Anyone had a chimney fire?

[bk]

My burner got too hot tonight and the whole house stinks. Maybe a little chimney fire or something but it is concerning. I think I may stay awake a while and check on things.

[RC45]

I have been meaning to get mine swept for the last five years. I think I will ring him tomorrow.

[bk]

I think it is the **** on the register plate that is smouldering. The stove is burning out so hopefully it will too!

[libs]

My old nan was telling me how her mother used to send burning newspaper up a hot chimney to set it alight and save money on a sweep!!! I always wondered how a chimney could stay alight with a fire eating all of the oxygen below it

 

Sure your chimney is fine, apparently you know all about it when its alight.

[V8landy]

I was thinking of getting one of these. We had it swept last year, and the sweep siad he could tell that this chimney had never had a fire.

 

I belive it is more comman when the chimney is external to the house abd gets cold alowing condesation of volatiles that can ignite later.

 

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[lineshooter]

I remember as a kid in the sixties people in our street used to fire there own chimnies as per Libs post, must be a hell of a mess after fireman Sam has shoved a hose down it. :blink:

 

Our sweep says that if you burn a lot of wood the chimney is more likely to catch fire than if you burn coal, don`t know how true that is, perhaps he is trying to scare me into having it swept more often

[bk]

I hope this is safe as I hope. It stinks though!!

[crosshair]

When you get a real one it's like a volcano erupting, roaring, as it throws big lumps of embers

twenty feet in the air, it's the roaring that's frightening.

Caused I think by a build up of tar on the old stone chimney, it was common to clean it with a fire.

Trouble is the heat will crack the stonework of the house.

The answer is to put in a flue liner, they seem to be the answer as I know quite a few people that

have got them installed, and no chimney fires since.

And yes, I do believe burning wood increases the tar build up, and when the tar builds up on the

stonework it is rock hard and only a chimney fire will get rid of it.

Be safe and put in a liner.

[kdubya]

had a beauty once fire engine the lot 1965

 

KW

[Pushkin]

BK, we've twice had a chimney fire - both times after a so called "sweep" had cleaned it. Firemen reckoned on both occasions that it had been a bit of soot caught in the flue itself that had started the fire. Wife was not best pleased with either as she was pregnant when the first happened and was ill in bed with the second. Fire brigade were excellent and there in double quick time. Only had to use the hose on one of the fires - on the other they used something like a fireblanket (thick one) to stop air getting up the chimney - worked a treat as it meant there was no water and soot damage in the room. Guys suggested I change to another sweep which I did - me! I've swept our chimney for the last 11 or 12 years now and never had a problem again. Tried doing from below initially but felt I had to sweep it again fairly soon afterwards. Been using the ball weight and brush since then and no problems. we have to sweep our chimney 2 or even 3 times a year as it is a low cottage with very little draw on the chimney so soot can build up quickly depending on the coal. We stopped using logs because it does tend to soot up even more when using them and the tar build up is terrible - that seems to be the thing that keeps the chimney fire burning if it goes up. We are seriously considering changing to a wood burning stove for next year as I now have access to loads of wood for free.

 

I think your problem with the smell might well be some soot fallen down and lying on the register plate itself. This smoulders and smells quite strong but in itself doesn't normally start a fire unless there is a lot of tar as well. Get a sweep in to take a look see and put your mind at rest - if nothing else and the chimney does go on fire; when the police come out - as they always do to a house fire of any kind the brigade deals with - then you can honestly state that you had a professional sweep check it over and had it okay'ed by him/her.

 

Pushkin

[silver pigeon 3]

My Grandparents had a chimney fire just before christmas, Fire engine came out and used a hand pump from inside the house which sprayed very finely. When it was out they used a camera up the chimney and put it into the loft space aswell because the insulation can ignite. No mess what so ever. The fireman returned twice more within the next 12 hours to make sure all was well and are coming back out to fit new smoke alarms for them in the new year. They were told that it is a lot more likely if you burn wood especially if it is any kind of softwood and/or the wood is damp as these types line the chimney with a sticky tar as the smoke cools.

