chimney cleaning oddity

[RustyShackleford]

Just cleaned the chimney from below, and saw something kinda odd. I think likely it's been there before and I just noticed (haven't been in the habit of shining a super-bright flashlite up there previously). Hopefully it's discernible in photo below. Basically, the pipe walls are very clean, hardly any buildup at all. Except, where the joints in the chimney pipe are (insulated 8" OD 6" ID) there are "papery" thin flaps of black material, roughly the size of a small-/medium-sized tree leaf hanging off the sides of the pipe.

The grunginess in the foreground (bottom of the pipe) is the adapter that my single-wall connector pipe slips over (it ain't as bad as this photo makes it look). It and the connector were pretty grungy, because of being single-wall I suppose.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Wait, you gave a mint chocolate chip ice cream colored liner and it's the leafy things that first strike you as odd?


Sorry, I'm of absolutely no help here.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I agree they are odd.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Hardy har-har ! Yeah, some auto white-balancing business by my cellphone, I guess.

 

[bholler]

Looks like the results of a chimney fire to me

 

[RustyShackleford]

Looks like the results of a chimney fire to me

Jeez, really ? Must have been a relatively quiet one. Any way to verify ?

 

[bholler]

Jeez, really ? Must have been a relatively quiet one. Any way to verify ?

Most of the time people don't know they had a chimney fire. I would have to see the remnants in person but it really looks like burnt residue from what I can see.

 

[SpaceBus]

Most of the time people don't know they had a chimney fire. I would have to see the remnants in person but it really looks like burnt residue from what I can see.

I always assumed they were quite loud. How often do you think it happens?

 

[bholler]

I always assumed they were quite loud. How often do you think it happens?

They usually aren't loud at all. It is not uncommon at all. Probably 1 out of 10 that we clean has burnt residue. That is why I stress code compliance and safety so much.

 

[SpaceBus]

They usually aren't loud at all. It is not uncommon at all. Probably 1 out of 10 that we clean has burnt residue. That is why I stress code compliance and safety so much.

Yeah, a big part of why I can't wait for my liner to get here. My masonry chimney runs through the bedroom...

 

[RustyShackleford]

They usually aren't loud at all. It is not uncommon at all. Probably 1 out of 10 that we clean has burnt residue. That is why I stress code compliance and safety so much.

Wow. Guess I should clean chimney more than once every two years or so; didn't think I needed it, as so little material (and it's always black flakes, not brown goo, that's good, right ?) maybe enough to fill a quart mason jar.

Of course, as you can see, the connector pipe gets WAY cruddier, probably as much stuff as the 15ft of chimney. Maybe the fire just occurs there. I do sometimes hear "crinkling" sounds coming from there.

 

[webby3650]

Have you ran a brush through it already? Got an after pic?

 

[Ludlow]

I don't know much of anything, but if I had to guess it would be just light creosote and ash buildup at the joints from air infiltration cooling the metal. Do you ever see any of those flakes on top of your baffle? (that would be preceded by the crinkling sound you mentioned)
I bet they sweep right off like nothing.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Have you ran a brush through it already? Got an after pic?

Yeah, cleaned it right after I took this pic. Already put it back together (put the connector pipe back on, the R&R of which is the hardest part of the job, need to re-seal the loose gaps around the stove's flue collar with gasket rope and adhesive), and didn't take an after pic. Got it real clean though.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I don't know much of anything, but if I had to guess it would be just light creosote and ash buildup at the joints from air infiltration cooling the metal.

I thought of that. It is double-wall of course (Selkirk MetalBestos I think), and no evidence of any leakage on the outside, like creosote. It is 30 years old though.

Do you ever see any of those flakes on top of your baffle?

I don't think so, not the big leaf-sized ones.

I bet they sweep right off like nothing.

Yes.