Has anyone had a chimney fire in an epa stove w/ss liner?

[polaris]

I am curious to know if anyone has ever personally had a chimney fire in an epa stove with a properly lined chimney. I'm not talking about someones friends neighbors cousin but personally. The reason I ask is because my chimneys seems to stay clean enough that I'm not sure I would be risking a fire even if I didn't clean it at all. I know I have heard from several folks around here that "I got one of them new stoves with a stainless chimney and they don't even need cleanin" Most all of the folks around me burn wood and they cleaned their masonary chimneys maybe every fall or so (if that) and I really don't know 1st hand of any chimney fires.
Just curious.
Joe

 

[littlesmokey]

I would suspect you will get no takers. Someone who goes to the extent of making their stove as safe as possible will not have a C-fire. I brush my pipe a couple of times a year just in case, but I use good burning practises and avoid the potential.

 

[Fsappo]

Never happened to me or any customers that I am aware of over the past 20 years or so...but of course, now that I said that...

 

[Dirtgrain]

My friend has had chimney fires. I left his house once and saw fire shooting out of the chimney. I went back in and told him, and he said it was no big deal, as he had an ss liner (I don't remember if he had insulation--his house is a small ranch, the stove hooked up to a pretty short pipe (fifteen feet maybe)). Whatever.

 

[lexybird]

creosote doesnt like to stick to smooth stainless walls ,its almost like teflon, figure i n a clean burning epa unit and the buildup is really minor

 

[firefighterjake]

I suspect Little Smokey is right . . . generally folks here who have been here for a bit quickly learn what they need to do to prevent a chimney fire from happening in the first place -- i.e. running the stove at the proper temps, burning truly seasoned wood and inspecting/cleaning the chimney when needed.

 

[Possumguts]

I have had what I think are small chimney fires routinely, at least I think they could be considered c-fires, I'm not sure. I can burn the stove hot, (600-700 degrees according to my coil stove top thermometer) When I close the damper on my Lopi Leyden (flue goes out from the stove horizontally to a "T" connection at the SS liner), I can hear a swooshing sound and see flame reflections in the gap of the pipe connections. This lasts for about 5-10 seconds and then stops. I use dry, seasoned wood, and sometimes the SS "T" will slightly glow red. This stove was professionally installed last season and was cleaned just recently. Is this normal? Am I burning to hot? From what I am reading I don't know if this 10 second "afterburn" is a chimney fire or not.

 

[gpcollen1]

I do believe that there was someone on here that did have a chimney fire - but not in the liner - in the chimney. There must have been some glaze on the clay flue and the liner must have gotten hot enough/in close enough contact to ignite it.

 

[snowtime]

If someone insists on burning wet wood they will sooner or later get a chimney fire new stove or old. An epa stove will be harder to burn that way but if it can be done someone will do it. As for creosote sticking to stainless you better believe it. Those of us who have had stainless for decades with old smoke dragons can attest to that.

 

[Mr_Pither]

I have had what I think are small chimney fires routinely, at least I think they could be considered c-fires, I'm not sure. I can burn the stove hot, (600-700 degrees according to my coil stove top thermometer) When I close the damper on my Lopi Leyden (flue goes out from the stove horizontally to a "T" connection at the SS liner), I can hear a swooshing sound and see flame reflections in the gap of the pipe connections. This lasts for about 5-10 seconds and then stops. I use dry, seasoned wood, and sometimes the SS "T" will slightly glow red. This stove was professionally installed last season and was cleaned just recently. Is this normal? Am I burning to hot? From what I am reading I don't know if this 10 second "afterburn" is a chimney fire or not.

If you have a baffle above the secondaries, ( I'm not familiar with your stove), make sure the baffle is sitting properly on all of the secondary tubes, and is pushed all the way toward the back of the stove so that there is no gap in the back.
I had the same problem as you with my summersheat insert. Very, very crazy acting fire and the SS pipe started turning red. Turned out to be like I mentioned. I somehow moved the baffle forward. After I moved it back, the problem was solved.

 

[gpcollen1]

If someone insists on burning wet wood they will sooner or later get a chimney fire new stove or old. An epa stove will be harder to burn that way but if it can be done someone will do it. As for creosote sticking to stainless you better believe it. Those of us who have had stainless for decades with old smoke dragons can attest to that.

If you are burning wet wood and getting creosote build up, all you have to do is sweep the chimney regularly. Not how I run my ship now but I have worked my way through 'wet' wood when I had to. It still gives off heat - just a pain in the rear.

 

[JJEGLBS]

I do believe that there was someone on here that did have a chimney fire - but not in the liner - in the chimney. There must have been some glaze on the clay flue and the liner must have gotten hot enough/in close enough contact to ignite it.

This is what worries me about our install last year, so I plan on pouring thermix or loose vermiculate around the uninsulated liner which should reduce any risk, right?

 

[snowtime]

Well CTwoodburner I was answering the question "If its possible to have a chimney fire with an epa stove". My assumption is all you need is to have someone who does not clean their pipe regularly and burns wet wood. I clean once a year for the T6 but 3 times for the other stoves at our ranch.

 

[polaris]

Well CTwoodburner I was answering the question "If its possible to have a chimney fire with an epa stove". My assumption is all you need is to have someone who does not clean their pipe regularly and burns wet wood. I clean once a year for the T6 but 3 times for the other stoves at our ranch.

I guess that's what I was saying as well. There a lot of people(even on here) that regularly burn wood that is not fully seasoned,don't regularly clean the chimney yet very few(none I know) have had a chimney fire. Which takes me back to the original question. It makes me wonder how much misuse and abuse would be required to have a chimney fire in an EPA stove and an SS chimney.

 

[jadm]

Nope. Never had one but I have only been burning for 6 years now.

Used to get chimney swept 2 times a year.

With new insert and higher burning temps. my sweep (also a seasoned fireman) told me 1 time a year will be fine for me now. (He did it 2 times for the first years I had it so he is basing his advice on his experience with our burning residue - he measures what is deposited on the liner and how much he sweeps out.)

 

[firefighterjake]

Nope. Never had one but I have only been burning for 6 years now.

Used to get chimney swept 2 times a year.

With new insert and higher burning temps. my sweep (also a seasoned fireman) told me 1 time a year will be fine for me now. (He did it 2 times for the first years I had it so he is basing his advice on his experience with our burning residue - he measures what is deposited on the liner and how much he sweeps out.)

How well do seasoned firemen burn in the insert? Sorry . . . couldn't help myself . . . probably because I'm feeling a little seasoned today . . . more specifically I had some garlic bread last night and now I'm reeking of garlic . . . which is good if I come across a bunch of vampires, but bad since I'll be coordinating a meeting of the ATV Club later tonight.