PSpirine
|
| posted on 22/4/15 at 09:57 AM |
|
|
OT: Chimney pots (or lack of!)
All, my gf's house (victorian terrace) has two chimney stacks for 4 fireplaces in the house.
One stack is blocked off (sealed on top with concrete). Easy.
The other stack is not currently in use but has open fires, one of which we want to use (occasionally, few days a year).
Poking my head up the open fire in the lounge reveals that it is open at the top. It's just brick and is not lined.
The interesting thing is.. looking at the house from outside, the chimney doesn't have any pots on it. Is this a problem? I'm not sure I
can be arsed re-potting the chimney for the sake of a few nights with a cosy fire. The chimney itself appears to be in good nick as is the rest of the
house.
Would lack of pots mean a) it's not suitable for use or b) it would have been capped off at some point (there's a slate tile fallen
behind/above one of the open fires), but is okay to use assuming any slate tiles have been removed from the top?
Cheers
|
|
|
|
|
cliftyhanger
|
| posted on 22/4/15 at 10:12 AM |
|
|
I suspect (happy to be wrong) you may suffer downdraught issues. Not nice.
A victorian chimney would not have been lined. But as long as the bricks are all ok up there, should be fine. If in doubt fit a flue liner.
|
|
|
MP3C
|
| posted on 22/4/15 at 11:31 AM |
|
|
Just get some smoke pellets and give it a try and see if it draws, you will soon know if it does or not.
Matt
|
|
|
v8kid
|
| posted on 22/4/15 at 01:33 PM |
|
|
I would be tempted just to light a fire and see what happens. Downdraughts are strange things often dependent on wind direction and speed.
If you have to uncap one chimney you are up on the roof anyhow, chimney pots and mortar are cheap and easy to install.
Cheers!
You'd be surprised how quickly the sales people at B&Q try and assist you after ignoring you for the past 15 minutes when you try and start a
chainsaw
|
|
|
Lightning
|
| posted on 22/4/15 at 04:42 PM |
|
|
As long as it draws. This should be done when chimney is warm.
As it the buoyancy force from the column of warm air.
It really depends on what you are firing on Gas no problem the clean air act memorandum state 3m from openable window
If oil or wood burning strictly speaking the height should be calculated . This is so that we chuck all our crap over other countries.
As stated smoke pellets should be used when warm
Must be ventilation in the room
Btw I size industrial chimneys
Steve
|
|
|
scott h
|
| posted on 22/4/15 at 09:08 PM |
|
|
My chimney pot blew off in a storm last year. In the evening it was cold so I thought I would try a fire. All was fine until after a couple of hours
the wind got up and suddenly the house was full of smoke! Never again. Fitted a new pot and been fine since.
|
|
|
coozer
|
| posted on 23/4/15 at 01:51 PM |
|
|
Get your local sweep to come and check it.
Get a carbon monoxide alarm.
Sit back and enjoy the flames, dust and holes in the carpet 
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
|
|
|
ed1801
|
| posted on 23/4/15 at 02:48 PM |
|
|
I can second the holes in the carpet - chestnut seems to burn fine except when i open the door on the stove. Then it spits and fires burning embers
around the living room. 
|
|
|
PSpirine
|
| posted on 23/4/15 at 02:53 PM |
|
|
Don't worry, at the moment only going to use it in the lounge which has a tiled hearth and wooden floor, so no fire-induced carpet burns in the
bedroom! 
Will get a CO monitor, have a good look through the chimney with a light to check condition and then light it up and see what happens in true locost
style.
If it all goes a bit smoky, will get a chimney sweep in to tell us what needs doing and stick a pot on the top...
Realised it's not that difficult to get up onto the roof through the loft velux windows.
Cheers!
|
|
|
steve m
|
| posted on 23/4/15 at 06:22 PM |
|
|
Get a new GF, with a centrally heated house
real fires, fire = mess and smoke how 1850's !!
steve
Thats was probably spelt wrong, or had some grammer, that the "grammer police have to have a moan at
|
|
|
scimjim
|
| posted on 25/4/15 at 12:09 PM |
|
|
lighting a fire to see if your chimney is okay could get you a Darwin award.
It may just get smokey - it may get you a chimney fire that burns your GFs house down.
Get a sweep in first.
|
|
|
BenB
|
| posted on 25/4/15 at 03:46 PM |
|
|
We moved into our house four years ago. Since day one we've had four chimneys all missing their chimney pots. In the living room we have an open
fire most days in winter. Never had a problem- draws like crazy. I fitted an electric CO meter before we started and never heard a beep out of it (and
yes I've tested the battery!). At some point we'll get some pots fitted but it's low priority. My biggest worry isn't a lack
of a pot impacting on the way the fire draws more rain water getting into the lining of the chimney and damaging it to the extent I need to fit an
expensive flue liner!! For what it's worth the lady we bought it off ran her entire CH system from a back-boiler in the living room from the
same chimney-pot free chimney...
|
|
|