The Fire brigade were absolutely brilliant in this case and i can't praise them highly enough

[Boromir]

Sweep the chimney its probably blocked. Coal is better to burn as you get a lot of residue from burning wood which sticks to the chimney especially with wood that has not dried for at least 24 months(hardwoods) 18 mobths(softwoods).

 

Also do not leave ash at the bottom of the fire as the grate will overheat and break into bits.

[berties]

Get the chimney swept on a regular basis,easy!costs £25 your insurance company will be happy,you have peice of mind

Ensure your logs are seasoned as green logs build up the tar quicker,remember if the fire gets bad enough the plaster falls off the chimney breasts and there is a chance the roof timber will char and the lead can melt,I helped deal with a flue fire and was able to beat off a slated gable to just cool the roof trusses ,with every fire extinguisher I could get,and saved the building

[DIVERD]

I know this is now a little late but i thought i would add this anyway. Never had one, but attended hundreds in the fire service.

 

if in any doubt, call the fire service, it is free and they will check the whole house with thermal imaging. Never worry about calling out the service, they will never complain or give you a hard time if you are worried about your home. Even if you think the fire may be out call them to check it. I have attended a number of fatal house fires where the fire cracked the flue and has smouldered into the loft in the night

 

Consider the hearth, it can also ignite the joists below the floor, very rare now but in 23 years i attended 2.

 

Cool the hearth with mugs of water poured gently on, dont burn your hand with steam. The steam will go up the chimney and the steam may put out the fire, it will ceertainly cool it.

 

Carefully check your loft. If it has smoke in it, ir even a flicker of flame call the fire service out and get your family out.

 

if in any doubt, dont have a sleepless night, get the service out.

[marcyboy]

Our sweep says that if you burn a lot of wood the chimney is more likely to catch fire than if you burn coal, don`t know how true that is, perhaps he is trying to scare me into having it swept more often

 

 

It's all to do with the pitch that comes from burning wood, it sticks to the sides of the chimney and can accumulate with each burn it's sticky and clumps together,

you'll probably find some woods release more pitch than others, someone on here might be able to tell you the worst culprits!

[henry d]

My burner got too hot tonight and the whole house stinks. Maybe a little chimney fire or something but it is concerning. I think I may stay awake a while and check on things.

 

You should ALWAYS !!!! get the fire service to check it for you, no cost and 100% peace of mind, available 24/7/365.

 

I don`t mean to scare but, your hearth may be too thin and the beams may be smouldering (Had that happen to a couple 2 years ago on Christmas day) the lining of the flue may be breached and it may be burning into the joists/roof(fairly common in older properties).

[henry d]

When you get a real one it's like a volcano erupting, roaring, as it throws big lumps of embers

twenty feet in the air, it's the roaring that's frightening.

Caused I think by a build up of tar on the old stone chimney, it was common to clean it with a fire.

Trouble is the heat will crack the stonework of the house. Yes so the cost will be large, just get it swept regularly

The answer is to put in a flue liner, they seem to be the answer as I know quite a few people that

have got them installed, and no chimney fires since. It is still known to happen, rare but not unknown.

And yes, I do believe burning wood increases the tar build up, and when the tar builds up on the

stonework it is rock hard and only a chimney fire will get rid of it.

Be safe and put in a liner. Too true

[al4x]

burning unseasoned wood is the worst thing you can do, that is what creates lots of tar and that is what burns. With a woodburner running it shut down soon after putting fresh logs on also produces a fair bit, you can tell if it starts putting tar on the window of the fire thats also happening up the chimney. With a logburner you can shut it down and slow a chimney fire and stand half a chance with an open fire you can only try and stop air getting to it while you call the overpaid boys with toys beware though they are less pleased if its at night as it interferes with their sleep so they are tired when they go onto their daytime job

 

I always line the chimney and ft a logburner anyway but you also need to insulate the liner as the more insulation the less chance of anything condensing on it and also the better draw you get which helps stop problems as well

