Nightmare

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Brian VT

Brian VT

Minister of Fire
Jul 30, 2008
817
Southern VT
We visited a friend last night. She just got divorced and one of her friends is letting her and her 2 kids live in a "spare" house.
There is a Dutchwest XL in an old stone fireplace. When I got there another guy visitor was feeding starter sticks in like crazy
trying to restart a firebox full that wouldn't stay lit. He managed to get some of the wood to take and had to leave the ash pan door open
the the whole time we were there just to keep some semblance of a fire going.
I didn't butt in but I nonchalantly checked out the wood (that the owner brought her for free). It was probably cut/split a couple of weeks ago.
The "glass" was thick with goo. I looked up the flue. There was a bunch of some type of insulation stuffed up there around the pipe. No blockoff plate and, I assume, slammer install. This woman has no clue about any of this but I couldn't bring myself to tell her not to burn it because she can't afford any other options,
plus, I think the guy that was messing with it would have scoffed and told her it was fine and had me sounding like some know-it-all alarmist.
Hopefully God does indeed protect the ignorant.
 
Take her some of your dry wood and trade for the same amount of the green stuff and put it in the back of your wood pile. Oh, and offer to unplug the surely plugged up cat in that stove.
 
I suppose I should. I'll give her a call. She's a friend of my wife so I don't know her very well. Not sure how she'll react.
 
Brian VT said:
Hopefully God does indeed protect the ignorant.
Click to expand...

God works through people.
 
....and when you go there, bring a carbon monoxide detector (more than likely there isn't one) and install it for her saying something like "This detector is just to keep you and the kids safe."

Shari
 
This looks like it could be a project in the making. Should I assume, at the very least, that I should order this gasket before I even go there ?

"If the combustor is in good condition and clean, reinstall
it. Be sure first to carefully wrap a new Interam
gasket (an extra was provided with your stove) around
its perimeter before replacement."

I hate to halfazz anything. I'm getting the feeling the combustor may be shot ...and the refractory package above it. This could get ugly.
 
branchburner said:
Brian VT said:
Hopefully God does indeed protect the ignorant.
Click to expand...

God works through people.
Click to expand...

We are all God.......at least that is the Quaker view......

yeah, that stove sounds like a chimney fire ready to happen.
 
Does the house have some primary heat or is the woodstove it? From the sounds of things she may be much better off not using the stove. If the lady has internet, put her on here. We'll help you and her out the best we can. If the stove is shot, then don't diddle about it, call it like it is and if the chimney is dangerous, then say so.
 
It's an old camp that has been upgraded an added onto recently. I saw baseboard heaters in the new section.
I'm not planning on getting on the 2nd story roof. I don't even have a ladder long enough.
Maybe I should just suggest that she just not burn it, rather than me fixing up what little I can and leaving her with some impression that it's safe.
If she can't afford fuel oil then maybe I should suggest applying for Govt. assistance.
 
Give her the facts about green wood, creosote, chimney fires, etc. Try not to scare her to death, but scare her enough so she won't end up dead. In the end, it's her decision about what risks she wants to take, but it should be easy enough for you to educate her on what some of the potential risks are. That's a good start.
 
Good dry wood, burned like you stole it can make up for deficiencies in the chimney wrt creosote based chimney fires.
 
If it were me, and one of my wifes friends in the same situation. I would advise her not to use the stove at all, especially with 2 small children there. I hope this does not sound sexist, but were the friend one of my male buddies with limited to no burning expereince, and 2 kids, I would advise him of the same.
Without knowing how it was installed, I would rather see them use the electrical baseboards until someone out there could give it good once over. (You never know...many posters here and word might travel that someone here would be kind enough to lend a hand) Good luck, and I applaud you by helping out.
 
see what type of heat she has in the baseboard's.see if you can compensate her till she is back on her feet.you will be compensated later by someone else when you need it.



Its better then reading about the fire that killed a family that you know.
 
Brian VT said:
. . . This woman has no clue about any of this but I couldn't bring myself to tell her not to burn it because she can't afford any other options,
plus, I think the guy that was messing with it would have scoffed and told her it was fine and had me sounding like some know-it-all alarmist.
Hopefully God does indeed protect the ignorant.
Click to expand...

. . . and sometimes there is a reason that we are where we are in life at certain times and with certain knowledge.

There have been many good suggestions here . . . from trading wood, checking out the install, recommending that she not run the stove, etc.

My take . . . lay out what you know and be honest with what you don't know (letting her know what may or may not be an issue and possible safety concerns is important) . . . and find out from your wife what you and her friend are willing for you to do for her (in terms of what she and you folks can afford in time and money).

Doing nothing and saying nothing is not an option . . .
 
I sent her an email last night. I told her I had seen a few things that are very unsafe about her stove and chimney and that I suspect there are more. I suggested that she not run it.
I offered to tell her the specifics if she, or the owner, was interested and I offered whatever physical and advisory help I was capable of if they want to try to make it usable. I haven't heard anything back from her yet.
 
On a side note from past experience...

Make sure you keep the spouse FULLY in the loop with what is going on and the communication with her. Last thing you want is to be spending a lot of time helpping her out with a wife getting nervous about all the time you are spending with another woman!

Down on her luck, newly single, spending a lot of time with you, talking to just you and not her through email/phone/etc, can start to play tricks in the mind.
 
LOL ! No worries there. My wife is the best.
 
Brian VT said:
...If she can't afford fuel oil then maybe I should suggest applying for Govt. assistance.
Click to expand...

Brian, your friend may want to know that the State of Vermont has heating assistance programs for both petrofuels AND firewood. Check it out here: http://dcf.vermont.gov/sites/dcf/files/pdf/esd/fuel/BuyingWood.pdf

Administered through here:

Offi ce of Home Heating Fuel Assistance
103 S. Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-5501
1-800-479-6151
TTY: 1-800-225-3004
Alert:
Residents of Caledonia, Orleans, Essex,
and Lamoille Counties.
If you are eligible for seasonal fuel
assistance and live in one of the above
counties, you may be able to receive
your fi rewood from the St. Johnsbury
Firewood Project. It’s a great deal! Call
Barrie at 1-800-479-6151 for details
 
From the picture I got, I'd be equally worried about the wiring of the electric heaters.

Maybe you could move them in with you. That's never worked for me before but ya never know.
 
Good to know about the Govt. firewood. That's news to me.

I think the baseboard heat in the new section is hot water, not electric.
 
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