Chimney fire question

[tonelover]

Well sort, of but not a chimney fire per-se. Two people I know have had house fires at one time or anothe due to wood or materials around the roof/attic hole combusting just from being in close proximity to the chimney. My questions are whether regular visual inspections would reveal such a potential issue. Obviously if I saw charred wood that would not be good, but if it looks normal then can you tell whether something is wrong. Second, I don't know if they had single or double wall pipe going through the attic/roof. I have a metalbestos segment in that area, is such an issue still a potential concern with metalbestos?

It is scary to think about such a scenario because by the time you know there is a fire up there it may very well be too late to do much about it other than call the fire department.

 

[Jags]

"Scary" is correct. That is why this site pounds so hard on the "code" drum. Many people think of code as a dirty 4 letter word invented by the evil enforcers of said code. When in fact, in the wood burning world it has saved many, many lives. Code is a minimum spec to go by during and after the installation that will assure you of a safely installed wood burning appliance.

Either your install is to code, or it is not. I didn't install it or inspect it, so there may be aspects that I can't/couldn't/won't comment on.

If you really have concern, have it inspected by a reputable installer or your code enforcement folks (I personally would go with an installer). Piece of mind sure does mean alot at 2:30 in the morning when your in bed thinking about this stuff.

Burn safe - your life may depend on it.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I had a neighbor call the fire dept on me cuz he saw smoke coming out of my chimney and thought i had a chimney fire. fire dept checked the chimney temps with a infrared gauge said it wasnt even warm. A good chimney should not get hot on the outside. WHat is you chimney made of.?

 

[tonelover]

The chimney up to the ceiling is typical black single wall. At the ceiling, through the attic and out the roof is double wall stainless steel. It was originally installed by a pro but has had 5-6 years good use on it now and I worry about gradual degradation of the protection. I was up on the roof earlier while the stove was burning and the outside of the chimney was cool to the touch which was comforting. I clean the inside religiously and burn dry, I try to be very careful and not let it overfire or anything ike that.

 

[Jags]

I don't see or hear anything that would put me on alarm. Go into the attic and make sure that where the pipe goes through there is the proper box and clearance to combustible. While there, look at where the stack penetrates the roof. If all looks good, burn on. After 5 years of burning, I would imagine that if there was weakness in the system, it would have reared its ugly head and would show somewhere.

By the way - after the ceiling, the stack needs to be double wall to sunlight.

 

[tonelover]

Thanks for the responses. The area in the attic where I need to go is quite a challenge to reach but I'm going to have to get in there and take a look-see for myself.

 

[Jags]

Thanks for the responses. The area in the attic where I need to go is quite a challenge to reach but I'm going to have to get in there and take a look-see for myself.

If your anything like me - take a tape measure and note pad. Jot down the dimensions. I would forget them before my feet hit the floor. You can then use them to check against code. Then you will probably find out that everything is just fine and can sleep well at night. ;-)

 

[raybonz]

"Scary" is correct. That is why this site pounds so hard on the "code" drum. Many people think of code as a dirty 4 letter word invented by the evil enforcers of said code. When in fact, in the wood burning world it has saved many, many lives. Code is a minimum spec to go by during and after the installation that will assure you of a safely installed wood burning appliance.

Either your install is to code, or it is not. I didn't install it or inspect it, so there may be aspects that I can't/couldn't/won't comment on.

If you really have concern, have it inspected by a reputable installer or your code enforcement folks (I personally would go with an installer). Piece of mind sure does mean alot at 2:30 in the morning when your in bed thinking about this stuff.

Burn safe - your life may depend on it.

+1 Well said!

Ray

 

[Install fire 1]

+2!

My career depends on it.

To or above code is my belief.


Adam

 

[Renovation]

Thanks for the responses. The area in the attic where I need to go is quite a challenge to reach but I'm going to have to get in there and take a look-see for myself.

Make sure that:

1. Nothing but metal fittings touch the chimney in the attic. (A friend learned at 4AM that a contractor leaving a piece of wood leaning against it is a bad thing.)

2. Your flue uses metal fixtures where it penetrates your ceiling and roof, so that no combustibles are nearby.

3. That nothing combustible--insulation included--comes within 2" of the chimney. Your ceiling penetration probably has (and should have) an insulation shield around it--a section of larger pipe that holds the attic floor insulation at least 2" away from the flue. It is fine for insulation to touch that, but if you have no shield, make sure the insulation is *not* within 2" of the flue.

HTH, compliments on caring about safety, and good luck!

 

[tonelover]

Thanks for the suggestions on what to look for, I wouldn't have known what I was looking at if I stuck my head in the chimney. I think I will get an inspector out this Spring just to make sure I am up to snuff so I can sleep soundly for another 5-6 years.

 

[firefighterjake]

Jags and George nailed this one . . . it all comes down to installing the chimney per code and installing the chimney with the proper clearances and not cutting the holes the exact size of the pipe, allowing wood framing to come too close to the pipe just because it would be too much of a challenge to move things, filling in the gaps with combustible foam insulation, etc.

For your part you should check the chimney and just make sure that nothing comes too close or comes in contact with the stove pipe -- yes they run cool -- but what do they say about an ounce of prevention. . . .

From the sounds of it you're doing well.

 

[kathyfitz]

About 11 years and one house ago, we had a fire in the chase of our chimney. Pretty scary at 2 AM and as much as everyone praised us for having smoke detectors, they didn't go off until the firefighters broke through the ceiling in the master bedroom to get to the attic. (Which they didn't do until they had protected as much as possible inside. I was so impressed with them!) We were just really lucky that my hubby woke up and heard the fire just getting started in the attic above our room. It saved us all and limited the damage, that while still pretty extensive to us could have been so much worse!

This was a tract home built in the 80's and the fire inspector informed us that it wasn't uncommon - the fire break between floors was PLYWOOD Over time it just spontaneously combusted. Needless to say, ours wasn't put back together that way with the reconstruction and it freaked out our neighbors since that was how their homes were built too.

So, while it was built to code, inspected and approved - it wasn't safe. At least if the fireplace was used, and we used ours a lot. My advise is safety first, code or not.