Did I have a chimney fire

[usmc1775]

So last night when I came home from work I loaded the stove opened up the air to let It catch and got ready to head up to bed. After about five minutes the wood really took and was burning nicely. But then i started to hear a strange popping / clicking noice which sounded like it was coming from my double wall interior black pipe. I instantly thought there was a fire but there was no smoke. I ran out side to look at/up chimney and could see no flame. At this point I shut the air down all the way and the fire was still roaring and I was smelling like a hot metal smell
( best i can describe) which I've smelt before when the stove was really going but it was stronger this time. The sound stopped after about 3 to 5 min.
So was that a chimney fire or sounds of the pipe heating up too quickly...... I routinely clean the the external stainless chimney but haven't cleaned the interior pipe yet this year.

Thank you for your help

 

[maple1]

Could have been a small one. How long since it was cleaned?

 

[webby3650]

Double wall pipe makes a lot noise when it’s expanding and contracting. It sounds like you just had flames being sucked into the flue.

 

[Ludlow]

When you get a little glaze in the pipe and then rip a hot fire, there will be a lot of snapping and cracking sounds from the piping. The metal expands but the soot and glaze does not. The sound you hear is the deposits cracking from the pipe and breaking apart.

 

[usmc1775]

Could have been a small one. How long since it was cleaned?

this is my first year with stove been burning since early november

 

[webby3650]

When you get a little glaze in the pipe and then rip a hot fire, there will be a lot of snapping and cracking sounds from the piping. The metal expands but the soot and glaze does not. The sound you hear is the deposits cracking from the pipe and breaking apart.

It certainly does not need to have glaze in the pipe for this to happen. Very rarely does double wall connector pipe have glaze in it.

 

[usmc1775]

my interior pipe goes to 90 degree and out the house , when i take out the bottom of the tee pipe outside can i just run a flexible rod down the opening to the black interior to clean it out or will that push all the creosote back into to stove.
thank you for all you information and help

 

[usmc1775]

It certainly does not need to have glaze in the pipe for this happen. Very rarely does double wall connector pipe have glaze in it.

glaze meaning creasote correct?

 

[webby3650]

glaze meaning creasote correct?

Glazed creosote is from burning too cool, typically found in single wall pipe and masonry flues. Not common with a modern stove and double wall pipe.

 

[bholler]

Glazed creosote is from burning too cool, typically found in single wall pipe and masonry flies. Not common with a modern stove and double wall pipe.

Not as common but still very possible.

 

[bholler]

So last night when I came home from work I loaded the stove opened up the air to let It catch and got ready to head up to bed. After about five minutes the wood really took and was burning nicely. But then i started to hear a strange popping / clicking noice which sounded like it was coming from my double wall interior black pipe. I instantly thought there was a fire but there was no smoke. I ran out side to look at/up chimney and could see no flame. At this point I shut the air down all the way and the fire was still roaring and I was smelling like a hot metal smell
( best i can describe) which I've smelt before when the stove was really going but it was stronger this time. The sound stopped after about 3 to 5 min.
So was that a chimney fire or sounds of the pipe heating up too quickly...... I routinely clean the the external stainless chimney but haven't cleaned the interior pipe yet this year.

Thank you for your help

It is possible you had a fire. It is also possible you were just hearing expansion really no way for us to know without being there.

 

[Ludlow]

My pipe made some crazy sounds the very first fire on clean pipe. Yes.

What I am talking about is that very distinct popping sound and then the sound of potato chips falling down the pipe. Dont know if double wall does that, no sir I dont. I am poor I cant afford double wall.

 

[maple1]

this is my first year with stove been burning since early november

If this is the first time you heard these noises, I am suspecting you had a fire.

 

[webby3650]

My pipe made some crazy sounds the very first fire on clean pipe. Yes.

What I am talking about is that very distinct popping sound and then the sound of potato chips falling down the pipe. Dont know if double wall does that, no sir I dont. I am poor I cant afford double wall.

Falling debris is definitely a noticeably different sound. If I understand the OP correctly this is a metal popping/pinging/ticking sound? I get this pretty often with my Fireview, it’ll really get to rippin with the bypass open!

 

[Ludlow]

It was just metal expansion for now. I have heard that when your chimney catches fire, you will have no doubt its on fire.

 

[usmc1775]

Falling debris is definitely a noticeably different sound. If I understand the OP correctly this is a metal popping/pinging/ticking sound? I get this pretty often with my Fireview, it’ll really get to rippin with the bypass open!

yes that was the noise and I did have the Air all the way open

 

[maple1]

It was just metal expansion for now. I have heard that when your chimney catches fire, you will have no doubt its on fire.

That depends how much build up is in the pipe.

If it was just metal expansion I would think it would have been heard way before this - this is almost 2 months into burning, and apparently the first time it was heard?

 

[Ludlow]

My pipe makes the craziest sounds when I turn DOWN the air. Sounds like twelve chipmunks chewing on the inside of the pipe.

 

[webby3650]

That depends how much build up is in the pipe.

If it was just metal expansion I would think it would have been heard way before this - this is almost 2 months into burning, and apparently the first time it was heard?

With a really aggressive fire the draft increases to the point that flames are being sucked up the flue. Once the air is reduced the pipe starts rapidly contracting, causing lots of noise. Double wall pipe rarely reaches these temps, unlike single wall pipe, so it will smell more when this happens each time it reaches a higher temp.

 

[usmc1775]

dose smoke usually back into the room with a fire..... any suggestions on where to go from here if it was a fire

 

[webby3650]

What stove do you have?

 

[Ludlow]

dose smoke usually back into the room with a fire..... any suggestions on where to go from here if it was a fire

Id say just disassemble the connector and inspect it. Then look up the chimney real good for any distortion. If it looks straight and clean Id stop worrying. Just turn up the TV louder next time.

 

[usmc1775]

That depends how much build up is in the pipe.

If it was just metal expansion I would think it would have been heard way before this - this is almost 2 months into burning, and apparently the first time it was heard?

yea this was the first time I heard it

 

[usmc1775]

What stove do you have?

hearthstone shelburne

 

[blacktail]

or will that push all the creosote back into to stove.

I did a mid season cleaning of my liner today and left the soot in the stove. Then I burned the sweepins 5 minutes later when I started another fire. Gotta move your baffle, cat, or whatever your stove has so the junk falls into the box.