Have any house fires been known to have been caused by properly installed, but not properly cleaned, UL 103HT stainless chimney systems?
house fires from class A chimney
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Yep. Although it was a chimney fire that extended to the roof and soffit, and then into the attic. A passerby called it in, and the homeowners had no clue until we showed up.
Only one I remember in 20 years of fires. The rest were old masonry or hack jobs.
Only one I remember in 20 years of fires. The rest were old masonry or hack jobs.
If there have been, as described they have not been caused by the class A chimney at all, but by owner neglect. There are lots of examples of owner issues. Every year we hear of fatal accidents where someone has placed a bucket of hot coals fresh from the stove or fireplace on leaves or a wooden porch. This is not exclusive to wood burning by any means. Never replace the brake shoes and there will eventually be an accident. Maintenance and safe practices are part of the responsibility of wood burning.
I would say it would usually start on the roof from burning sreosote coming out the top and catching the roof on fire. But that is a guess that type of fire is uncommon but it can happen
Like begreen said it would not be caused by the class a in most cases i am sure there have been failures in class a chimneys through the years but it is not something common at all.
So in that case ICC Excel could not have prevented the house fire. Does everyone else agree that these fires always start on the roof and not below?
I never said always if it is not maintained properly lots of bad stuff can happen and who knows what could happen if it was installed properly the chances are slim but no one can say never
A fire can start elsewhere if the pipe is not installed correctly or if there is a failure. We had a local house fire that started because the careless carpenter/homeowner never cleaned out sawdust shavings left in the ceiling support box. Took out about a third of the attic and roof when the same person then ran an old smoke dragon always smoldering and had a major chimney fire. No one was in the house at the time, they were working in their garden, so the chimney fire had a chance to really rage. Again, not the pipe, it's a person that caused the fire.
Towards the top where the gases cool the most is where you will get a good amount of buildup, even with an insulated liner I find buildup the most at the top.
How would anyone here know the definitive answer to that question? Rick
BCC_Burner
Feeling the Heat
You're not the first to ask. I do think like an engineer, but there was no engineering school where I went to college. So I majored in math instead.
I gotta confess my feeling that burning anything for heat is messy, risky and undesirable in a lot of ways. I sort of just think I should stick with heat pumps forever. Somebody tell me I'm wrong and why.
I gotta confess my feeling that burning anything for heat is messy, risky and undesirable in a lot of ways. I sort of just think I should stick with heat pumps forever. Somebody tell me I'm wrong and why.
When we got our insert I was pretty excited and a little bit nervous. The idea of burning a fire in our living room which would keep us warm and was fueled by a renewable resource was very appealing. After one week learning the stove and how the fire responded to the air control, my nervousness subsided and I was and am thoroughly enjoying the heat. However, in your case I sense very little excitement.and a lot of nervousness. Maybe a stove is just not for you. There rarely are "one size fits all" solutions and in case of home heating a heatpump is a great alternative. Do what you feel comfortable with, not what someone else says you should do.
We're not really invested in trying to sell you on heating with solid fuels. Keep yourself warm in winter any way you choose and are comfortable with. The answer to your very first question is no. Chimney fires happen in chimneys no matter what they're made of. Yes, they happen because the chimney (of whatever material) was not properly maintained (cleaned). A chimney fire can lead to a house fire, either by expelling burning material out onto a combustible roof, or by igniting materials inside the structure in proximity to the chimney. A properly installed Class A chimney system minimizes the chances of the latter, but even the best chimney money can buy doesn't protect against failure to do the proper maintenance. An improperly installed chimney or one of unapproved materials is just a house fire waiting to happen. Rick
Yes, at this time of year I love our heat pump. I'm in no hurry to burn wood. I wait for it to get steadily below 45F before lighting up. It will be cold soon enough. Talked our neighbor into getting a mini-split system and they love it so much that they stopped using the stove 24/7. In your area a mini-split system makes good sense. When the climate is mild and electric costs are reasonable it's hard to beat the most modern heat pumps for efficiency. The Japanese have really raised the bar here.
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