Help! Chimney fire & everything needs to be replaced

[Mr. Kelly]

An uneducated question (no laughing!)... What is the potential of a threatening chimney fire if your "chimney" is entirely double or triple wall pipe, rather than brick?

I have the former, and it goes through the wall, and up along the side for about 10 feet. Is this kind of system more or less likely to sustain damage during a chimney fire than masonry?

 

[Squisher]

Less. But I wouldn't recommend trying it out.

 

[bholler]

An uneducated question (no laughing!)... What is the potential of a threatening chimney fire if your "chimney" is entirely double or triple wall pipe, rather than brick?

I have the former, and it goes through the wall, and up along the side for about 10 feet. Is this kind of system more or less likely to sustain damage during a chimney fire than masonry?

That depends if that masonry chimney is lined with an insulated stainless liner or what.

 

[Squisher]

True. I was assuming a clay lined masonry chimney. In my limited experience I've found metal class A chimneys to be the superior chimney if I had to choose.

Re-lined and insulated masonry isn't common here. But I've found a fellow who does that kind of work and lots of masonry chimney work. I've talked with him a couple of times and I'm hoping to work for him some in the off-season. Get some real masonry construction/repair experience.

 

[Sodbuster]

An uneducated question (no laughing!)... What is the potential of a threatening chimney fire if your "chimney" is entirely double or triple wall pipe, rather than brick?

I have the former, and it goes through the wall, and up along the side for about 10 feet. Is this kind of system more or less likely to sustain damage during a chimney fire than masonry?

I have Excel / ICC brand insulated SS double wall chimney, and it is advertised by the company to withstand a chimney fire. While I have no plans to test their warranty, it is nice peace of mind to know, my chimney has 3 times the minimum protection required to meet code in the US.

 

[bholler]

I have Excel / ICC brand insulated SS double wall chimney, and it is advertised by the company to withstand a chimney fire. While I have no plans to test their warranty, it is nice peace of mind to know, my chimney has 3 times the minimum protection required to meet code in the US.

Any listed chimney or liner is designed and tested to withstand a chimney fire and protect the house. But that does not mean it will always do it without being damaged.

 

[Sodbuster]

Any listed chimney or liner is designed and tested to withstand a chimney fire and protect the house. But that does not mean it will always do it without being damaged.

That is all well and good, but if I have my choice, and I do, I'm going to pick a liner than is warranted to withstand (3) 30 minute chimney fires at 2100 deg F versus a brand that is rated to withstand (1) 1700 deg F chimney fire. I don't care about the chimney, I care about whose sleeping next to it.

 

[bholler]

That is all well and good, but if I have my choice, and I do, I'm going to pick a liner than is warranted to withstand (3) 30 minute chimney fires at 2100 deg F versus a brand that is rated to withstand (1) 1700 deg F chimney fire. I don't care about the chimney, I care about whose sleeping next to it.

Any chimney or liner system designed for use with a solid fuel burner is tested to withstand the same thing they are all class a chimneys. They are all tested to 2100 degrees for the same ammout of time. But any and all class a systems from liners to prefab chimneys say that the system needs to be fully inspected after a fire to check for damage. The stuff tested to 1700 degrees is not suitable for use with a wood stove.

 

[nola mike]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but what takes an hour to clean a chimney? It might take me 30 minutes to find the brushes, ladders, etc and do it. I'm cleaning straight shot SS liners, so maybe we're talking more elaborate setups? Want to make sure I'm not missing anything, but at least my setups are pretty straightforward.

 

[Squisher]

If that's directed at me. I pull into your yard say. Start the clock. I bring in drop sheets for the meet and greet and look things over. Go back out. Bring in vacuum. Go back out. Bring in tool bag, ash bucket. Now if I'm cleaning bottom up it's another trip in. Rods and whip head. Or I may be cleaning bottom down. Irregardless. Now it's time to set up cleaning. We'll say bottom up. Poly and removing baffle(huge variable in time here from stove to stove), do the physical clean bottom up on your straight shot. Clean up and down. To clean thoroughly and effectively and with full soot containment this can't be rushed and obviously variable on length. When my whip is through to the top I go back outside. Ladder or ladders off the truck and head up top with tools. Pull cap, clean cap and scrape. Look down the chimney to verify cleaning(high powered flashlight) and look for any defects. Check storm collar, flashings, etc.

Go back down and into house, clean my way down. Clean all the soot out of the stove. Vacuum out the entire appliance and inspect for defects, warping, cracks, etc. Pack all tools out, two to three trips, put ladders away, write up,invoice.

About 45min is the best I've ever done solo on a easy setup. There are endless variables. Tough roof, excessively dirty system, poorly designed system, long walks to /from stove, etc, etc.

Rushing is the best way to miss things or screw something up.

I rushed this post and already feel like I've left something out.

 

[Squisher]

Now if the homeowner is home and interested. Time adds up to discuss the proper operation of their appliance, temperature monitoring, wood storage and moisture levels. Etc, etc. Look at how much time we all spend here with our various questions.

 

[Hardtopseadan]

When I bought our house I tried 2 years in a row to try to find a chimney sweep I trusted. I am perfectly capable of cleaning my chimney but it's a 2 story house with a sketchy roof so I was wanting someone else to clean it every year.

Both times I had someone out, I went up and cleaned the chimney AFTER they left and before I had burned another fire.

Both times I got a lot of creosote, alot more then I felt I should of being that it was just cleaned that day.

Needless to say I clean my own chimney every year now.

I am sure there are great chimney sweeps, even some good ones on here.

I just did not have the chance of finding one in my area.

In everything important I do I follow the trust yet verify rule.

Doc C, I couldn't agree more , I also live in Bonner County and I clean my own. If you feel you need to go up and check you might as well take the brush and today.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[nola mike]

Wasn't meant to be snarky or anything. Wanted to see if I'm doing something wrong or missing something. Since I know my setups it goes quicker probably. One of them is a one story house, remove cap (never dirty enough to clean), remove baffle from stove, run brush top down. Setup 2 is 3 stories but flat roof and scuttle hole access. That one I disconnect the stove completely, duct tape a plastic bag to the end of the pipe, run brush, reconnect. Doing that one tomorrow, I'll time it. I'm sure regular cleaning makes the cleaning easier as well.

 

[Squisher]

No worries. When I clean for money as a certified sweep I am implying the system is safe to use unless otherwise noted on my receipt. So there is a onus on me to be very thorough and really look things over each time. So a bunch of my time is spent with flashlight and mirror and whatnot. Verifying the integrity of things and the effectiveness of my cleaning. Beyond that I have to ensure that there is no possibility of soot intrusion into the home or me getting grimey hands, marks on anything. I wear disposable vinyl gloves and probably go through 3-6 pairs a cleaning just to keep the soot only on the things it's supposed to be on and nowhere else. When I open the door or turn off the light switch when packing up I am not leaving a mark or a smudge. I always lean towards overkill. When cleaning topdown ill tape connecting pipe connections and cover the stove with a drop sheet. All different sort of things for different systems. Overkill for certain but I've never dusted a customers house and don't plan to.

My own three systems I can clean pretty quickly.

 

[Rearscreen]

Did you get a chimney status report in Feb. 2107?

Trust me, humans won't be around in that year, just a bunch of mutated living organisms trying to adapt to unstable atoms.