Chimfex - Its Back

[BrotherBart]

Frequently we get questions about where to buy the Chimfex fire suppressant stick that you strike and toss into a stove in case of a chimney fire. Well the plant burned down back around 2000 and they haven't been available since then. But it looks like they are back on the market.

(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/detail~PRODUCT_ID~5RU-3412.asp)

 

[ddown]

Saw it yesterday at tractor supply in Michigan is it as good as they say 22 Seconds?

 

[BrotherBart]

I have never used one I just heard about them for years. I do know that some fire departments used to keep them around to throw down chimneys during a fire. Now I think most of them toss plastic bags of fire extinguisher chemical down them.

I don't plan on getting one just because I can't envision the little bit of accumulation in my liners ever lighting off. And if it did it wouldn't be anything dramatic.

 

[CSCPeter]

I got it stocked on my shelf

 

[n6crv]

Wow what a price increase! Still have one of the old ones and it was $14.00.
Don

 

[Wet1]

Would a wet rag thrown in the stove do the same thing?

 

[ponyboync]

I keep a piece of plywood near the fireplace. Once the chimney fire starts just place the plywood over the front of the fireplace and it will cut off the air to the chimney. Fire out!

 

[BrotherBart]

I keep a piece of plywood near the fireplace. Once the chimney fire starts just place the plywood over the front of the fireplace and it will cut off the air to the chimney. Fire out!

Unless the plywood catches fire! :ahhh:

 

[Jags]

Frequently we get questions about where to buy the Chimfex fire suppressant stick that you strike and toss into a stove in case of a chimney fire. Well the plant burned down back around 2000 and they haven't been available since then. But it looks like they are back on the market.

(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/detail~PRODUCT_ID~5RU-3412.asp)

That is good to know BroB. The one I have is getting pretty old. I have always wondered if there was a shelf life on those things???

 

[BrotherBart]

Don't know about shelf life. Rutland is the one selling them now and they have a 18 month warranty on them. If it doesn't work and your house burns down you probably get a new Chimfex but you have to pay the shipping. To your new address.

 

[isuphipsi1052]

Firefighter here...

Not too many fire departments use the "chimney flares." When dispatched to a chimney fire, here are the steps my department follows.

1. Charged handline to the front door;
2. Crews ladder the roof, remove chimney cap.
3. Interior crews cover the homeowner's floors and carpets with "runners" so that we don't track up their house;taking with them thermal imaging camera; water can;
4. Burning materials removed from fire box and taken outside;
5. Once the firebox is cleared, the roof crew will either attempt to brush out the blockage or deploy our chimney snuffer nozzle (flows water in a VERY fine mist - will not harm masonry chimneys);
6. Additional crews begin to inspect all adjacent walls near the fireplace from basement to attic, checking for signs of fire;
7. Fire Marshal notified. If chimney fire, the fireplace is "red tagged" and cannot be used until inspected by licensed chimney company.

My advice - CALL 9-1-1 as early as possible, the sooner we get there the better off you are...

 

[Jags]

My advice - CALL 9-1-1 as early as possible, the sooner we get there the better off you are...

Very good advice.

That said, if I call 911 and then hang up, I am probably not going to just stand there with my arms folded when I have the potential for knocking the fire down myself.

Jags - former volunteer firefighter of 12 years. (former meaning I got tired of the politics :coolgrin: )

 

[jmilgtp]

I've used Chimfex in the past and it works great. I tested the first one that I bought on a campfire and was amazed at the results. I really didn't think it would put out the fire but it actually did. I had a decent supply of them before the factory burnt down. However, since then I have been demonstrating them to my friends and my supply is getting low. I was glad to see they are back online now! The cheapest place I can find them is Rural King here in Illinois. They sell them for $34.99 and that seems to be the cheapest price on the internet. Here is a direct link to them on their website Chimfex Rutland Fire Suppressant Toss in Stick .

 

[pen]

Firefighter here...

Not too many fire departments use the "chimney flares." When dispatched to a chimney fire, here are the steps my department follows.

