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

Re: Bittersweet
 

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/

Re: Bittersweet
 

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

Re: Bittersweet
 

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

Re: Bittersweet
 

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. :) )

Re: Bittersweet
 

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?

Re: Bittersweet
 

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.

Re: Bittersweet
 

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.

Re: Bittersweet
 

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.

Re: Bittersweet
 

Will do...

Thanks....