Chimney fire

[abureels4me]

My Dad has been using a Buck stove since I was a kid, say 30 years. Anyhow yesterday the chimney caught fire..He said it had done it before once but it freaked me a little. His chimney is mason block with a clay pipe in the middle. Fire was going about 3 feet over the top! The mortar in the brick around the clay liner on the roof has some cracks and smoke, no fire, was coming out of them. We sweep it at the beginning of the season each year and he burns mostly seasoned wood.
I have two questions:
1. when this happens do you just let it burn itself out or try to put it out?
2. His chimney has a slight angle at the bottom, can they put a stainless liner in it?

 

[rwoods]

My Dad has been using a Buck stove since I was a kid, say 30 years. Anyhow yesterday the chimney caught fire..He said it had done it before once but it freaked me a little. His chimney is mason block with a clay pipe in the middle. Fire was going about 3 feet over the top! The mortar in the brick around the clay liner on the roof has some cracks and smoke, no fire, was coming out of them. We sweep it at the beginning of the season each year and he burns mostly seasoned wood.
I have two questions:
1. when this happens do you just let it burn itself out or try to put it out?
2. His chimney has a slight angle at the bottom, can they put a stainless liner in it?

Maybe. I just had one put in mine today. I wasn't here for the install but they slowly winched the heavy flex SS liner up to the top. Stove works great. Ron

 

[abureels4me]

So they put them in from the bottom? I just figured it would be from the top down. I am going to call around and get some estimates this week.

 

[Landsinn]

I had the same thing happen years back with the same type chimney. Had a stainless steel six inch pipe put in and no problem with the angle at the bottom as they used a stainless steel flex pipe where the angle went and it worked super. Its a safe way to go and you will be happy with it!!

 

[rwoods]

So they put them in from the bottom? I just figured it would be from the top down. I am going to call around and get some estimates this week.

I thought the same. I was feeling sorry for the guy holding a 35' roll of pipe on the roof. Came home and found that they winched it up from the bottom even though that meant most of it had to pass through the bend. While you are on the phone check your dad's homeowners' insurance. Mine paid for my reline, except the deductible of course. Ron

 

[openloop]

I purchased my liner from a supplier on the internet. I installed it from the top down literally by myself, not even an extra hand. Granted it was only a 20 or so foot run, but I got the whole job done in I bet 2 hours. That time includes multiple trips from the roof to the basement to check the alignment with the thimble.

A liner makes it super nice to sweep the chimney. It usually only takes a quick pass down and back up with a SS brush.

 

[Como]

I wonder if he is choking his fire too much?

 

[myzamboni]

I wonder if he is choking his fire too much?

I'm not wondering. It's pretty obvious

 

[THE PLUMMER]

I seen a chimney with 2 dampers installed with some kind of stats, homeowner said they close if it got to hot and put out a chimney fire. Never seen it before. 1 at the base where it came out of the breezeway and 1 right near the top.

Sorry to hear of your fire, ever think of a concentrix type SS chimney, 8" inside 10". Pricey but far better than what your dealing with now.

 

[stumpy75]

I used the Chimfex product from Rutland to put out a neighbors chimney fire. Never had the problem myself, but I always have two of them next to my stove just in case. And, yes, it is better to try and put out the fire rather than let it burn...

Chimfex - Rutland Products - chimney fire suppressant

 

[abureels4me]

I wonder if he is choking his fire too much?

I'm not sure what you mean? He closes the damper on the stove itself to keep the the wood from burning so fast. Is that a bad thing?

 

[Lignator]

another option is to do a mid season cleaning. depending on where / how high your chimney is it is easy enough to do it yourself.

 

[ETpilot]

I used the Chimfex product from Rutland to put out a neighbors chimney fire. Never had the problem myself, but I always have two of them next to my stove just in case. And, yes, it is better to try and put out the fire rather than let it burn...

Chimfex - Rutland Products - chimney fire suppressant

Thanks for posting this. I will get some. Does the product have a shelf life?

Also, I have a wood stove and I have never had a chimney fire. When one starts, how are you alerted? Smoke in house, you see the fire, you hear the fire, etc. Is it a gradual start or is it a roaring inferno? Thanks.

 

[CTYank]

I'm not sure what you mean? He closes the damper on the stove itself to keep the the wood from burning so fast. Is that a bad thing?

Could be, especially in an old smoke-dragon. If so doing immediately or eventually leads to unburnt aerosol being sent up the flue to condense there, you're putting fuel in place for a chimney fire. Not to mention the carcinogens that escape.

Sure sounds bad to me.

To find out: after changing settings, LOOK at what's coming out the flue. ANY smoke is bad.

