How can you tell b4 fire decides?
So, here’s the thing. I heat my home primarily with wood – have a high efficiency stove and a stainless steel flue (about 25′ high). I clean the thing regularly and never get more than one or two cupfuls of ash/creosote. Stove almost always runs a flue temp of 400 – 500 degrees with the occasional “run-up” to 1000 or so. Stove manufacturer (Pacific) sez no problem with the heat. Well, it’s been used every winter for 11 years now and other than replacing the fire bricks in the stove a couple of years ago, there’s been no problem. I draw the heat off the stove using a fan enclosure and circulate the air through the house using the furnace fan, which runs 24/7. I burn clean, seasoned maple and ash and use pine as fire starter.
The question (finally) is how would a guy know if the flue is failing and may create a potential fire? I always dangle a work light down the flue after it’s been cleaned and the soot has settled, but you can only see a couple of feet. After that, it’s black as pitch. Has anyone that burns wood found a method to check things out? It seems kinda nuts to leave it to chance. Thanks, fellas!
Cheers!
Ken
Replies
Some chimney sweeps will have the fibre optic camera and slip that "cable" up and view the liners.
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Interesting question.
The camera idea is likely the best. Some plumbers have a similar system. Being as that they are not in the flue cleaning or repair business perhaps you could schmooze your way into borrowing one of those units. They aren't cheap and having the feed line sliced up on the top of a sheet metal flue would make your name slightly better than Mudd. But who knows they might go for it.
The camera's a great idea, but what would I be looking for? Given the resolution of a camera and the fact that you're dangling a camera, rather than pulling it through a drain, wouldn't it be hard to get a discernible image? And what would you see, if there was a defect? A thinning of the liner, a separation at a joint? I mean, when you get right down it, it seems to kinda nuts to leave something like this to chance, right?
I guess I'll call a chimney sweep and ask 'em what they'll do, but I'll bet you ten bucks that if they were to miss something, somehow or other they wouldn't be liable for it. Anyway, lots of folks burn with wood and it's sort of been a "burning" question (sorry, couldn't help it) for me. I'll let you know what I find out. Thanks again.
Cheers!
Ken"They don't build 'em like they used to" And as my Dad always added... "Thank God!"
the seams should be welded and sronger than the metal itself.High heat will fatigue the metal. I have replaced several that had experienced chimney fires. The chimney and the house had escaped damage from the fire, but the heat developed in such a contained torch fatiques the stainless steel. Once this happens, the warrantee is no longer in effect. ANY indication of wrinkling in the surface of the metal is the most common sign of what canbe seen in situ. I'm sure a labratory could do more testing but they doin't make chimney calls like Santa Claus does
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I'd call the Fire Department and see if they inpect them. If they don't seems like they'd know who does.
What's the inside diameter of the flue? Is it all vertical? Maybe dangle a small consumer camcorder on the end of a tape measure, announcing the distance and direction down to the microphone, then play back the tape. Of course you'd need a light on the rig, too.
-- J.S.
11 yrs at average 400+..? hmmm. I think you MAY have reached the designed life span. My single wall black pipe in the heated envelope burns hot enough to stay clean, but I have no qualms about 2 yr replacement.
SS should last longer, but them jumps up to 900 or so can really do some damage.
expensive as hell, but I think I'd be thinking of replaceing it.