Good Afternoon!
I haven't been on this forum for about three years. Up to that point I was a daily reader... but after building my Hearth pad, installing my Lodi Answer, and building my chimney, I enjoyed myself so much that I haven't had a problem... until monday. I was sick and in bed all day. In the afternoon my wife build a fire in the stove but used all the kindling to start it. I was sitting there thinking, "damn, that's a lot of wood," but I didn't say anything. Well, 5 minutes later, the fire alarm goes off and there an acrid, burnt rubber smoke smell in the air. I felt the double-wall stove pipe and it was real hot. I ran outside and the were embers and dark, heavy smoke coming out of the top. I ran around for about 30s before we decided "Chimney Fire" and called 911. I then ran outside, connected the hose, grabbed the ladder and ran to the roof. I yanked off the cap and poured water down the chimney. Billowing dark smoke and steam came out. I got down, ran in, climbed into the attic and didn't see smoke or flames in the attic space so I went back to the roof and poured more water down the chimney. Then the firetrucks arrived. I was so full of adrenaline I couldn't even speak for awhile. Everything is okay. But that was one of the scariest moments of my life....? What happened (before answering, please read on)
Today I got up on the roof and looked down the chimney... The top half has a few thin wispy flakes of creosote... a tiny bit. Basically clean. When I looked up from the bottom with a mirror, it seems really clean - almost shiny. When I moved the bricks over the firebox nothing fell down. (I read that the creosote can fall down the chimney, and pile up at the base, which would be on top of the bricks) I clean my chimney once or twice a year. I went in the attic and inspected my DuraVent plus pipe and the seams are solid, no distortions, no discolorations. I used to have a thermometer but my small kids destroyed it (I just bought a new "in the pipe" thermometer today)
At this point, what happened and what should I do? After cleaing my stove and replacing the bricks, can I build a fire?
I haven't been on this forum for about three years. Up to that point I was a daily reader... but after building my Hearth pad, installing my Lodi Answer, and building my chimney, I enjoyed myself so much that I haven't had a problem... until monday. I was sick and in bed all day. In the afternoon my wife build a fire in the stove but used all the kindling to start it. I was sitting there thinking, "damn, that's a lot of wood," but I didn't say anything. Well, 5 minutes later, the fire alarm goes off and there an acrid, burnt rubber smoke smell in the air. I felt the double-wall stove pipe and it was real hot. I ran outside and the were embers and dark, heavy smoke coming out of the top. I ran around for about 30s before we decided "Chimney Fire" and called 911. I then ran outside, connected the hose, grabbed the ladder and ran to the roof. I yanked off the cap and poured water down the chimney. Billowing dark smoke and steam came out. I got down, ran in, climbed into the attic and didn't see smoke or flames in the attic space so I went back to the roof and poured more water down the chimney. Then the firetrucks arrived. I was so full of adrenaline I couldn't even speak for awhile. Everything is okay. But that was one of the scariest moments of my life....? What happened (before answering, please read on)
Today I got up on the roof and looked down the chimney... The top half has a few thin wispy flakes of creosote... a tiny bit. Basically clean. When I looked up from the bottom with a mirror, it seems really clean - almost shiny. When I moved the bricks over the firebox nothing fell down. (I read that the creosote can fall down the chimney, and pile up at the base, which would be on top of the bricks) I clean my chimney once or twice a year. I went in the attic and inspected my DuraVent plus pipe and the seams are solid, no distortions, no discolorations. I used to have a thermometer but my small kids destroyed it (I just bought a new "in the pipe" thermometer today)
At this point, what happened and what should I do? After cleaing my stove and replacing the bricks, can I build a fire?