08/23/2022
I very rarely post anything on my business page. But this find today is worth sharing. I hope this serves as a reminder, to everyone, that wood-fired heating systems NEED periodic cleanings.
The continued use of this woodstove was putting life at risk.
The woodstove chimney flue never had a cap/ember screen installed and the hearth was improper depth. So, likely not installed by a professional from day one.
The flue was caked with creosote. Caked.
The clean out was heat stained... and packed full of creosote.
The block chimney was cracked for 5 blocks at the stove attachment point. (Sign of a past chimney fire/heat damage.)
It looked like they were lucky and the past chimney fire put itself out.
But the next fire could have been a killer.
Okay, so maybe the current owners just didn't know. I get that. But...
I went to open the woodstove doors. Luckily they wouldn't open. They were seized shut.
When I opened the top plate of the woodstove I found ash built up above the door height! With paper goods and plastic just waiting to start another fire!
Yeah, I pushed a probe through the ashes to verify this stove was truly filled to the top with ash. It was!
The house was built in 2008.
I wonder if it took the full 14 years of periodic use to get to this point? Or did someone give up on routine maintenance in the recent past? Either way... that could have been a life-ender.
If you have a wood stove or wood burning fireplace, make sure it's been installed correctly, is being used correctly and is being properly cleaned/evaluated for safe use. This includes the chimney and flue. Call your local chimney sweep, if you are unsure of what to look for or how to clean the system. It could save lives!
Sorry, these are phone pics of my digital camera screen. But I think they show enough. Be safe.
