flue without a sales pitch attached to it. Most Famco chimney sweeps in New York run between $189 and $320 depending on the height of the flue, how much creosote has built up, and whether you’re also due for an inspection. We’re an independent Famco service provider, not a factory rep, so our only loyalty is to the person writing the check. If you own a Famco fireplace, stove, or venting system in New York and haven’t had the flue cleaned in the last year, call (315) 644-2982 and we’ll give you a written price before a brush ever touches brick.
How Famco Products Fail – and How We Fix Them
- Famco direct-vent gas fireplace lines (the GDV and SDV series we see across New York apartments and townhouses) build up white mineral scale on the burner and glass before anything shows up in the exhaust path. This isn’t a flue problem, it’s a combustion-air problem. New York’s hard water puts calcium in the air that settles on the jets. We clean the burner ports and air shutter during a sweep so it stops burning yellow. Owner’s manuals don’t tell you that the yellow flame you’re seeing is usually scale, not a gas-pressure issue.
- The masonry fireplace dampers Famco sold in the 1990s and early 2000s tend to rust at the hinge pin first. We see this in prewar buildings from Inwood down to the Upper West Side where winter rain finds the flue cap. A frozen or half-open damper is a carbon monoxide path back into the room. During a sweep we wire-brush the hinge, check the pivot, and tell you plainly if it needs replacing or if it’s still got years left.
- Famco wood-burning stove flue collars develop hairline cracks around the weld points after repeated hot-cold cycles in New York winters. January nights in the teens followed by a roaring fire in the morning stresses the steel. We inspect the collar with a mirror and light during every sweep. If it’s cracked, we say so before we quote anything, because sweeping a cracked collar without fixing it just delays the inevitable.
- The stainless steel liners Famco paired with their older zero-clearance fireplaces are prone to creosote glazing faster than a standard masonry flue because the smooth metal doesn’t give creosote anything to grip until it does. In New York where we burn wetter, denser hardwood, that glaze can form in a single season. We use mechanical brushes, not just chemical treatments, to get it off the walls. It’s louder but it actually works.
- Famco’s newer stainless chimney caps hold up well, but we keep finding them installed with plain steel bolts instead of stainless. In a coastal New York climate that means rust streaks down the flue within two seasons. When we sweep, we check the fasteners. It’s a ten-dollar fix we flag for free because it’s the kind of thing that drives homeowners crazy when they finally notice it.
Styles & brands we work with





Our Famco Chimney Sweep Process
Here’s what actually happens when you book a Famco chimney sweep with us in New York:
- 1
Call and get a person. You call (315) 644-2982, a live person answers, and we ask about your Famco unit: gas or wood, last sweep, any smells or smoke issues. We give you a written price range before we schedule anything.
- 2
Arrive in the window, not whenever. Our tech shows up in uniform, background-checked, and walks the job with you. We look at the unit, the flue path, and the cap before we confirm the price. The number we quote at the door is the number on the invoice.
- 3
Protect the room and get to work. Drop cloths go down, the flue gets brushed from the top or bottom depending on access, and the firebox, damper, smoke shelf, and glass all get cleaned. Creosote and soot go into sealed bags, not your rug.
- 4
Inspect what we can see. Along with the sweep, we run a visual inspection of the flue liner, damper, cap, and gaskets. If we see a problem, you see it too. We take photos and show you on the spot.
- 5
Put the findings in writing. You get a written summary of what we did and what we found, along with any repair recommendations and a firm price for anything that needs attention. No pressure. You decide.
- 6
Stand behind the work. Every repair we make is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If a covered repair fails inside the guarantee period, we come back and fix it at no charge. That’s the Kingswell Way.
See the difference
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AfterWhat Famco Chimney Sweep Costs in New York
Most Famco chimney sweeps in New York run between $189 and $320. A standard wood-burning fireplace or stove flue with normal creosote buildup usually lands around $225. A direct-vent gas unit is on the lower end because there’s less to remove. Things that push the price up: a flue taller than two stories, heavy glazed creosote that needs mechanical removal, a cap that has to come off for access, or a basement stove with a long horizontal run. An inspection adds $85 to $150 depending on whether it’s a Level 1 visual or a Level 2 camera inspection. Before we do any work, you get the number in writing. If we find something unexpected mid-job, we stop and show you before spending another dollar. Call (315) 644-2982 for a free estimate on your Famco unit in New York.
Why New York Homeowners Call Ashby Chimney New York for Famco Work
We’re the chimney company that says the price first, puts the findings in writing, and lets the work speak for itself. Nathan Corliss runs our New York operation and he’s been inside more flues than he cares to count, from prewar fireboxes in Inwood to the ornate brownstone chimneys of the Upper West Side. He knows which Famco models hold up and which ones don’t, and he’ll tell you straight if a repair can wait or if it can’t. If a Famco part is discontinued, we’ll tell you that too and walk you through an aftermarket option from a brand we trust. We service DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco components as well, so when a liner or cap needs replacement, we have options beyond whatever the original factory listed. Every repair comes with a written guarantee. If it fails inside the guarantee period, we return at no charge. Every call is answered by a live person, 24/7, because a chimney that’s acting up on a cold New York night is not a problem for Monday morning. It’s the Kingswell Way, and it’s the only way we work.
FAQs
No. A quarterly or annual chimney sweep does not void a Famco warranty, and neglecting the flue is what actually causes the creosote and corrosion problems warranty claims get denied for. We document every sweep with photos and a written report, so you have a paper trail that shows the unit was maintained to spec. That documentation is what protects you if a warranty claim does come up.
Yes, though it depends on the model. Common wear items like gaskets, glass, burner tubes, and caps are usually stocked or orderable for the GDV and SDV direct-vent lines, and we keep the most common New York replacements on the truck. For discontinued parts, we use aftermarket options from DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco that meet or exceed the original spec. We’ll always tell you which one we’re buying and why before we spend your money.
Once a year, at minimum. If you burn wetter local hardwoods or use the fireplace as a primary heat source through New York winters, you may need a second sweep mid-season. Glazed creosote forms faster on the smooth stainless liners Famco paired with some zero-clearance units, so a year is really the ceiling, not the recommendation. We’ll tell you after one sweep what your burn habits are producing.
Creosote keeps building, and a hot fire eventually ignites it. A chimney fire burns fast and hot, and once the flue liner cracks, exhaust gases move into the wall cavity instead of up and out. On a gas Famco unit, skipping service means scale on the burner and a dirty flue path that can push carbon monoxide back into the room. Neither one knocks first. Get the sweep done. Call (315) 644-2982 and we’ll get you on the schedule before burning season hits.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner, Ashby Chimney New York at Ashby Chimney New York, serving New York and nearby areas.