[RC45]

burning unseasoned wood is the worst thing you can do, that is what creates lots of tar and that is what burns. With a woodburner running it shut down soon after putting fresh logs on also produces a fair bit, you can tell if it starts putting tar on the window of the fire thats also happening up the chimney. With a logburner you can shut it down and slow a chimney fire and stand half a chance with an open fire you can only try and stop air getting to it while you call the overpaid boys with toys beware though they are less pleased if its at night as it interferes with their sleep so they are tired when they go onto their daytime job

 

I always line the chimney and ft a logburner anyway but you also need to insulate the liner as the more insulation the less chance of anything condensing on it and also the better draw you get which helps stop problems as well

 

What do you insulate the liner with?

 

Thanks

[vampire]

It's all to do with the pitch that comes from burning wood, it sticks to the sides of the chimney and can accumulate with each burn it's sticky and clumps together,

you'll probably find some woods release more pitch than others, someone on here might be able to tell you the worst culprits!

 

Have not had a chimney fire,but during my time as a brickie i have rebuilt/repointed hundreds of chimneys,most red brick stacks are just a pile of bricks sitting on the roof and for all the gaps you can see in the joints on the outside, double it at least for the inside :o,so if you have a stack going through a loft space GET IT RENDERED or lined.

I have also seen the pots on one stack where the owner just burnt ANYTHING inc unseasoned timber and the pot was reduced from 9" diameter to 2" by the build up of pitch,i hit this with a hammer and bolster but it was impossible to get it off,it was like orange glass,so dont burn unseasoned timber.

[al4x]

What do you insulate the liner with?

 

Thanks

 

 

usually vermiculite which is small and flows so you can pour it down the chimney. They recommend mixing it with a bit of cement to stick together but I haven't simply so its easier to remove. I have also seen a new insulated sleeve you can fit round the liner but you would need a big chimney to be able to get it up.

The best option of course is the sectional pre insulated liner but at £120 a metre its very pricy

[DSPUK]

Had three woodburners at old house and used to sweep chimney's once a year - never got more than half bucket of soot out of each and they were 30ft high hearth to pot -- Two of the chimney's were the old brick ones and I had them lined years ago - they used a blow up tube then pumped runny mix of concrete and vermiculite or something like that down till it was full - let tube down next day and left me with 8" lined brick flue - other fire the flue was built with clay liners. - I have found woodburners today burn extreamly clean no matter what I put on them - I can see if you have open fire that they might tar up using wood - If you have an open fire I would strongly recommend you get a multifuel in if you can - they repay themselves in extra heat in room and use less fuel.

 

My Mom used to throw cooking salt on fire if we had a chimney fire - not sure if it did job in chimney but it put fire out in grate. - also was told to open every window and door - the rush of air up chimney put's fire out or forces it up before it's burned all soot/tar - never tried it but would like to know it it works.

 

Mate of mine has just dropped a flexi liner down his chimney - be sure to fix plate and seal it before you pour vermiculit down - He tipped a bag down just to see if it flowed - came out bottom like a rocket and buried his settee

 

Dave

[al4x]

when they go they look like a steam engine on full power so I'd hazard a guess giving it more air will help it burn rather than hinder it. Oxygen starvation is what usually helps HD will let us know

[henry d]

Couple of cups of water sort it, it starves the fire in the chimney and puts it out, that then gives us time to put away the darts/snooker/porn.........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[twitchynik]

Burning anything unseasoned in a stove or open fire will tar the chimney/flue up. I tend to give my stove a really good roaring burn up once a week as a means to reduce the build up and only burn well seasoned or kiln dried wood.

 

Having said that I still get the odd lump of soot/build up dropping onto the register plate. Always reminds me to get the sweep in

 

My cousin would chuck all manner of **** on his big burner. I mean anything. It was thick with tar when he moved out so god knows what the chimney was like. One day his brother was tidying up and chucked the contents of his bedroom bin in it. Not long later there was an almighty bang as an empty can of deo exploded and took out a pane of glass on the stoves door!!

Edited December 29, 2010 by twitchynik