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CH(Upstate,NY) 10-26-2009 15:06:07 64.46.248.203 250735 Report to Moderator	My Heartland cookstove started smoking this weekend. The flue comes out of the stove, takes a 90 through a tile thimble to the outdoors, into double wall flue, takes a 90, goes at a 45 degree angle for 6 " to my masonry chimney. There"s a solid plug in the flue tile in the masonry chimney. Any ideas on an easy way to remove it and get the flue clean? I"m replacing the double wall, it"s 20 yrs. old. [Reply]   [No Email]
Tony Vidlak Sr. 10-28-2009 18:10:29 98.179.31.210 250956 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:06:07   I've been heating my house for the last 23 years with wood.I had my wood stove piped into an existing masonry chimney,I had to clean the chimney twice a year faithfully.Six years ago I installed a stainless steel liner in my masonry chimney.It gave my stove a much better draw and this makes it burn alot cleaner.I've had to clean my chimney once in the past six years.I inspect it every year to make sure its safe.It was expensive $25.00 a foot but in my opinion well worth it.   [Reply]   [No Email]
El Toro 10-28-2009 04:12:35 74.103.74.58 250893 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:06:07   I've had creosote fires crack the flue liner. Sounded like a freight train. It cracked the flue liner. My homeowners paid for it and I had a Superflue installed back in 1993. They removed all the flue liners and dropped a long inner tube device down the chimney and applied air pressure. Then they poured light weight mortar down the chimney and let it set overnight. They removed the inner tube the following day. There's no mortar joints for creosote to escape and catch fire. It has caught fire several times since. but no cracks with superflue. Hal   [Reply]   [No Email]
PJH 10-27-2009 06:41:19 71.171.202.181 250797 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:06:07   Outside chimneys seem to creosote up much worse than a chimney built inside the building. The inside chimneys always seem to choke right where the chimney goes through the roof. Creosote doesn't form as bad on a hot chimney surface. I used a 12" long piece of 6" I-beam to clean mine. Had a loop welded to the top center to tie to. About once a month would do it. Be sure to remove the scrapin's from the cleanout - they'll burn hot if they ever get lit. Every piece of the exhaust should be looked at suspiciously, and often. You should be equipped to seal off ALL of the intake air in case of a chimney fire. Don't overlook the cleanout door - I've seen lots of them that were loose fitting and would be a nightmare in a chimney fire. My experience. . . Cautious Paul   [Reply]   [No Email]
Showcrop 10-27-2009 04:44:16 75.67.231.80 250792 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:06:07   I always pass on what our longtime fire chief used to tell people. "you need to have a friendly chimney fire everyday." If you stoke it up with newspaper every morning enough so that the fire carries up into the flue, you will burn out the night's creosote accumulation and that small amount won't get hot enough to cause a problem. Your flue will be kept clean. You can plug up a clean chimney in 48 hours of slow burning.   [Reply]   [No Email]
TGIN 10-27-2009 04:26:14 4.224.66.111 250790 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:06:07   Pokin , prodin and jabin . I had to cut a hole in a chimney one time to get the plug out then put in a cleanout door there . Always clean your chimney at the end of season in the spring because the creasote will flake off and fall and catch on other build up during the summer and plug it tight . Thats what happened to me .   [Reply]   [No Email]
buickanddeere 10-26-2009 17:52:59 216.183.152.225 250757 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:06:07   Could be a failure of the chimney liner. A simple poking may not do this time.   [Reply]   [No Email]
