Chimney Fire

[nina]

As a result of having two house fires, one caused by a neighbours chimney fire and one caused by our own, I wonder about narrowboat chimneys. Surely if you burn wood especially, the sap must line the chimney flu the same as a house chimney? The coal also?

And when you think that the hot chimney is next to a wooden interior, how risky is it to have your fire burning too hot? There seems to have been a few boats caught fire recently so I'm very careful about our fire.

 

How do you clean a boat chimney and how often are you supposed to do it?

[mrsmelly]

As a result of having two house fires, one caused by a neighbours chimney fire and one caused by our own, I wonder about narrowboat chimneys. Surely if you burn wood especially, the sap must line the chimney flu the same as a house chimney? The coal also?

And when you think that the hot chimney is next to a wooden interior, how risky is it to have your fire burning too hot? There seems to have been a few boats caught fire recently so I'm very careful about our fire.

 

How do you clean a boat chimney and how often are you supposed to do it?

 

If you burn wood take extra care it can soon block your chimney. Places like midland swindlers sell proper brushes for the flue and they are not expensive. We had a chimney sweep at our last place that used to do a boat chimney for a fiver each for several of us in our community

[Guest wanted]

As a result of having two house fires, one caused by a neighbours chimney fire and one caused by our own, I wonder about narrowboat chimneys. Surely if you burn wood especially, the sap must line the chimney flu the same as a house chimney? The coal also?

And when you think that the hot chimney is next to a wooden interior, how risky is it to have your fire burning too hot? There seems to have been a few boats caught fire recently so I'm very careful about our fire.

 

How do you clean a boat chimney and how often are you supposed to do it?

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hills-Brushes-Flu6-Flue-Brush/dp/B000TAUCJA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324475711&sr=8-1

 

I have one of these and brush once a year, I have heard of people using a hawthorn branch. Your burner should be fitted so that there is sufficiant space to avoid setting fire to the wood. I have a brass plate directly behind my flue that takes some of the heat as well. But yes, you shouldn't leave a roaring burner whilst you are out.

 

Rob

[Robbo]

As a result of having two house fires, one caused by a neighbours chimney fire and one caused by our own, I wonder about narrowboat chimneys. Surely if you burn wood especially, the sap must line the chimney flu the same as a house chimney? The coal also?

And when you think that the hot chimney is next to a wooden interior, how risky is it to have your fire burning too hot? There seems to have been a few boats caught fire recently so I'm very careful about our fire.

 

How do you clean a boat chimney and how often are you supposed to do it?

 

 

There's new standards I think in the BSS that addresses most of your questions (and quite a few threads here) - I'll see if I can find..

 

Edit to add the new standard is BS8511, here's a nice overview: http://www.soliftec.com/Boat%20Stoves%201-page.pdf

Edited December 21, 2011 by Robbo

[Barry]

As an ex fire fighter I can give you the advice we used to give to people who have open fires in houses.

 

You are quite right, the resin from wood smoke condenses out and sticks to the inside of the flue which also traps soot particles. The same applies stuff in coal smoke but wood contains more resiny stuff than coal. That resinous sooty mixture is good fuel if your chimney catches fire.

 

Bearing in mind that house chimney flues are a lot longer than boat flues so the problem of condensing resin is that much greater we used to advise that flues in houses should be swept twice a year if only burning coal and four times a year if only burning wood.

 

You could do the same for your boat but it might be a bit like overkill

 

Maybe once a year for coal and twice a year for wood?

Edited December 21, 2011 by Bazza2

[nina]

Thankyou all. I think it's a good issue to raise because of the safety concern. We removed a wooden shelf to comply with BSS earlier this year having been told if our boat caught fire, the insurance may not pay out because it was just behind the chimney. There is no wood close to our chimney now but I hate it when our fire burns really hot in case the chimney does catch fire. It's a new chimney so shouldn't need sweeping yet. What do you think though? Every 6 weeks or so?

Obviously I'm aware so I'll make sure it gets done but I thought posting about this issue might help some of the novice boaters out there too. If they've lived indoors with gas central heating, they might not realise the potential perils of a chimney.

[Martin Megson]

Hi,

I'm no expert but the general guidance seems to be don't use green or wet wood as this will increase the build up of tar. Some types of coal are also not recommended.

 

The link below is the PDF manual for the Valor Arden stove I have and covers fuel types on page 15 and chimney sweeping on 18.

 

Valor Manual

 

Hope this is of help

 

Martin

[john6767]

http://www.amazon.co...24475711&sr=8-1

 

I have one of these and brush once a year, I have heard of people using a hawthorn branch. Your burner should be fitted so that there is sufficiant space to avoid setting fire to the wood. I have a brass plate directly behind my flue that takes some of the heat as well. But yes, you shouldn't leave a roaring burner whilst you are out.

 

Rob

 

Is there nothing that you can't get from Amazon these days! We have one of these, got it from Midland Chandlers and was about a tenner I think. Reminds we that I probably need to give a sweep again, new years resolution I think.

 

 

 

[nina]

It dawned on me to ask the question because only recently, my husband, who is Australian, so has never been used to a domestic fire before, came home with some compressed logs that had been recommended to him. They are brilliant, they burn quickly and deliver an instant source of heat which warms up the boat much quicker than coal. The difference is vast & it's lovely to be warm so quickly. However, last night I was very aware of how very hot our fire was in a very short time so thought I'd ask from a safety point of view.

 

I wouldn't leave the boat with them burning that hot.

