Smoking fireplace

[superstardeejay]

My parents have a downstairs room with a fireplace that smokes. The house was built in the mid 1980's and has an external chimney stack with clay liner. Originally the builders installed a baxi underdraft grate, but this smoked into the room from new and was soon abandoned for an electric insert.

In these chastened times, they have decided to try and press the fireplace back into use and have had a recessed log-burning stove installed professionally. The chimney was swept and the installer fitted a new chimney pot.

The problem is that it STILL smokes. Once the fire is lit and the door closed, streams of white smoke literally billow out of every orifice of the stove (damper handles, door catch, hinges). It's stunk the house out, so a £700 stove is sitting there useless.

I have recommended a variable speed power flue fan to improve the pull; another expert has said these are rubbish and what they need is a stainless steel flue liner which will cure all their woes.

Any advice on what to do?

 

[noseall]

Chimneys do not work on a particularly complex principle so the reasons for zero draw are usually obvious.

How tall is the stack, i.e. is this a bungalow?

Where does it terminate in relation to the roof line and nearby trees?

What sort of pot is there on top?

What size (bore) is the flue?

How big is the stack and is it well insulated?

Is the flue being choked down or does it have a clear uninterrupted flow?

How did the smoke tests go?

If a chimney is going to struggle for pull, it will do it whilst cold. A well insulated chimney should soon warm up and get going. This is why someone is suggesting an insulated SS flue.

Has anyone with any experience looked at this? I'm not referring to some of the latest breed of HETAS stove fitters either as some are as clueless as a brick.

Unfortunately, fireplace and chimney building has skipped a few generations and is a lost art. It's no accident that the latest generation of stove installers have a greater interest in money than they do in quality.

 

[superstardeejay]

How tall is the stack, i.e. is this a bungalow?

its a very tall house and the stack is even taller well clear of the ridge




Where does it terminate in relation to the roof line and nearby trees?

no trees nearby, as its an exterior chimney it is clear of any part of the roof

What sort of pot is there on top?

its a sort of tubular clay thing with what looks like half a pipe laid horizontally over the top like a little roof

What size (bore) is the flue?

no idea, pretty big

How big is the stack and is it well insulated?

not insulated at all.

Is the flue being choked down or does it have a clear uninterrupted flow?

clear

How did the smoke tests go?

Dont know other than the installer performed one and messed about in the loft while it was burning, bit daft as it's an external chimney

If a chimney is going to struggle for pull, it will do it whilst cold. A well insulated chimney should soon warm up and get going. This is why someone is suggesting an insulated SS flue.

What's that? Are they easy to install?

Has anyone with any experience looked at this? I'm not referring to some of the latest breed of HETAS stove fitters either as some are as clueless as a brick.

Dont know about their qualifications, it's these people

http://www.thehotspot.co.uk



Unfortunately, fireplace and chimney building has skipped a few generations and is a lost art. It's no accident that the latest generation of stove installers have a greater interest in money than they do in quality.

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All I can say is it isn't the fire fitters fault the chimney doesnt pull but their installation hasn't improved matters. I suppose a cold chimney might be the problem as its external to the house. How do insulated SS stacks work?

PS. picture off google maps included

Untitled

• superstardeejay
• 14 May 2014
• 1

 

[Deluks]

What are they trying to burn?
Should ideally be very dry, seasoned logs, with equally dry softwood kindling. Damp stuff or loads of paper is going to cause problems.

 

[superstardeejay]

Everything properly dry, they have a large indoor log store. They are both in their 70's and come from an open-fire era

 

[stuart45]

A liner might cure the problem as an external flue is a bit colder. They do have a limited life span though.
Air starvation, or too large a throat for the appliance can also cause smoke in the room.

 

[wessex101]

"its a sort of tubular clay thing with what looks like half a pipe laid horizontally over the top like a little roof "

If that is what I think it is that is not suitable for a live flue and should only be used to cap a redundant flue.

 

[superstardeejay]

It's this sort of thing

Untitled

• superstardeejay
• 14 May 2014
• 1

I suspect the flue is too cold. I've seen the smoking. Dad lights the fire, it gets going, he opens the door and puts a log on, closes the door. A few minutes later and 'puff' the white smoke billows out of various orifices, with some force. It doesn't drift out, it's like a smoke machine in a disco projecting a horizontal jet of smoke out resulting in the occupants running for the windows.

 

[Nige F]

installed professionally. The chimney was swept and the installer fitted a new chimney pot.

The problem is that it STILL smokes.
Any advice on what to do?

is the pot -the half round cap one ? why did they fit that I thought they were a basic anti downdraft pot . If the flue has never drawn - even with the baxi under draft - then there must be something wrong with the flue - probably where it gathers ( as mentioned) and the stove pipe is possibly ended in that area.

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

Try it with out the half round caps on the pots.

 

[stuart45]

Try it with out the half round caps on the pots.

Good advice, those Hood tops are for venting unused flues.

 

[superstardeejay]

taking the hood top off will just return the pot to how it was before they called the installers back to fix the smoking problem!

 

[stuart45]

It must be a different type of pot to the one in the photo, as those are only for venting an unused flue.
Has the new pot improved the situation?

 

[superstardeejay]

No.

 

[stuart45]

You may end up having to fit a liner.