1. Charged handline to the front door;
2. Crews ladder the roof, remove chimney cap.
3. Interior crews cover the homeowner's floors and carpets with "runners" so that we don't track up their house;taking with them thermal imaging camera; water can;
4. Burning materials removed from fire box and taken outside;
5. Once the firebox is cleared, the roof crew will either attempt to brush out the blockage or deploy our chimney snuffer nozzle (flows water in a VERY fine mist - will not harm masonry chimneys);
6. Additional crews begin to inspect all adjacent walls near the fireplace from basement to attic, checking for signs of fire;
7. Fire Marshal notified. If chimney fire, the fireplace is "red tagged" and cannot be used until inspected by licensed chimney company.

My advice - CALL 9-1-1 as early as possible, the sooner we get there the better off you are...

seems a lot simpler to place a wet newspaper inside a plstic bag in the firebox,eh= whats the diff between "fine mist" & steam? ok, 2 bagged wetpapers.

I've lit paper and matches on fire with steam before.

Here's a guy lighting something in a similar manner.

pen

 

[BrotherBart]

Seems a lot easier just to line your chimney, burn dry wood and not worry about chimney fires. In four years on this forum I have not heard of a chimney fire in a lined chimney.

 

[pen]

Seems a lot easier just to line your chimney, burn dry wood and not worry about chimney fires. In four years on this forum I have not heard of a chimney fire in a lined chimney.

That's an interesting point. I drive past several houses everyday with exterior stainless chimneys that I assure you must have had chimney fires by their color and how the siding looks behind them, yet, they keep burning. I wonder if with their cap and being outside the interior of the house if they have fires and just don't know? Or if they just don't progress beyond the cap? In other words, I wonder if many do have fires but the nature of many of the steel chimneys makes them much less dangerous perhaps?

pen

 

[BrotherBart]

Seems a lot easier just to line your chimney, burn dry wood and not worry about chimney fires. In four years on this forum I have not heard of a chimney fire in a lined chimney.

That's an interesting point. I drive past several houses everyday with exterior stainless chimneys that I assure you must have had chimney fires by their color and how the siding looks behind them, yet, they keep burning. I wonder if with their cap and being outside the interior of the house if they have fires and just don't know? Or if they just don't progress beyond the cap? In other words, I wonder if many do have fires but the nature of many of the steel chimneys makes them much less dangerous perhaps?

pen

Real easy to have chimney fires and not know it. You had them with the Fischer, guaranteed. I had them for years in the unlined flue. The only way I knew it was that when I went up to to check and it was immaculately clean. That ain't happening after two three cords in a old tech stove. The automatic flue cleaner kicked in sometime. The results were always laying in the bottom of the fireplace the next year when I pulled the insert. Lotta black "popcorn".

Of course Fishers are magical and don't do that stuff. :lol:

 

[pen]

Seems a lot easier just to line your chimney, burn dry wood and not worry about chimney fires. In four years on this forum I have not heard of a chimney fire in a lined chimney.

That's an interesting point. I drive past several houses everyday with exterior stainless chimneys that I assure you must have had chimney fires by their color and how the siding looks behind them, yet, they keep burning. I wonder if with their cap and being outside the interior of the house if they have fires and just don't know? Or if they just don't progress beyond the cap? In other words, I wonder if many do have fires but the nature of many of the steel chimneys makes them much less dangerous perhaps?

pen

Real easy to have chimney fires and not know it. You had them with the Fischer, guaranteed. I had them for years in the unlined flue. The only way I knew it was that when I went up to to check and it was immaculately clean. That ain't happening after two three cords in a old tech stove. The automatic flue cleaner kicked in sometime.

I'm not sure if those words of wisdom made me feel better or worse about chimney fires.

Better because I've never had a problem.

Worse, because that would make me ignorant!

pen

 

[BrotherBart]

You aren't ignorant. You have heated your house for years without problems. You keep up with maintenance.