 

[Como]

I'm not sure what you mean? He closes the damper on the stove itself to keep the the wood from burning so fast. Is that a bad thing?

Yep,

Fire smolders, all that crap sticks to the chimney instead of being burnt.

Friend of mine was called out by an elderly neighbour what had been dampening the stove to 'save wood'.

Nearly completely blocked the chimney, this is not the first time either, will end in tears.

 

[avalancher]

Thanks for posting this. I will get some. Does the product have a shelf life?

Also, I have a wood stove and I have never had a chimney fire. When one starts, how are you alerted? Smoke in house, you see the fire, you hear the fire, etc. Is it a gradual start or is it a roaring inferno? Thanks.

Once you have had a chimney fire, you will never mistake one again. Generally speaking, a chimney fire starts quick and builds to a loud roar. I have heard them being compared to a "oh ####, there is a tornado coming!" sound. A quick look in the fire box usually shows little fire in the box, but a ton of air rushing up the chimney. While there are a few good products on the market that will help douse a chimney fire, non are any better than a bucket of water and a cup.

When a chimney fire starts, fill a pan or pot with water as quick as you can, then throw a cup of water on the fire in the firebox, then slam the door shut.Wait ten seconds, then repeat again until the fire is out. You don't want to completely knock out the fire in the fire box, but instead send as much steam up the pipe as you can. The steam will knock out the fire as well as soak down the creosote fueling the fire. You can also use a garden sprayer filled with water if you want to keep one handy like on the back porch or something.

The best thing of coarse is to avoid the problem by routinely cleaning and inspecting your chimney. One of those "ounce of prevention...." kind of things.

If you dont know how to clean and inspect, learn now.

 

[Como]

Are those chimney cleaning products you add to your fire any good?

 

[avalancher]

Are those chimney cleaning products you add to your fire any good?

They are like fuel injector cleaners. While they "may" clean a few loose particles that are hanging on by a thread, nothing will replace physically removing them with a good brush. Save your money and buy a brush and a few sections of poles.

I font care what expert says about any fuel injector cleaner. The only thing they clean is money out of your wallet.

 

[Bill Jones]

If you dont know how to clean and inspect, learn now.

Can you point to a particular thread here on AS that may help out someone who is trying to learn, like myself?

Also, on the subject of brushes. The house I purchased this year has a Buck model 85 stove connected to a stainless steel flex liner that runs through the masonary flue/chimney. All of the brushes I looked at locally specifically state not to use them on stainless steel liners. Is there a reason why? What type of brush should one use on a stainless steel liner?

Bill

 

[avalancher]

Can you point to a particular thread here on AS that may help out someone who is trying to learn, like myself?

Also, on the subject of brushes. The house I purchased this year has a Buck model 85 stove connected to a stainless steel flex liner that runs through the masonary flue/chimney. All of the brushes I looked at locally specifically state not to use them on stainless steel liners. Is there a reason why? What type of brush should one use on a stainless steel liner?

Bill

If you have a stainless steel liner, there really isnt a lot to inspect. But start with the basics. Pull your cap off and take a look down into the pipe by having a strong light stuck up into the pipe from below.Look for bulges in the pipe that indicate that at some point the pipe got to hot and warped, often a sign that an excessive amount of cresote built up and caught fire. If you have any big bulges, have a pro come out and take a look. Big bulges can also have cracks in them, leaving hot exhaust gases to vent into the attic space.

When cleaning stainless steel liners, you need a Polypropylene type brush so that you don't scratch the surface of the pipe. Wire brushes, most commonly found in big box stores, should never be used because the wire will scratch the surface and give the creosote a rough surface to bond to.

when buying your brush, measure the length of the chimney, then add one more length of pole to the package so that you have some length to sweep up and down the pipe. Since you have a stove and not a fireplace, its really pretty easy to close the dampers, jump up on the roof, and sweep the pipe leaving the majority of the mess still in the stove.Do yourself a favor and leave the stove shut for thirty minutes after sweeping to give the dust a chance to settle. Dust can easily be shoveled out or use a shop vac.

After you clean the pipe and stove, build a very small fire, and I mean very small using no accelerate like diesel fuel, etc that can carry the flame right up the pipe. The dust in the pipe can hang out for some time, and can easily combust, and the resulting pop is hard on the pipe. What you want is a gentle heat wave to go up the pipe and vent the dust outside.

Other than that, not a lot to it. Cleaning your pipe is relatively easy and you should get yourself on a schedule so that your pipe stays clean. I burn mostly very hot burning wood like hickory, pecan, and white oak that has dried for usually two years, and its rare that I get more than a half a cup of creosote after a once a year cleaning. The amount you get can tell you a lot about how dry your firewood really is.