I hope your day was better than mine

[740jsmayle]

The day started pretty good woke up to 68 inside 11 outside with 20-30 mph winds. I had a nice bed of coals in the furnace to get it going again. Around 10 am I thought I smelled some smoke checked the furnace everything was ok . An hour later the smell got stronger off to the basement to check things out. It looked like a scene out of a movie puffs of smoke coming from the 90 on the stove pipe. I open the draft a little more what a mistake. Smoke comes out of every opening and pipe joint. Shut everything down and still smoking. By now basement is about full so I open the door to air it out. With it totally shut down it is still smoking really bad. I don't know what to do by now I'm thinking chimney is clogged and going to catch fire. I grab the wheelbarrow and empty the firebox into it and take it outside and dump it . I think it was 3 trips. After the pipes cool I disassemble them and check them before going to the roof. There was very little on the inside of those pipes just powder. I get out the ladder now mind you 11 degrees and 20-30mph wind. Up I go hands full chimney brush,cordless drill for the rain cap. At the top rung on the ladder and I cannot stand on the metal roof no traction .I crawled up to the peak then crawled to the end to the lined masonry chimney. Look down the chimney doesn't look bad a bit of buildup at the very top it was powdery not shiny. I sweep the chimney as I'm pulling the rods out something fells odd last rod comes out guess what no ******g brush. By now I'm cold. I throw everything off the roof forget it I'll use propane. I crawl back down. I check the clean out just to see how bad it was only about a cup of powder no chunks if you don't count the brush. I was really lucky on that one. I put everything back together started a small fire and low and behold it worked like nothing was ever wrong. I have no idea what caused my problem but I sure am glad no one drove by when I was crawling on that roof.

Scott

 

[hupte]

lol. wow. i wonder what the problem was?? prolly just creosote build up. lol.

 

[woodchuck357]

Cold chimney?

 

[Rockarosa]

I just had a burgundy metal roof installed. At 62 years old there is no way I will ever get on this roof. Glad you didn't slide off.

 

[zogger]

The day started pretty good woke up to 68 inside 11 outside with 20-30 mph winds. I had a nice bed of coals in the furnace to get it going again. Around 10 am I thought I smelled some smoke checked the furnace everything was ok . An hour later the smell got stronger off to the basement to check things out. It looked like a scene out of a movie puffs of smoke coming from the 90 on the stove pipe. I open the draft a little more what a mistake. Smoke comes out of every opening and pipe joint. Shut everything down and still smoking. By now basement is about full so I open the door to air it out. With it totally shut down it is still smoking really bad. I don't know what to do by now I'm thinking chimney is clogged and going to catch fire. I grab the wheelbarrow and empty the firebox into it and take it outside and dump it . I think it was 3 trips. After the pipes cool I disassemble them and check them before going to the roof. There was very little on the inside of those pipes just powder. I get out the ladder now mind you 11 degrees and 20-30mph wind. Up I go hands full chimney brush,cordless drill for the rain cap. At the top rung on the ladder and I cannot stand on the metal roof no traction .I crawled up to the peak then crawled to the end to the lined masonry chimney. Look down the chimney doesn't look bad a bit of buildup at the very top it was powdery not shiny. I sweep the chimney as I'm pulling the rods out something fells odd last rod comes out guess what no ******g brush. By now I'm cold. I throw everything off the roof forget it I'll use propane. I crawl back down. I check the clean out just to see how bad it was only about a cup of powder no chunks if you don't count the brush. I was really lucky on that one. I put everything back together started a small fire and low and behold it worked like nothing was ever wrong. I have no idea what caused my problem but I sure am glad no one drove by when I was crawling on that roof.

Scott

That's just strange. The colder it gets, the easier it should draw. Do you have an automatic exhaust damper? If so, maybe it was malfunctioning.

 

[DFK]

I bet it was the wind.
Sometimes a strong wing will find it's way DOWN our chimmney and make our insurt "Burp" in the house.
I 22 years it has only happened 5 or 6 times.

David

 

[740jsmayle]

Cold chimney?

I don't think it be that as I've had a fire going 24/7 and there was a good bed of coals

That's just strange. The colder it gets, the easier it should draw. Do you have an automatic exhaust damper? If so, maybe it was malfunctioning.

No auto damper just the so called damper on the furnace

I just had a burgundy metal roof installed. At 62 years old there is no way I will ever get on this roof. Glad you didn't slide off.

I never thought about it being so slick in the winter . Mine is barn red

I don't know what happened but it sure was a frightening experience

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

At least it was warm outside.

 

[Wildwinger]

That does suck!

I lost a brush 15ft up my chimney in November, I was trying to take the bottom section of rod off and it unscrewed all the way at the end

It was much easier than I thought to recover

It was also about 50º outside, and I was inside, so you've definitely got me beat!

 

[Ronaldo]

That one is hard to figure. Could a larger piece (flake) of creosote have released and gotten wedged , then effectively closed off enough of the chimney to cause just enough obstruction to mess up the draft? Then when you cleaned, it would have dislodged and broken it up? Just a theory, very glad you are safe and it all turned out well. Scary experience for sure!!!!!

 

[Chris-PA]

We have a metal roof too, and the top part is on lath so there is no standing on it. I have to use a chicken ladder and throw a rope over the other side. Our house is an old bank house on a pretty steep hill - when you look out the front from the main floor you are at the same level as the power wires from the poles out front by the road, and the hill drops off a long way from there. When you look out that direction from the roof you may as well be on a plane.

 

[Sawdust inspector]

I use a mirror to look up the chimney to see how it looks before I climb on the roof to see if I need to clean it when I have draft issues.

 

[Cerran]

I have a friend with a metal roof who glued rubber matting on one of the panels so that he could access his chimney in the winter, says it works like a charm.

 

[square1]

I have no idea what caused my problem

Raccoons have to stay warm too

 

[1project2many]

Yeah... I was waiting for you to drag a squirrel or possum up with the brush.

 

[tla100]

Do you have a fresh air intake? I added it after a couple times I lost draft and smoke like crazy inside. Zero problems since.

I have had it where the clean-out fell off, it just screws in a 1/8 turn, if that. Other times from cold chimney and a lot of wind.

I too have a steel roof and it is very steep. Not a chance you will catch me up there in wind + ice. I use an extension ladder, one of the big 30-40' heavy fiberglass ones my buddy keeps by me. It is a bear cat to move.

 

[hupte]

I have a friend with a metal roof who glued rubber matting on one of the panels so that he could access his chimney in the winter, says it works like a charm.

brilliant!!!!!

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Just don't cut your toenails, can dig em in to the roof for traction. ahahaha

 

[wtrass]

Metal roofs are scary when warm and dry, forget cold and/or wet. You'll be on the ground before you realize you're falling.

 

[greendohn]

I had a guy show me that a foam pad, like a couch cushion with the fabric cover removed, works wonders at keeping you from sliding on metal roofs. You'll stick like glue!
To the OP, sure hope you don't have any more trouble like that.