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Fireplace / Chimney Question
The other week I had a fire going in my family room fireplace. Shortly
after starting the fire, I noticed the smoke was backing up in the chimney - and the whole downstairs was quickly flooded with smoke. This is the second time in a year this has happened. After the 1st time, we suspected it might be a negative pressure situation, so I have been sure to crack a nearby window every time I start a fire ... guess that doesn't help. I decided to have a CSIA certified chimeny sweep come out to clean the chimney and inspect the chimney for safety. He offered to install two caps on my chimney (on the fireplace and furnace crowns), which I had him do. He though the smoke backup was probably caused by blowing winds, and said the caps may help that problem. He gauged the clearance and height of the chimney, and said it was up to code and that probably wasn't the cause of the smoke backup. Now here's the real issue: During the course of the inspection, he noted that the crown on the chimney was crumbling (which I knew about already). He also noted that there were gaps between the chimney flue and the firebox, where the box narrows into the chimney. The gaps are not holes, but it's clear there is some masonry which is either rough, or crumbling. The chimney sweep (also a fireman for a local FD) made it sound as if this was a potentially severe problem, and recommended that I not use the fireplace until getting it fixed. Of course, he had a solution ready to go: to use some product called "Smoketite" to seal the gaps. Cost $500. I hate getting inspections and repairs from the same people, as the potential for abuse and fraud is too great. Does anyone know if this truly is a problem or, better yet, if the repair he's suggesting is worth the $500. Being the holidays, cash is very tight ... but I really enjoy my fires this time of year. Any insight appreciated ! |
Guess I wasn't aware of all of these problems before but, yes, I would
very much prefer to burn wood (call me traditional). With the few fires I build per year (10 or so), I enjoy the ambience of the wood much more. I'd rather just seal the fireplace up as opposed to burning a "fake" fire. |
"elvindeath" wrote in message
ups.com... Guess I wasn't aware of all of these problems before but, yes, I would very much prefer to burn wood (call me traditional). With the few fires I build per year (10 or so), I enjoy the ambience of the wood much more. I'd rather just seal the fireplace up as opposed to burning a "fake" fire. Good for you. People toss around factoids on the Internet with no substantiation all the time. You simply can't alter your life for each of these claims. Enjoy your wood fire. |
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"Karl" wrote: "elvindeath" wrote in message ups.com... Guess I wasn't aware of all of these problems before but, yes, I would very much prefer to burn wood (call me traditional). With the few fires I build per year (10 or so), I enjoy the ambience of the wood much more. I'd rather just seal the fireplace up as opposed to burning a "fake" fire. Good for you. People toss around factoids on the Internet with no substantiation all the time. You simply can't alter your life for each of these claims. Enjoy your wood fire. When you know something does real damage to your body and others, wouldn't you be insane not to make an adjustment? Have you never seen the effects of acid rain in the mountains in places like Pennsylvania, or seen a person with breathing problems struggle to catch his/her next breath? We only have one atmosphere on this planet, and if we mess it up, we are out of options. The air is something that we should take care of above all else since everyone has to breath to live. That is why people should not use cheap 2-stroke lawn mowers and why charcoal fires should be banned in favor of gas. -john- -- ================================================== ==================== John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708 Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com ================================================== ==================== |
In article . com,
"elvindeath" wrote: Guess I wasn't aware of all of these problems before but, yes, I would very much prefer to burn wood (call me traditional). With the few fires I build per year (10 or so), I enjoy the ambience of the wood much more. I'd rather just seal the fireplace up as opposed to burning a "fake" fire. I can assure you that there is nothing fake about a gas fire. If you don't agree, just put you hand in one, and see how long you can hold it there. You will find that you get burned just as badly from gas as from wood. Add in the fact that gas is not stinky like wood, gas does not have random bubbles that splatter pitch into your room, nor does gas have cinders that start forest fires, nor does it burn your house down from accumulation of pitch in the chimney, nor does gas leave a lot of embers to clean up, or smoke to damage your living room. What it does give is a nice pretty fire that starts quickly, gives off heat much more efficiently, and burns cheaply. If you think a gas fireplace is not pretty, then you haven't seen the modern ones. They look just like wood burning. Go check one out, not that you have to buy one, but to get up to date on what the options are. -john- -- ================================================== ==================== John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708 Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com ================================================== ==================== |
John A. Weeks III ) wrote:
: If you think a gas fireplace is not pretty, then you haven't : seen the modern ones. They look just like wood burning. : Go check one out, not that you have to buy one, but to get : up to date on what the options are. So, can I select the logs to fit together with just the right gaps for a good draw, watch them as they settle, add wood as the logs burn into embers, and have the satisfaction of building a "one match" fire from the assortment of wood and kindling available? Can I teach children how to build a fire, the way I was taught when I was a child? For me, a gas fire is just as pretty as a wood fire, in the way that watching a video of people walking through the woods is just as satisfying as going back-packing. It may look the same, but you aren't *doing* anything. You just turn it on. Now, I agree with you that wood fireplaces pollute, and so we should give them up because it's a skill that's no longer necessary or feasible in today's world. But please don't say that a gas fireplace is just as pretty as a wood fireplace; it just indicates that you don't understand the real enjoyment that people get out of building a fire, and keeping these old skills alive. For me, I'd rather limit myself to one fire a year, than get a gas fireplace and never be able to build a fire. --- Chip |
