Q&A Chimney Fire Flare?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

QandA

New Member
Staff member
Nov 27, 2012
0
Question:

I bought one of those Chimney fire flares from my chimney sweep. You supposedly pop it in the insert if there is a chimney fire and out it goes. Does anyone have any first hand experience with this or other like products for chimney fires. I might sound paranoid, but the previous owner of this house had two chimney fires in 10 years and I want to be prepared when and if #3 ever happens. I'd suggest buying a newer stove which has a much smaller chance of having a chimney fire. The chimney sweeps and customers that we worked with (when I owned a store) used these flares often and they do help by consuming a lot of the air that the chimney fire would normally use to burn. In addition to the flares, having a nice tight installation where you can easily close off the excess air can help to control a chimney fire.



Answer:

A newer, more efficient stove would certainly aid in avoiding future chimney fires. I've used the flare before, and it does work, but the ability to close off any excess oxygen is important so that the flare is effective. The bigger question is; Has anyone checked the integrity of the chimney liner? Are there any signs of cracks, or deterioration? A chimney fire can be devastating to the construction of a masonry chimney because many flues aren't built with expansion room. So when the fire gets intense, and the material expands, if it has no room it will break under this intense pressure. I've seen this, and experienced it. It happens. Have a sweep do a flue scan. If it's cracked, it's time to reline the flue. Don't sleep with one eye open!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.