[DB]

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

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 :nice1

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 :nice1

Hope no more problems....

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

[Moorf]

:yes 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

:laugh we had opposite, we couldn't stop laughing! remember photo? ;)

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

[DB]

blame on stupid birds!! decide to nesting in the flue!!!!) so we had to swept again.....

Not birds - our sweep built a new top thing that has a grille on it that wouldn't disgrace Fort Knox, even the small aerobatic planes that buzz the skies of Oxford would have some difficulty getting through that :) Prior to the rebuild there was a chicken wire monstrosity, which did allow flighty things to visit us in the living room, much to the chagrin of the cat :D Though not when the fire was actually burning, you understand...

All has been quiet for a good while now, so I suspect it was just overheating... smoke detector is re-batteried and back on the ceiling, and is not complaining, the chimney is touchable. Going back down to DefCon 1.

Thanks all :)

[Moorf]

*peers out window* Blue skies and sunny here, so yes, will be cold!

Although, I notice my daffodils have poked green shoots up through along the hedgeline already!

[nippa&pippa]

*peers out window* Blue skies and sunny here, so yes, will be cold!

Although, I notice my daffodils have poked green shoots up through along the hedgeline already!

me too

fog is def coming as just climbing coming over my boundary now, lovely as won't be long before I can't see cows again....