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John A. Weeks III wrote: When you know something does real damage to your body and others, wouldn't you be insane not to make an adjustment? Have you never seen the effects of acid rain in the mountains in places like Pennsylvania, or seen a person with breathing problems struggle to catch his/her next breath? We only have one atmosphere on this planet, and if we mess it up, we are out of options. The air is something that we should take care of above all else since everyone has to breath to live. That is why people should not use cheap 2-stroke lawn mowers and why charcoal fires should be banned in favor of gas. With all due apologies, you are just a bit extreme. Dimitri |
John, knock it off !!!!!!!!!! It is NONE of your business that the poster wants to use his fireplace ! Give him a break, he just asked a question about the integrity of his fireplace. He did not ask for lectures from an environmental socialist nut who likes to tell others how to use THEIR property !! We have enough Al Gores in this world. These whackos of the world can always find a way to tell us how to run our lives, and how to use our property. Just where do you get this crap, from France ????? To the original poster........... did this smoke start just after building a fire, or sometime later ? --James-- |
Hi James and thanks for focusing on the question asked. While I do
appreciate the random "discussions" that erupt among interesting people of all viewpoints on the internet, there is indeed a question on the table regarding fireplace safety and the need (or efficacy) of sealing the "rough" patch of mortar in the firebox. In answer to your query, the smoke blew out shortly (1 - 3 minutes) after lighting the fire. The fire was lit after "heating'" the flue by burning approximately 5 rolled newspapers and holding them above the prepared fire. Not to "fan the flames" so to speak, but as far as the environmental concerns voiced regarding lighting a fire, I'm sure any gaseous emissions from the 5-10 small fires I build a year is a pittance in the grand scheme of things compared to the enormous forest fires which erupt in California (and other western states) on a bi-annual basis thanks primarily to their environmentally unsound practice of banning logging, resulting in overgrown forests which fuel uncontrollable burns. Yes, its true - wood fires are "unnecessary". So too are gas fires. Or artifical incense. Or Christmas trees. Or driving our cars. Or wasting energy and natural resources constructing snow boards. Or using animal hides to make leather belts and shoes. Or a million other things. If I was interested in debating that, I would have posted the message to alt.altruistic.babble - not misc.consumers.house. |
Yes, yes, agreed with all your comments. On the "safety" issues, my recommendation is to get a 2nd opinion from a fireplace expert. But, I suspect the smoke still may be the result of your chimney flue not being fully warmed yet. Until the flue is fully warmed, it will not draw efficiently, and may smoke. I am **very** doubtful that burning the newspapers would be enough to warm the flue enough for a good draft. You might want to try this: Light a fire........... if it starts smoking, try to open a window (or door) near the fireplace, to allow for more air filtration. The smoke should go away as soon as the fireplace is fed enough oxygen. After about 5-10 minutes of a strong burn, close the door or window. You may have to experiment with the times , and how much to open the window, but I think that if you will allow your flue to fully warm, your smoke problem may just go up in smoke........... hee hee heee heeee.. Good Luck, and let us know !!!! --James--- |
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(Charles H. Buchholtz) wrote: John A. Weeks III ) wrote: : If you think a gas fireplace is not pretty, then you haven't : seen the modern ones. They look just like wood burning. : Go check one out, not that you have to buy one, but to get : up to date on what the options are. So, can I select the logs to fit together with just the right gaps for a good draw, watch them as they settle, add wood as the logs burn into embers, and have the satisfaction of building a "one match" fire from the assortment of wood and kindling available? Can I teach children how to build a fire, the way I was taught when I was a child? I was taught how to milk a cow and shovel pig **** when I was a kid. That doesn't mean that we have to maintain those facilities in our houses. You can still go outside or head to a campground and teach your kids to build a fire. The bottom line is that wood fireplaces cause a quarter million fires each year and kills hundreds of people, representing about 25% of all residential fire damage. The sad thing is that it is totally avoidable--just don't light a wood fire in your house. It can and does kill a lot of people. -john- -- ================================================== ==================== John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708 Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com ================================================== ==================== |
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John A. Weeks III wrote: I was taught how to milk a cow and shovel pig **** when I was a kid. That doesn't mean that we have to maintain those facilities in our houses. You can still go outside or head to a campground and teach your kids to build a fire. The bottom line is that wood fireplaces cause a quarter million fires each year and kills hundreds of people, representing about 25% of all residential fire damage. The sad thing is that it is totally avoidable--just don't light a wood fire in your house. It can and does kill a lot of people. So do Christmas trees and swimming pools. We are going to live in fear of our fireplaces?! Dimitri |
"D. Gerasimatos" wrote: With all due apologies, you are just a bit extreme. Dimitri I don't think he is at all. You think of the 100 or so years cars, plains and other fossil fueled transport/eletricity companies have been running and the damage caused in that relatively short time! |
"John A. Weeks III" writes:
The bottom line is that wood fireplaces cause a quarter million fires each year and kills hundreds of people, representing about 25% of all residential fire damage. Can you document these statistics? The report that I found on the US Fire Administration Web site does not seem to support them, although for some reason some of the figures are missing from the report so it's hard to draw any hard and fast conclusions from it. The sad thing is that it is totally avoidable--just don't light a wood fire in your house. Or make your fireplace safe and follow fire safety rules! |
Geezer From The Freezer writes:
"D. Gerasimatos" wrote: With all due apologies, you are just a bit extreme. Dimitri I don't think he is at all. You think of the 100 or so years cars, plains and other fossil fueled transport/eletricity companies have been running and the damage caused in that relatively short time! You're proving the other guy's point. The sources of pollution you mention create, literally, many orders of magnitude more pollution than house fires. All the house fires in the world don't cause a noticeable increase in world pollution. |
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