I have a Vermont Castings small winter warm insert. It is located in my basement. I installed it with a full liner from the basement to the top of the flu, about 24 feet. I also have a gas fireplace on the first floor. Both flus share the same chimney. The first floor flu has a top sealing damper due to smoke being drawn down from the other flu.
This past week we started to notice smoke odor on the first floor. I checked the top sealing damper to make sure it was closed properly. Today when I fired up the stove in the basement. I noticed a lot of smoke on the first floor. I again checked the top sealing damper. It was fine. I took a walk outside and looked up at the top of the chimney and was surprised to see not only smoke coming out of the chimney cap but I had smoke coming out of a couple of cracks in the mortar joints. At that time I realized that the smoke on the first floor was somehow coming out of the hearth on the first floor. I have snow on the roof and won't be able to get up there and take the cap off and take a look down it. I know it's over due for a cleaning. I can see a build up of creasote on the cap. My question is would a blockage cause smoke to some how get from the liner space into the space between the liner and the flu? I have never seen this happen before.
Once I removed the burning logs from the stove the smoke immediately dissapated from the cracks in the mortar joints and on the first floor. That also told me that I didn't have a chimney fire.
Any advice or suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks!
Bob
This past week we started to notice smoke odor on the first floor. I checked the top sealing damper to make sure it was closed properly. Today when I fired up the stove in the basement. I noticed a lot of smoke on the first floor. I again checked the top sealing damper. It was fine. I took a walk outside and looked up at the top of the chimney and was surprised to see not only smoke coming out of the chimney cap but I had smoke coming out of a couple of cracks in the mortar joints. At that time I realized that the smoke on the first floor was somehow coming out of the hearth on the first floor. I have snow on the roof and won't be able to get up there and take the cap off and take a look down it. I know it's over due for a cleaning. I can see a build up of creasote on the cap. My question is would a blockage cause smoke to some how get from the liner space into the space between the liner and the flu? I have never seen this happen before.
Once I removed the burning logs from the stove the smoke immediately dissapated from the cracks in the mortar joints and on the first floor. That also told me that I didn't have a chimney fire.
Any advice or suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks!
Bob