 

[pen]

You aren't ignorant. You have heated your house for years without problems. You keep up with maintenance.

Now that makes me feel better. The neighbors call my "keeping up with maintenance" an obsessive compulsive activity as I thoroughly clean the chimney every 4 weeks in the burning season and check w/ a mirror more often than that. Many times I'd be lucky to fill a coffee cup with what I collect.

I think they like harassing me because they have been the epitome of lucky considering the England Pea Soup Fog that pours from their chimney's that get a bi-decade (intentional) cleaning.

pen

 

[BrotherBart]

You aren't ignorant. You have heated your house for years without problems. You keep up with maintenance.

Now that makes me feel better. The neighbors call my "keeping up with maintenance" an obsessive compulsive activity as I thoroughly clean the chimney every 4 weeks in the burning season and check w/ a mirror more often than that.

I think they like harassing me because they have been the epitome of lucky considering the England Pea Soup Fog that pours from their chimney's that get a bi-decade (intentional) cleaning.

pen

You will continue to check with the mirror, as I do, but you will sweep twice a year because you are anal like me. I really don't need to clean the chimney more than once a year anymore and this year I may not.

Learn the way of the Force Luke.

 

[firefighterjake]

You aren't ignorant. You have heated your house for years without problems. You keep up with maintenance.

Now that makes me feel better. The neighbors call my "keeping up with maintenance" an obsessive compulsive activity as I thoroughly clean the chimney every 4 weeks in the burning season and check w/ a mirror more often than that. Many times I'd be lucky to fill a coffee cup with what I collect.

I think they like harassing me because they have been the epitome of lucky considering the England Pea Soup Fog that pours from their chimney's that get a bi-decade (intentional) cleaning.

pen

Nah, not being obsessive compulsive . . . it's called erring on the side of safety.

Last year I regularly checked and swept my chimney every month . . . but if the truth be told it really only needed maybe one or two sweeps since it was burning pretty cleanly. That said, I will continue to check and sweep monthly since sweeping after checking only takes another five minutes or so of my time.

 

[fraxinus]

I've never had to use it, so I can't attest to how well it works from personal experience, but I've had a thin plastic bag of baking soda near the stove for many, many years. When thrown into a fire, baking soda produces carbon dioxide which is heavier than air and quickly smothers the fire. A small amount of water vapor is also released. My chimney sweep swears this is the most effective, least damaging way of dealing with a chimney fire. At around $15 for a giant economy sized box - 8 pounds, I think - the price is pretty good, too. It would be interesting to hear, however, from someone who has actually used this method.

 

[mellow]

Local fire company threw a plastic bag full of fire extinguisher powder down my chimney after one of my chimney fires, the fire was already mostly out before they got there so I can't say it worked.

#1 thing not to do during a chimney fire is to open up your stove to throw a bag of stuff in. Shut it down as much as possible and throw stuff down from the top of the chimney.

 

[Greg123]

Seems a lot easier just to line your chimney, burn dry wood and not worry about chimney fires. In four years on this forum I have not heard of a chimney fire in a lined chimney.

That's an interesting point. I drive past several houses everyday with exterior stainless chimneys that I assure you must have had chimney fires by their color and how the siding looks behind them, yet, they keep burning. I wonder if with their cap and being outside the interior of the house if they have fires and just don't know? Or if they just don't progress beyond the cap? In other words, I wonder if many do have fires but the nature of many of the steel chimneys makes them much less dangerous perhaps?

pen

Real easy to have chimney fires and not know it. You had them with the Fischer, guaranteed. I had them for years in the unlined flue. The only way I knew it was that when I went up to to check and it was immaculately clean. That ain't happening after two three cords in a old tech stove. The automatic flue cleaner kicked in sometime. The results were always laying in the bottom of the fireplace the next year when I pulled the insert. Lotta black "popcorn".

Of course Fishers are magical and don't do that stuff. :lol:

Also if you’re burning 24/7, if you’re like me I’m not home 24/7, it could happen when I’m at work and not know it.