Had a chimney fire last night, don't want a repeat performance, any advice?

[2broke2ride]

This is my first year in my new to me house and my first year burning wood on my own. I've been burning 24/7 since mid October......... I started with a clean chimney. The stove is an old Shenandoah model r77 that I got from my father in law. The chimney is a tile lined 8" square flue. I was an going to shut down over night tonight to clean the chimney tomorrow since I had the day off and it's supposed to be in the fifties bit I didn't make it that far.
I run the pipe temp at about 400-450, I opened the door on the stove to load it for the overnight and as I was finished filling it and closed the door the chimney lit off....... Was pretty scary seeing flames 3 feet over the stack. Anyway the wood I'm burning is not great, poplar, birch, some dead maple and elm and some pine and a little black cherry. The maple, elm, birch and pine are very dry the poplar and cherry about 6 months seasoned and unfortunately the poplar makes up the bulk of what I have. Does anyone else think it is strange that the chimney got bad enough to light in only 2 and a half months? I also have religiously been using creasote powder.

Thanks for any advice
Kevin the FNG

 

[BrotherBart]

I am probably one of the few that knows what FNG means.

Old technology stove and that wood that isn't anywhere near being dry and you have been shutting the stove down, or the thermostat on the old r77 has, and smoldering the burn. A combination that will get ya a chimney fire every time.

Hang around here. More advice than you want, but now know that you need.

I have serious concerns about the tiles in that flue after that big of a chimney fire. Defiantly needs to be professionally inspected before you light that stove again.

 

[BrotherBart]

PS: I have burned a lot of Poplar in my days. And six month seasoned Poplar is known as a wet sponge. I wouldn't light that stuff in less than two years on a bet.

 

[bholler]

Yes just like bart said get it inspected by a pro i would bet you have cracked tiles.

 

[j7art2]

Glad you're okay. I've been concerned about these too actually, but I'd have no way of knowing if I had a chimney fire or not since my furnace is in the basement and I have a 30 foot semi-detached chimney.

 

[F4jock]

Not at all out of the ordinary considering how you're burning and what you're burning. Get the chimney lined with a double-walled SS pipe and a cleanout. Burn dry wood and burn hot for a few hours a day. Your experience plus twelve years as a firefighter is what convinced me to go from wood to pellets. If you want to continue with wood and that stove, clean the chimney monthly. You may want to rig a steel tripod over the chimney with a weighted brush on a cable reel to facilitate this.

And Bart -- anyone with military experience knows what FNG means!

 

[bholler]

Get the chimney lined with a double-walled SS pipe

why double wall unless it is preinsulted i would absolutely go single heavy wall for that stove or rigid

 

[F4jock]

why double wall unless it is preinsulted i would absolutely go single heavy wall for that stove or rigid

My prefrence. Heavy walled rigid works too. Whatever. Get it properly inspected and lined.

 

[bholler]

Are you referring to the double layer smooth wall stuff? If so i dont see it holding up well the the frequent cleanings that this stove will require. But that is just my opinion doesnt make it right

 

[F4jock]

Are you referring to the double layer smooth wall stuff? If so i dont see it holding up well the the frequent cleanings that this stove will require. But that is just my opinion doesnt make it right

Yes. Depends on how bad you let it get before cleaning and what you use to clean it with.

 

[bholler]

I have seen way to many of them fail way to soon for me to ever recommend them to anyone. And with that stove i think some hard creosote will be almost inevitable and it will take some pretty heavy cleaning to get it off. And i dont see that thin foil layer with its unsecured edges holding up to it. I have pulled more of that type of liner due to failure than any of the other types combined

 

[2broke2ride]

Thanks guys, unfortunately this stove is currently my primary heat source as my boiler is on it's last legs so I have little choice but to get it back up and running.
I am cleaning the flue right now as we speak, I have a friend who is a customer of mine at the shop who is a certified sweep. He said he would be glad to come over and inspect it for me. I am also gonna put myself on a monthly cleaning schedule from here on out.
I am also working on installing another stove (slightly more modern efel harmony) in a fireplace chimney with stainless liner so hopefully that will take some of the load off of this old thing. I plan to re-line this chimney in the spring I just ran out of time and money before winter set in this year.

 

[bholler]

When you have it inspected you may end up having to line it sooner i hope it works out for you

 

[2broke2ride]

Well the good news is, my sweep gave the chimney a clean bill of health, he actually lowered a camera on a rope to check every tile........... So the plan is to try to run it hotter and clean more often, I'm gonna get on a once a month rotation. And I'm gonna start saving up for a more efficient stove and a stainless liner.

 

[bholler]

good glad it is ok

 

[2broke2ride]

Well, I'm back up and running........... A little nervous still but my sweep friend said I did an excellent job of cleaning the chimney.
My father in law is down for the holidays and he gave me a mirror and showed me how to check the chimney through the cleanout door.
I just need to keep a better eye on it until I get a more modern stove and reline the chimney.

 

[Swedishchef]

Well the good news is, my sweep gave the chimney a clean bill of health, he actually lowered a camera on a rope to check every tile........... So the plan is to try to run it hotter and clean more often, I'm gonna get on a once a month rotation. And I'm gonna start saving up for a more efficient stove and a stainless liner.

That, along with dry wood, will keep you trouble free for a long time!!

Merry Christmas!

Andrew

 

[BrotherBart]

The OP has a new thread running so I am closing this one down.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/looking-for-a-more-efficient-stove.137753/