Replies

1. 
   Piffin | Dec 12, 2005 03:31am | #1

   Let's stqaart with recognizing that nothing will be safe for a chimney until you learn to burn clean dry wood in a fire hot enough to avoid that kind of creosote buildup. Chimney fires come from creosote condensates that catch fire. It takes a fair amt to have a burn.

   So there is something contradictory in your report that it was freshly clean and that there was enough creosote to cause a chimney fire. The only other option is that the SS liner was not properly installed and there was a void in the grout that let a pocket of build up exist that the brushes by-passed. That means that yes, you need to rebuild.

   But listen up - I have burned wood for twenty some years and never had more than a small amt of soot and no creosote. In the hundreds of customers I have had in dealing with wood stoves, I have seen plenty who thought they were doing fine and still built way too much creosote, and others who could choke a flue in three months solid by ignoring all the good advice how to burn wood, harvest wood, store wood, etc.

   time for self examination, I'm thinking.

    

    

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1. 
   experienced | Dec 12, 2005 03:56am | #2

   Jeffrey:

   Have a certified chimney sweep/installer have a look at the liner. Find out if can they can do a camera inspection of the liner. This will give you some idea if the chmney liner was buckled by the fire or are there some other deficiencies in it. Don't burn till this is done.

   Gotta learn how to burn!!

   Edited 12/11/2005 7:57 pm ET by experienced

2. 
   Shaken_not_Stirred | Dec 12, 2005 04:12am | #3

   Jeff, What are you burning?  WOW taht is a fast build up of stuff.  Or do you have an ell in that pipe?  That can be a problem too.

1. 
   razzman | Dec 12, 2005 04:18am | #4

   Two-to-one odds it was a corrugated flex liner.

   ok, three-to-one. 

   'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity

3. 
   Jeffrey | Dec 12, 2005 06:02am | #5

   Hi Pif  and others

   Ok, Maybe it wasn't perfectly clean.

   I get the usual buildup at the bottom.

   I've been burning this stove for 20 years, so I thought I knew what I was doing.

   I only burn dry hardwood (maple, birch, cherry, apple, etc) with a little pine cutoffs to start.

   The liner was installed by a local certified chimney sweep (tho I don't think I trust him as much anymore) who I've known for 20 years.

   The liner is one of the currageted types and not perfectly smooth.

   The run is straight up with nothing in the way (no kinks I can see with a mirror.)

   I'll recheck it and have it cleaned by a sweep (a new one this time).

   I know that these air-tight stoves tend to build more creosote then an open fireplace.

   And we burn them not too hot which also helps to build up more creosote.

   I'm also thinking of having the stove rebuilt, as the gaskets may be dried out.

   Anyway, back to my question:

   If the pipe isn't kinked and intact, will the stainless be affected by the fire and safe to re-use.  Or does it burn out?

   My wife and I are thinking of just using it for a fireplace after this and not as a heater anymore, just to be safe.

   Also, I promise to keep the pipe cleaner from now on.

   Jeff

    

1. 
   bambam | Dec 12, 2005 06:26am | #6

   How hot did it get?

   Did the fire dept. use a Thermal Imager?

   Did they check the temp. before, or after they put out the fire?

   Did they check the flue, or the wall around the fireplace?

   Not too hot for a firefighter can still be very hot.

2. 
   experienced | Dec 12, 2005 07:01am | #7

   Wth a mild chminey fire, the liner shouldn't be damaged. It sounds like it did what it was supposed to do- keep the house safe and keep the fire in the liner.  But still get it checked out.