How do you know if your chimney is on fire?

[DB]

Have just got the log burner burning better than ever before and it has set off one of the smoke alarms

We have checked the house and nothing appears to be burning, there is a 'hot' smell and the fire plus chimney are extremely hot, we put the fire on low burn and the chimney is making strange cracking noises. The chimney was swept a month ago and we haven't been burning wet wood. Don't want to get the fire service as it's not an emergency, but wondered how we would know it was on fire, we have a two storey house so the chimney goes right up through the lounge ceiling and into a cupboard in the bedroom and then outside up the side of the house, there is just minimal smoke coming out now.

[nippa&pippa]

any smokes coming out of flues inside the house?
what type of woods are you using? is that woods are new/just brought?
Is your first times to use it since chimney swept?

[Moorf]

We had the same happen and called the fire service out - it was night and we could see hot sparks coming out of the chimney.

It sounds like you have a flue fire - damp down the fire, shut the door to starve it of oxygen - is the crackling noise still going?

What you don't want to happen is the flue outer getting so hot that it starts to affect the surrounding supports and the integrity of the flue...

If you've had the door open to get the fire going (you say you've got it going better than ever before?) then that could well have got any clag in the chimney smouldering;...

[Moorf]

Just noticed you'd posted your query half an hour ago - you all sorted now?

[DB]

No smoke in the house, just a very 'hot' smell, and no we've been using the same wood, old man pine/macro mix for about 4 weeks now, prior to that it was possibly not quite dry blue gum which did cause a lot of build up so that is why we had the chimney swept, sweep said it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

The log burner is temperamental (or we are just rubbish at getting the fire going!) This winter has been the best fire wise for us as we've been able to keep it in all night using the blue gum, now we have different wood it doesn't stay lit all night anymore, but it's not so cold now so not a problem.

The fire at the moment is burning quite fast and hot with the door shut and the damper lever on to slow burn. We are a bit unsure as to whether or not we should get it burning on the normal damper setting.

Thanks for your concern and help, so far it seems ok, but suppose we should turn it up again and see if it does it again.

[nippa&pippa]

just we had similar problem, even been swept a month or so earlier and turn out the chimney was blocked (blame on stupid birds!! decide to nesting in the flue!!!!) so we had to swept again.....

Also as you just mention, your bluegum is dry than usual...that might be cause as more effective than damp bluegum - less smoke, more heat and lovely crackling noise and logburner groaned as metal expand due to high heat, sound familiar?

[Moorf]

Thanks for update - was listening out for the Oxford fire service!!

Woz is a whizz with woodburners if you want him to take a look sometime

Hope no more problems....

[nippa&pippa]

Thanks for update - was listening out for the Oxford fire service!!

Woz is a whizz with woodburners if you want him to take a look sometime

Hope no more problems....

never got around to ask you helen, did you manage to swept chimney by yourself?

[Moorf]

Yep, did both of them - surprisingly easy after we stopped throttling each other, and better than relying on someone else!!

Brushes were cheap, too.

[nippa&pippa]

surprisingly easy after we stopped throttling each other

we had opposite, we couldn't stop laughing! remember photo?

BTW thick foggy coming from bank pennisula...cold night tonight?