HELP...woodburning stove blowing smoke!

[Nelliebobs]

We have an art deco wood burning stove that began blowing smoke into the sitting room. I've contacted a HETAS professional who suggested we should get the chimney swept. I then spoke to a chimney sweep who said he couldn't sweep it as the flue is too narrow. What do I do??? Need some heat!

The flue is about 10 cm diameter, and is cemented to the back of the burner- horizontally. It then turns 90 degrees and goes up into the chimney space through a cut out in a plastered section in the fireplace roof.

Thanks,

Jo

 

[Burnerman]

It seems like your stove installer hasn't considered how the chimney could be swept when the flue pipes were fixed.
I come across this fairly frequently and often the only way is to sweep the chimney from above, and then get in there with a vacuum cleaner flexible hose to suck the soot out from within the wood burner - hardly ideal but not so much of an issue if its a single storey building....more so if its higher!
On occasion I've had to cut an inspection door into the flue pipe to get the brushes in there that way, but in your case it does sound difficult.
Presumably the flue has a liner - in which case a 4" wire mop is the thing to use with the flexible sweeping rods - again from above.
Another alternative is to actually remove the stove and the first length of flue pipe, and see if you can sweep things from there.
John

 

[Nelliebobs]

Thanks very much for your reply. We live in a two-storey house so the 'from above' option might be tricky. Do you know if removing the flue from the burner is an easy job, and is it expensive?

 

[big-all]

assuming the stove was fitted after the lining off the chimney it should be quite easy

 

[Burnerman]

For a horizontal flue outlet, there should actually be a collecting drum just below where the flue turns upwards - this is where the soot naturally collects.
If you are going to pull the stove out, support this pipe from falling with blocks of timber or brick, and support the pipe by hand when the stove is pulled out. It should disconnect from the flue easily, but there could be some fireclay cement in the join.
For reinstallation, I use cement again, followed by a wrap of special foil tape to keep things air tight.
I also install a door in the register plate (that seals off the chimney orifice, where the flue pipe pokes through) so I can get the vacuum in there.
John

 

[Nige F]

We have an art deco stove that began blowing smoke into the sitting room. The flue is about 10 cm diameter, and is cemented to the back of the burner- horizontally. It then turns 90 degrees and goes up into the chimney space through a cut out in a plastered section in the fireplace roof.

Jo

I`ve edited your statement because the bits left are a concern to me - Is the stove a genuine period Art Deco one - in which case it may not be suitable for woodburning- also the 100mm horizontal stub out the back makes me think it`s a old room heater which used to be placed against a fireplace and used to burn coal . The hole in the plastered section is a concern too , as Burnerman said , I would want to see a register plate with an inspection plate . And a capped T instead of the 90 degree elbow on the flue .Is the chimney actually lined ? Could you 1 Post a picture for us . 2 Get a Carbon Monoxide alarm in the room .