Small chimney fire/smoke alarm went off no smoke?

[Jotel me this]

All of this happened in a matter of seconds..
Loaded the stove in the morning from coals, wood caught, burning well, I heard a small roar in the chimney about 2 feet up from the top of the stove (Jøtul F 55 Carrabassett ).
I closed the damper slightly and the smoke alarm went off. First thing I thought was 'chimney fire'.
Sometimes when we go to get the fire started from coals, we use bellows which creates smoke in the room, and the alarm has never gone off.
The room (600sqft) now smells of a tinny, hot burned smokey smell. Windows opened to air out the smell.

How could the smoke alarm go off if I didnt even see any smoke, and any smoke there might have been was much less than other times

Plus, the door was never even opened to let smoke out.
I checked in the attic and everything is fine.
Why would there be that smell in the air? Why/how did the smoke alarm go off? And it went off in less than a second after I heard the roar. The alarm is located 13 feet down the hall and 12 feet up the wall.
Confused as to what happened here.

Smoke alarm: Kiddie Ionization Smoke Alarm Installed 2018
It wasnt the CO alarm because that has a different beep to it.

 

[Ludlow]

2 feet up would be the connector pipe? Take it off and have a ganders at it. Easy.

Just because you may have caught fire in the connector doesnt mean the chimney was on fire nor that it was damaged. Just have a look. If the connector was on fire it certainly would give that burning metal smell in the room. Smoke detectors dont require dank visible smoke to set off. Burning the paint off a pipe will do it.

 

[begreen]

Yes, sounds like the stovepipe paint got smoking a bit. Does it look discolored or greyer toward the top of the stovepipe?

 

[Jotel me this]

Ill take a gander and report back

 

[Jotel me this]

2 feet up would be the connector pipe? Take it off and have a ganders at it. Easy.

Just because you may have caught fire in the connector doesnt mean the chimney was on fire nor that it was damaged. Just have a look. If the connector was on fire it certainly would give that burning metal smell in the room. Smoke detectors dont require dank visible smoke to set off. Burning the paint off a pipe will do it.

By connector.. do you mean the telescoping chimney pipe?................Any place in the pic?

 

[Jotel me this]

Yes, sounds like the stovepipe paint got smoking a bit. Does it look discolored or greyer toward the top of the stovepipe?

I checked and dont see any discoloration
I highly doubt this, but is it possible there was something weird in the wood? Like a nail or who knows what? IDK...sometimes I try to convince myself it was nothing. Ill go back up in the attic to look. Appreciate it!

 

[begreen]

Might just have reached the bake in temp for the paint, but not enough to damage it.

 

[firefighterjake]

All of this happened in a matter of seconds..
Loaded the stove in the morning from coals, wood caught, burning well, I heard a small roar in the chimney about 2 feet up from the top of the stove (Jøtul F 55 Carrabassett ).
I closed the damper slightly and the smoke alarm went off. First thing I thought was 'chimney fire'.
Sometimes when we go to get the fire started from coals, we use bellows which creates smoke in the room, and the alarm has never gone off.
The room (600sqft) now smells of a tinny, hot burned smokey smell. Windows opened to air out the smell.

How could the smoke alarm go off if I didnt even see any smoke, and any smoke there might have been was much less than other times

Plus, the door was never even opened to let smoke out.
I checked in the attic and everything is fine.
Why would there be that smell in the air? Why/how did the smoke alarm go off? And it went off in less than a second after I heard the roar. The alarm is located 13 feet down the hall and 12 feet up the wall.
Confused as to what happened here.

Smoke alarm: Kiddie Ionization Smoke Alarm Installed 2018
It wasnt the CO alarm because that has a different beep to it.

As others have said . . . most likely you reached a newer, higher temp that baked off some paint which set off the smoke detector. Ionization detectors are good, but they can be fooled by certain substances . . . smoke molecules of course will set them off . . . as will steam, dust and other substances.

 

[Grizzerbear]

As others have said . . . most likely you reached a newer, higher temp that baked off some paint which set off the smoke detector. Ionization detectors are good, but they can be fooled by certain substances . . . smoke molecules of course will set them off . . . as will steam, dust and other substances.

I agree with others as well. My toaster makes my kitchen smoke alarm go off often. Drives me nuts but i guess it is doin its job lol. They are sensitive.

 

[Jackfre]

When ever you have a smoke alarm question, back it up with another smoke alarm. Short money for confidence!