Bittersweet
 

Every year my company inadvertently benefits from tragic, and often preventable structural fires. Following a "believed to be" fireplace/chimney fire yesterday which resulted in a total loss, I did two media interviews and was on the front page of our Lake paper promoting hearth safety. Tomorrow I have an interview with the Lake of the Ozarks Business Journal with stated intention to be the featured business in January 2009.

While these media plugs are a welcome boost, they are bittersweet in that they are achieved through a tragedy of a third party.

Thankfully, no one was injured in this one. It is not always that way...
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z...Lakesunpic.jpg

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Those of you that use your hearths, please service them or have them serviced. You can see online tutorials at the Chimney Saftey Institute http://www.csia.org/

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Good for you for promoting fireplace safety, Steve. Walt thanks you! He has spent far too many holidays and middle of the nights fighting fires that could have been prevented if the people had just some preventive medicine before the fire happened.

Folks, if you have a fireplace in your home, give heed to our friendly neighborhood chimney sweep. Hire your local chimney sweep!! :christmasfire

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Oh, how sad. Yes, it would be bittersweet, Stephen!

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I had my chimney swept & serviced this year.

I thought the flue was stopped up on the horizontal section leading to the firebox because smoke was getting into the house when we open both doors but no go.

I have sealed around the firebox where it meets the old fireplace entrance with firestop insulating foam... little better... still getting smoke in the house.

*sigh* Fun in the sun. LOL

My nest step is to check the seal on the clean out box on the back side.

I am losing draft somewhere....

(And... yes... This is a shameful attempt to trick Stephen into sharing a few gratis words of wisdom. :) )

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LOL! We can try!

Is this a masonry Fireplace/Chimney or a factory-built prefabricated fireplace/chimney?

Is there a wood burning stove inserted into the opening?

When exactly does it smoke, and is it visible when it leaks or just irritable to the eyes?

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It is a brick fireplace that was built by the previous owners daughters boyfriend. LOL In other words... not a factory built prefab.

There is a very heavy insert that was installed by the previous owners as well.

Here is a pic if it helps. (This picture was from the day we bought the house and there have been improvements.... the first of which were to take down those curtains. LOL... My wife would strangle me if she knew I posted this picture as representative of our house. :) )
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...eFireplace.jpg

If one is building a fire or adding wood and open one of the 2 doors things are generally okay. If one opens both doors you can smell smoke almost immediately and can generally see it rolling in. Not a huge amount... but enough to take my breath away.

The chimney guy told me that the flue does not go all the way to the top of the chimney. I think it goes 5 or 6 feet up from the firebox and then ends in the fireplace. In case that matters.

This is why I was trying to seal around the insert so that I can narrow down the number of areas that the draft can be drawn from.

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D4T, I see what you have.

Please go here and read http://www.woodheat.org/technology/inserts.htm

Please note the statement "Direct connects are still permitted in the United States" is not very accurate, since there are many restrictions on size and placement of the fireplace itself.

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The flow and draft would be increased if a liner was installed for the proper sizing to the flue exhaust collar. Also it would greatly decrease the flammability of the creosote/soot deposits and make servicing easier and less expensive.

Many jurisdictions forbid installations such as the one you have. While the older installations in my area are grandfathered in, most have been updated with new units/liners or they have had flue fires, and subsequently been fully lined to repair the resulting cracked/broken tile damage.

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Will do...

Thanks....

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OK folks! Grab a BUDWEISER and check out this feature in Lake of the Ozarks Business Journal (about me).

Go to the site then click on "Current Issue" and see page 18 and 19 (you will understand the beer comment when you get there!)

http://www.lakebusjournal.com/

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We clean ours at lest three times a year over the winter months, some times more.

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Don´t think I will need one in northeast Brazil!

Stephen, that sure was kind of you to put this on the forum...

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That's a great, comprehensive story! It's a keeper! I'd get permission to republish that and hand it out to potential clients.

Here in south-central Arizona, we really don't need fireplaces. Some people have 'em, but they're more for decoration than for real use.

:tumbleweed

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decoration ...lol....

I think I will send a hammock to Ron for decoration! My husband at this moment is swinging on our hammock on the porch...it is so hot here...

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I have gas logs so I enjoy the fireplace without the hassel. :)

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Does burning a Chimney Sweeping Log help at all?

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Steve,

I do a Safety Minute with my entire team every morning, and we mostly discuss construction safety, but from time to time I throw in a personal safety minute, such as Christmas tree and light safety, etc.

I'm going to use this as my Safety minute on Monday - thanks!

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Sheesh, Hoover, aren't you famous enough already? :winkgrin

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Hey they could call if Fire Swap!....:donuts:donuts

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LOL!

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That's great Michael. Did you go to the Business Journal and read that story?

I would like to get a direct link to the story... but can't seem to do that.

Go to the site then click on "Current Issue" and see page 18 and 19.

http://www.lakebusjournal.com/

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Hmmmm... INfamous perhaps! :)

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How about Soot Swap? I'ts a sooty business - that's for sure!

:)

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Yep. Soot happens.


:toofunny

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Thank You! I just may do that.

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God is good. Nothing like free advertising. Yesterday, I two clients that specifically stated they called because of this article. Also, had two others earlier in the week. One was in a two million $ home. The owner showed me his "hobby" of stained glass work. Some of his pieces are valued at $1,6000. I am going to try to have a display in our theater art gallery when we have an event or concert.