Out of one chimney. back down the next?

[Notmeguv]

Hi All,

I am not sure if this comes under the heading of building, or central heating, or what...

I have a Parkray solid fuel room-heater in the living room. Sad but true - we have no gas in our village... they wanted £1000 per house to install it 15 years ago so we all told them to stuff it...

Anyway... summer is fine, but when we have the fire in overnight we both wake up with awful headaches in the back of our necks...

Can the fumes from the Parkray be drawn back down the adjoining chimney into our bedroom? I wonder if we are getting carbon monoxide problems? (Getting a tester tomorrow - had forgotten about the problem over the summer...)

I bricked-up the fireplace which was in our bedroom, leaving a space the size of a brick to allow some ventilation as there is no airbrick in the room.

If so, how can we avoid this? I understand that sealing a chimney can lead to damp problems, but I don't hear of people dying of damp! Getting rusty, maybe...

We have double glazing throughout.

Regards,

NMG

 

[Nige F]

Recently 2 old dears died from CO poisoning in Tunbridge Wells ........solid fuel like yours and chimney hadn`t been swept I`d get the structure of the flue checked too and keep that bedroom window open

 

[Notmeguv]

Thanks Nige,

I swept the chimney last week!

You say "get the structure of the flue checked" - how?

NMG

 

[noseall]

although all fire places have independent flues the "midfellow" or dividing brickwork between flues can break down. resulting in a flue breach.

 

[Notmeguv]

Thanks, I understand...

So what do I need to do to get this sorted? Can I just cap the top of one of the stacks? No, I suppose not... Will I have to get the flue from the Parkray relined?

Sounds as if this could get expensive! Maybe not as expensive as a funeral?

NMG

 

[Darkrob_DIY]

Totally agree with noseall sounds like the midfeathers have failed and you will need to get the flue lined to prevent the gases going from one flue to another.

Rob Critchley

 

[Notmeguv]

Thanks all,

Bank overdraft coming up by the sound of it - I imagine this is not something I can do myself???... Serious question.

NMG

 

[Darkrob_DIY]

tbh no i dont think its something you could do ureself - but id consider it money well spent if it stops the flue leaking. Hope this is of some help to you !

 

[JohnD]

I'd say block up that opening in your bedroom chimneybreast, as well as buying your CO detector and putting the fire out before you go to bed.

After a bit of movement in an old house, there are lots of cracks in the brickwork, and they will be especially leaky in parts that aren't plastered and re-filled during decorating.

As you have a solid fuel fire I presume it can't have a flexible liner but there are various lightweight concrete systems. Your coal supplier or chimney sweep will probably know the local firms.

p.s. i don't know if UK Doctor's surgeries can do blood gas analysis - I've had it done in the US - they can detect how much oxygen and other things you have circulating by clipping a sort of plastic clothespeg on your finger no needle or incision. It might be worth being checked over. CO builds up in the blood and doesn't come out until you grow new blood cells to replace the poisoned ones, so you may be groggy and unsafe to drive.

 

[oilyboy]

I did a job a few years ago, the airbrick on the chimney breast was high up. The people said that there was a strange smell in the bedroom as well as them getting headaches. Turns out that the guys that fitted the airbrick had fitted it to the wrong flue and were venting the gas fire from downstairs into the bedroom.

 

[Notmeguv]

Hi Guys,

CO detectors were clear this morning although the fire was in... put one detector in the bedroom by the vent and one in the living-room next to the Parkray.

We'll give it a go for a few days and see what happens - I woke with a headache this morning but possibly Strongbow had something to do with that...

Good to see the clear results this morning, though...

NMG

 

[markthebuilder]

you can get flexibel flue liner must be stainless steel for solid fuels about £80 per m pluss fitting also flue can be lined with a sock and backfiled with light aggregate

dont rely on your co2 detectors wind direction /speed /humidiy can affect efficency of flue so you may not have a problem all the time
they will help to identifie cause of death though

 

[JohnD]

I very much hope you have blocked the hole into your bedroom.

 

[Steve]

I very much hope you have blocked the hole into your bedroom.

Why? Is there no point in venting an unused flue like this? I ask because I have a similar air vent in my bedroom, where a fireplace once stood, the chimney isn't used at all.

 

[noseall]

have you read ALL the posts on this topic crafty?