[MaryP]

Is there nothing that you can't get from Amazon these days! We have one of these, got it from Midland Chandlers and was about a tenner I think. Reminds we that I probably need to give a sweep again, new years resolution I think.

 

Ditto!

[cotswoldsman]

, my husband, who is Australian, so has never been used to a domestic fire before,

 

I presume you are not putting all Australians in that category!!!

[nina]

I presume you are not putting all Australians in that category!!!

 

Only the Queenslanders. I lived on the Gold Coast for 7 years. They no longer build new houses with fires now even though it can get to minus out in the bush. Melbourne & Sydney can get to - degrees in winter. Perth is hot, so is Darwin, Adelaide mixed, Tasmania like England.

[cotswoldsman]

Only the Queenslanders. I lived on the Gold Coast for 7 years. They no longer build new houses with fires now even though it can get to minus out in the bush. Melbourne & Sydney can get to - degrees in winter. Perth is hot, so is Darwin, Adelaide mixed, Tasmania like England.

 

Having lived in Stanthorpe, Queensland we lit a fire every night in the winter!!!

 

 

 

[Dog]

I swept my chimney and burner at the beginning of November. I have a fire most nights, and burn mostly coal, but wood also. Yesterday I noticed that the fire wasn't pulling properly, so removed chimney and cleaned everything again. About 90% blocked.

 

 

 

 

 

That's SIX weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

Think about it.

[cotswoldsman]

I always clean mine in the summer and then give it a quick brush when I return from the Xmas break when the fire has been out for a number of days.

[nina]

Having lived in Stanthorpe, Queensland we lit a fire every night in the winter!!!

 

I did say it got down to minus temps. Queensland is tropical though and winter only lasts briefly, 3 months if that. We never had heating or a fire because we were on the coast near Surfers Paradise. Inland it could get 10 degrees cooler.

 

I swept my chimney and burner at the beginning of November. I have a fire most nights, and burn mostly coal, but wood also. Yesterday I noticed that the fire wasn't pulling properly, so removed chimney and cleaned everything again. About 90% blocked.

 

 

 

 

 

That's SIX weeks.

 

Excellent point, thankyou.

 

 

 

Think about it.

[jonathanA]

given most boat flues are quite short isn't the obvious thing, to shine a torch down them (when the fires not burning ) ?

 

now that I've written that I've realised I've never actually tried it so maybe its not that obvious ?

 

Does burning the fire hot for a while help get rid of any tar/resin build up ? running the fire hot seems to clean up the glass if its got a bit sooted up ?

[Robbo]

I swept my chimney and burner at the beginning of November. I have a fire most nights, and burn mostly coal, but wood also. Yesterday I noticed that the fire wasn't pulling properly, so removed chimney and cleaned everything again. About 90% blocked.

 

 

 

 

 

That's SIX weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

Think about it.

 

Sounds like your starving your fire of air causing the fuel not to burn fully.

[Dog]

 

 

You could do the same for your boat but it might be a bit like overkill

 

 

Better overkill, than kill.

 

Sounds like your starving your fire of air causing the fuel not to burn fully.

I do turn it right down at night, so it's still glowing in the morning. Do you think that may be the problem?

[JDR]

Another vote for brass. After reading some of the threads on here I decided my 5" flue was too close to the tongue and groove woodwork on the cabin sides. I picked up an offcut of 12mm fireboard from a local installers then mounted .3mm brass sheet on top. If you google "metal offcuts" there is a company in Liverpool who will cut any metal to size in various thicknesses and finishes. Easy to fit, looks great and certainly makes me more relaxed knowing that woodwork is protected.

[Robbo]

I do turn it right down at night, so it's still glowing in the morning. Do you think that may be the problem?

 

Yep, unburnt fuel causing the tar build up.

[sociable_hermit]

A narrowboat has a short, metal flue. If any crud catches fire within it, good. Just burn it out. It won't go nuts and do damage like a house fire in a large, brick chimney.

 

Having the crud accumulate and block the flue is a far bigger risk. I clean mine at least once a month through winter, using a wire brush attached to a broom handle.

[BlueStringPudding]

I built my fire surround. It's floor to ceiling fireboard, sealed with heatproof sealant at the joins and with tiles on top. Very effective at keeping the walls cool as can be checked by opening the cupboard door that's behind the stove and touching the wall.

It might sound like overkill but I built the fire surround like that after getting advice from this forum. Works a treat and was easy to build

[nina]

I built my fire surround. It's floor to ceiling fireboard, sealed with heatproof sealant at the joins and with tiles on top. Very effective at keeping the walls cool as can be checked by opening the cupboard door that's behind the stove and touching the wall.

It might sound like overkill but I built the fire surround like that after getting advice from this forum. Works a treat and was easy to build

 

I think it's a good idea. I'm going to have a look at ours and think about doing the same. Why wouldn't you? It makes good sense. I'm glad I posted this topic now. Think it might have given others some timely tips.

[David Mack]

When I was young I once, as a temporary measure, installed a second hand coke stove in a boat which was awaiting major rebuild. For the flue I used the asbestos flue pipe which came with the stove and just poked it out through a hole in the wooden cabin roof - it stuck out about 2". Of course it just wouldn't draw, so I improvised an extension chimney with a roll of corrugated cardboard. It was all I had to hand.

 

With some offcuts of wood to get the fire going, and a light wind now giving a good draw, I soon had flames racing up the flue pipe. That chimney lasted about 20 minutes!

 

The next improvised chimney was an old one gallon oil can with the top and bottom removed (using the galley tin opener). That went on, still with oil residues dripping down the inside ...

 

David