Does this sound like a blocked flu?

[knewbomb]

I have a Vermont Castings small winter warm insert. It is located in my basement. I installed it with a full liner from the basement to the top of the flu, about 24 feet. I also have a gas fireplace on the first floor. Both flus share the same chimney. The first floor flu has a top sealing damper due to smoke being drawn down from the other flu.

This past week we started to notice smoke odor on the first floor. I checked the top sealing damper to make sure it was closed properly. Today when I fired up the stove in the basement. I noticed a lot of smoke on the first floor. I again checked the top sealing damper. It was fine. I took a walk outside and looked up at the top of the chimney and was surprised to see not only smoke coming out of the chimney cap but I had smoke coming out of a couple of cracks in the mortar joints. At that time I realized that the smoke on the first floor was somehow coming out of the hearth on the first floor. I have snow on the roof and won't be able to get up there and take the cap off and take a look down it. I know it's over due for a cleaning. I can see a build up of creasote on the cap. My question is would a blockage cause smoke to some how get from the liner space into the space between the liner and the flu? I have never seen this happen before.

Once I removed the burning logs from the stove the smoke immediately dissapated from the cracks in the mortar joints and on the first floor. That also told me that I didn't have a chimney fire.

Any advice or suggestions are appreciated!

Thanks!

Bob

 

[azsteven]

I really doubt holes in the liner, but this has me curious too. I have a similar situation, sorta. We haven't had the smoke in the house, but a warm wall problem, and maybe the slightest smoky smell in the upstairs room through which the chimney runs. I wrote about it in this thread: https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/51797/.

I would certainly expect the mortar on our 100+ year hold masonry chimney to be loose/cracked, but how would smoke get outside the liner, except if it was somehow escaping between the insert and the liner?

-Aaron

 

[fbelec]

hopefully your not running that stove right now. it sounds like a break in the liner. or you may have a broken crown on top. and it's sucking in the smoke that way, but that is kind of a far maybe. if you can't get up there then it might be time to call a insured sweep to check things out. or at least clean the cap. one more far maybe. maybe you have had a chimney fire or two and it melted thru the liner????????????

good luck

 

[savageactor7]

Seems to me a plugged chimney cap could be the culprit from your description of smoke exiting the mortar joints. May as well run a brush threw as long as you have the cap off.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I agree. It does sound like your flue has the flu.

Get the cap cleaned at least but for sure I'd say the whole thing needs cleaning. If it were me I would not run the stove until this was done. Good luck.

 

[knewbomb]

My brush and rods just arrived. As soon as the snow melts I'll be on my roof! I'm a retired Firefighter and have seen more than my share of house fires due to chimney issues!

I'm just worried that the liner has some type of hole on it. I would think that it would take a tremendous amount of heat to do that almost 25 ft. away from the stove. We'll see.

Thanks for the help!

Bob

 

[pen]

My brush and rods just arrived. As soon as the snow melts I'll be on my roof! I'm a retired Firefighter and have seen more than my share of house fires due to chimney issues!

I'm just worried that the liner has some type of hole on it. I would think that it would take a tremendous amount of heat to do that almost 25 ft. away from the stove. We'll see.

Thanks for the help!

Bob

Please post what you find! I just can't figure how this can be unless the stove came unattached from the liner at the connector somehow (assuming that is part of your setup)

pen

 

[fbelec]

My brush and rods just arrived. As soon as the snow melts I'll be on my roof! I'm a retired Firefighter and have seen more than my share of house fires due to chimney issues!

I'm just worried that the liner has some type of hole on it. I would think that it would take a tremendous amount of heat to do that almost 25 ft. away from the stove. We'll see.

Thanks for the help!

Bob

when you go up to clean take a drop light with you and drop it down 6 inches at a time. if there is a problem you should be able to see it. until the the first 90 or 45 degree bend.

 

[knewbomb]

I was able to get up there and take care of the problem today!

What happened was that the cap was completely clogged! Therefore pushing the smoke downwards between the stainless liner and the ceramic liner. Once it was pushed down into that space it had nowhere to go.

This was a good lesson on not putting things off! I had been meaning to get up there and clean it but kept putting it off due to other projects around the house.

I pulled the cap off and cleaned it. While I was up there I ran a brush all the way down to the stove. Once the dust settled I dropped a led flashlight down a ways to get a look at the liner. Everything looked nice and clean.

I'm going to fire it up later this evening.

I can't thank all of the people who responded to my post enough! This is an awesome site and appreciate everyone's help!

Thanks Guys!

 

[BrowningBAR]

I was able to get up there and take care of the problem today!

What happened was that the cap was completely clogged! Therefore pushing the smoke downwards between the stainless liner and the ceramic liner. Once it was pushed down into that space it had nowhere to go.

This was a good lesson on not putting things off! I had been meaning to get up there and clean it but kept putting it off due to other projects around the house.

I pulled the cap off and cleaned it. While I was up there I ran a brush all the way down to the stove. Once the dust settled I dropped a led flashlight down a ways to get a look at the liner. Everything looked nice and clean.

I'm going to fire it up later this evening.

I can't thank all of the people who responded to my post enough! This is an awesome site and appreciate everyone's help!

Thanks Guys!

You might also want to think about not putting off your wood buying. You are burning wet wood, and you are lucky you didn't have a chimney fire.

If you buy your wood, buy it right now. Buy two years worth today and stay two years ahead. If you split your own wood, do it now and split enough for at least two years.

 

[jhjove]

I was able to get up there and take care of the problem today!

What happened was that the cap was completely clogged! Therefore pushing the smoke downwards between the stainless liner and the ceramic liner. Once it was pushed down into that space it had nowhere to go.

This was a good lesson on not putting things off! I had been meaning to get up there and clean it but kept putting it off due to other projects around the house.

I pulled the cap off and cleaned it. While I was up there I ran a brush all the way down to the stove. Once the dust settled I dropped a led flashlight down a ways to get a look at the liner. Everything looked nice and clean.

I'm going to fire it up later this evening.

I can't thank all of the people who responded to my post enough! This is an awesome site and appreciate everyone's help!

Thanks Guys!

Would be a good idea to seal off the entrance of the void between the liners so no smoke or fire could make it's way through? My flue has a cleanout and the chimney sweep I use sealed some gaps that were visible between the clay flue and masonry of the chimney. He used a hi-temp cement patch compound. He had mentioned a client of his getting smoke in their house seeping from a kitchen cabinet. Investigation taced the smoke though voids in the framing to the chimney and voids in the masonry and flue liner.

 

[fbelec]

turk how did your liner look before the brush? if it were just a screen clog pull the screen for the winter while your running the stove.