ScottyHOMEy 10-26-2009 17:51:40 64.222.203.18 250754 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:06:07   I assume it didn't smoke any last year or before. I'm havin' a hard time picturin' the hookup to the masonry chimney, but will figure there's two 45s after the 90 so that it goes straight in the side. If all that's right or something like it, you need to get that masonry chimney cleaned and checked out by a pro. Cookstove smoke ain't that hot especially if you're runnin' a flue damper. But they're awful drafty anyway, even if the firebox is jumpin up and down full of alderwood to brown your biscuits, and the smoke is not that hot. Add that to having it piped through outdoor air before it gets to the masonry chimney . . . My bet is that you've had a lot of soft, uncharred creosote buildup in that masonry chimney and it's washing down and building that plug. The water could be from lack of a rain cap on the flue, or could be coming in though the masonry. Have a pro check it out. If you can even get enough of a draft going to build a fire in the stove, you're about ten minutes burn away from a chimney fire.   [Reply]   [No Email]
redtom 10-26-2009 17:46:59 97.84.166.76 250752 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:06:07   I clean my own usually 3 times a heating season. Go on roof and ram the brush down. 8 x 8 clay tile flue and I've had it as small a my wrist with creosote. The downfall is my clean out door is in the basement so all the soot has go down there. Mine comes straight up from basement but only fowls where it passes through the cold attic. Why couldn't you brush yours out from top.   [Reply]   [No Email]
Dusty MI 10-27-2009 06:03:21 68.255.61.106 250795 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to redtom, 10-26-2009 17:46:59   Assuming this is a masonry chimney, you could wrap some insulation around the chimney in the attic to help keep it warm. A manufactory chimney, triple wall, all fuel, or class A, no because they need something like two inches of air space from combustibles. Dusty   [Reply]   [Send Email]
bc 10-26-2009 16:47:22 69.148.145.104 250748 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:06:07   A chimney sweep can also check to see if the flue is properly sealed so it will updraft and not let smoke and deadly carbon monoxide into the house. Everyone's life could depend on it. Anyone having headaches lately? (first sign of carbon monoxide poisoning)   [Reply]   [No Email]
36 coupe 10-26-2009 15:55:33 216.220.250.171 250741 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:06:07   Green sugar maple can plug a flue fast.Any thing that cools the smoke will give you trouble.Outside chimneys are worthless.   [Reply]   [No Email]
Bud in WV 10-26-2009 15:20:25 173.80.80.69 250737 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:06:07   Call a chimney sweep. It's worth it to let them move a 400 or 500 pound stove & keep the soot out of Mamma's house. In NC, SC & WV it runs around $100 to have it cleaned properly - cheap compared to a blown out back & SWMBO ticked at you over the mess!   [Reply]   [No Email]
CH(Upstate,NY) 10-26-2009 15:40:59 64.46.248.203 250740 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to Bud in WV, 10-26-2009 15:20:25   My stove is clean as a whistle. The problem is 8-10 ft. down the line. I'd be happy to spend a bill to have my masonary flue cleaned. I just don't think it would be that cheap. I've been burning wood for 30 years. I clean out the stove and all the metal pipes monthly and the main masonary flue yearly. Don't know how it plugged there after 20 years with this setup.   [Reply]   [No Email]
Bud in WV 10-26-2009 16:36:56 173.80.80.69 250746 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:40:59   It was worth a shot - sounds like your luck is like mine - it's never a simple, easy or cheap fix. Be sure to let us know what the outcome is. Me and bunch more here heat with wood. You near Herkimer by any chance?   [Reply]   [Send Email]
supergrumpy 10-26-2009 15:59:52 72.231.183.84 250742 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 15:40:59   BIL had plugged chimney one year, turned out to be an owl in there   [Reply]   [No Email]
CH(Upstate,NY) 10-26-2009 16:03:52 64.46.248.203 250743 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to supergrumpy, 10-26-2009 15:59:52   Solid creosote.   [Reply]   [No Email]
supergrumpy 10-26-2009 16:11:53 72.231.183.84 250744 Report to Moderator	Re: Plugged chimney in reply to CH(Upstate,NY), 10-26-2009 16:03:52   Uncle Joe used to burn it out, take the pipe off in the kitchen and toss in lit newspaper then let her burn, would really roar, could never convince him there was anything wrong with doing that with all the holes in that old chimney we were amazed that he never burned down the house   [Reply]   [No Email]