so you've witnessed chimney fires and lived to tell about it? did the house(s) burn down? but to answer your question, starve the fire for oxygen. can't have a fire without oxygen. step 2, garden hose. step 3 fire department. step 4 consult a mortician. . . so I answered your question. can you define this part of your text? I'm looking for a length of time. for example; a day, a week, a year? cause "over time" no chimney will last.
A discovered trick to keep the stove running optimally
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Selkirk the mfg. of metalbestos double walled stainless chimney pipe says chimney fires void their warranty and damage their product.
Aside from the damage chimney fires to the chimney, chimney fires also send burning particles up the chimney which often start fires.
Selkirk the mfg. of metalbestos double walled stainless chimney pipe says chimney fires void their warranty and damage their product.
Aside from the damage chimney fires to the chimney, chimney fires also send burning particles up the chimney which often start fires.
Dunno why chimney fires are such a big topic. I got Selkirk Double wall stainless 6" pipe, clean it once a year, although not this year. Get maybe 2-3 cups of crap out of it when I do. I have had my single wall pipe coming out of the stove glowing red and no issues with chimney fire. I burn HOT once a day also.
Yeah, I would like to see a controlled chimney fire with the correct supervision. I guess I burn decent wood and not real wet stuff. I get one that will sizzle every once in a while. Might burn a can or two-10 depending on the night. Not sure it makes a difference. Some one did a test last year or so on it.
Yeah, I would like to see a controlled chimney fire with the correct supervision. I guess I burn decent wood and not real wet stuff. I get one that will sizzle every once in a while. Might burn a can or two-10 depending on the night. Not sure it makes a difference. Some one did a test last year or so on it.
What did I miss here? Your original statement which I quoted previously was possibly edited by you to a completely different statement or it was deleted because it no longer exists. Are you back pedaling?
The fact remains, a chimney fire is not a desired situation anytime for any reason regardless if it reduces creosote. There are other things you can do/use to deduce creosote with minimal risk to your chimney/house. Saying a "controlled" chimney fires reduce creosote is about as intelligent as saying someone should warm their car in the winter with the garage doors closed because it provides heat to the garage while the car warms up. A benefit none the less but at a significant risk.
Do you have have intentional chimney fires to reduce your creosote in your chimney? How often if so? Have you ever sprayed water down a chimney to put out a chimney fire and what was your result? Please enlighten us further.
Here's some entertainment for you. Skip to the 3 min mark to listen cracking masonry when water is sprayed into a hot chimney.
Full Chisel
Slingin' Stihls and runnin' Huskies
I think this thread has gotten a bit off the rails. I believe the OP was suggesting a way to build a hot, fast fire to help purge the chimney of creosote build up. This would be preventative maintainance, not a "one time cure". Building a hot fire on a regular basis is good practice for a woodburner.
Right on I do agree with that practice. However, creosote can be a black tar type deposit that forms and if you cannot get the flue hot enough to dry it out then removal can be an issue. Burning it off through a chimney fire is not a good recommendation. There are products that you burn that claim to work at removing or reducing the buildup. I'm not endorsing those as Im not sure they work but talk with a chimney sweep about removing creosote and see what they recommend. I had a lengthy conversation the other day about it and he said there is another product that you spray down the flue to combat the buildup. You need to reapply it frequently but if you have a stove with low flue temperature that causes creosote then a hot raging fire might not be about to keep it at bay. Just something to think about.
I live in a stone house built in 1811 with 2 huge stone chimneys. While I agree that a chimney fire is unsafe with today's liner materials, that is in fact the way they did it way back when. Rainy days they would intentionally start a chimney fire to clean the chimney. Not trying to continue the argument, just a little history I discovered when I was curious how they would have cleaned a chimney that in my case is 3'x6' and 3'x4' with one piece slate caps on top.
I remember when I was a kid my grandfather getting on the roof with a long chain and dropping down the chimney shaking it around during a fire. I don't remember if it worked, but scared the sh t out of me. About ten years ago I came home to two state police cars parked at the end of my driveway and all kinds of fire trucks by the house.That also scared the sh t out of me and the cop was quick to tell me everything was alright. It seems the wife came home and filled the stove and left the door open. She said the yard filled with black smoke before she realized what was happening. She did like I had always told her , shut the air off on the stove, grab the phone and dog and get out of the house. Buy the time she called it in they were on the way, the neighbors saw the flames coming out and call the fire department. I have 6" double wall pipe from the stove to 8" Metalbestos out the roof. The paper stickers are still on the pipes. The chief told me burn a hot fire at least once a week to keep it clean.
NSMaple1
Addicted to ArboristSite
I did the 'hot fast fire' thing regularly with my previous wood burner (wood/oil combo boiler), but I still had to sweep the chimney at least 2-3 times per winter. If I didn't, creosote would build from the top down (even with those regular hot spells) until it got to the point where the downward accumulating creosote would meet up with the hot zone of the hot spells, and it was roman candle time. I had a couple of those over 17 years.
My neighbour would have lost his whole house a couple of years ago to one if there hadn't happened to be a couple of volunteer firefighters working a few minutes away that got there as soon as the alarm went out. The fire was already starting to creep into his framing when they got there, 15 minutes ahead of the rest of the FD. No problem finding stories on the net of house fires caused by flue fires. So suggesting having them as part of a routine is rather dangerous advice.
(All from me on this one - carry on folks.
)
My neighbour would have lost his whole house a couple of years ago to one if there hadn't happened to be a couple of volunteer firefighters working a few minutes away that got there as soon as the alarm went out. The fire was already starting to creep into his framing when they got there, 15 minutes ahead of the rest of the FD. No problem finding stories on the net of house fires caused by flue fires. So suggesting having them as part of a routine is rather dangerous advice.
(All from me on this one - carry on folks.
)I think it is more dangerous in a masonry chimney than a metal one. Spraying water down the flue like the in the video above would do some damage I would think. I also think that the idea of the hot fire in the start of the day is to help prevent the build up in the first place and not so much to start a chimney fire, but if it does happen it is better to happen with less build up rather than waiting for it to happen when you're not expecting it. No chimney fire is good.
http://www.csia.org/homeowner-resources/the_facts_about_chimney_fires.aspx
How Chimney Fires Hurt Chimneys
Masonry Chimneys
When a chimney fire occur in masonry chimney – whether the flue is an older, unlined type or tile lined to meet current safety codes – the high temperatures at which they burn (around 2000°F) can “melt mortar, crack tiles, cause liners to collapse and damage the outer masonry material”. Most often, thermal shock occurs and tiles crack and mortar is displaced, which provides a pathway for flames to reach the combustible wood frame of the house. This event is extremely dangerous, call 911 immediately.
Pre-fabricated, factory-built, metal chimneys
To be installed in most jurisdictions in the United States, factory built, metal chimneys that are designed to vent wood burning stoves or pre-fabricated metal fireplaces must pass special tests. Most tests require the chimney to withstand flue temperatures up to 2100°F – without sustaining damage. Under chimney fire conditions, damage to these systems still may occur. When pre-fabricated, factory-built metal chimneys are damaged by a chimney fire, they should no longer be used and must be replaced.
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