sand coming down chimney

inocybe

Have a small wood burning stove and have small but steady amounts of sand falling down into it. I realise that a repair of the chimney is needed, but absolutely have not got the money for it. What's the worst outcome of ignoring it, as I have for the last year? Will it cause structural damage?

king size mars bar

could be from a cracked flue liner and the filling around the flue falling in through it down into the stove. I,d get someone to look at it at least and give you an idea what would be invovled in putting it right, dont put it off for another year. wold your house insurance cover the cost of repairs??

Dtp79

inocybe wrote: »

Have a small wood burning stove and have small but steady amounts of sand falling down into it. I realise that a repair of the chimney is needed, but absolutely have not got the money for it. What's the worst outcome of ignoring it, as I have for the last year? Will it cause structural damage?

Worse case scenario would be the crack in your liner opening, blocking the flue, fumes nowhere to go except back into the room if door seals are not good. Carbon monoxide poisoning

inocybe

Dtp79 wrote: »

Worse case scenario would be the crack in your liner opening, blocking the flue, fumes nowhere to go except back into the room if door seals are not good. Carbon monoxide poisoning

I have an alarm nearby so that doesn't worry me.
I can't have anyone look at it without removing the stove, and that will cost.
There's no doubt in my mind that the flue is cracked. I'm just wondering what the consequence of all this sand being lost, will the chimney end up damaged?
Would insurance normally cover something like this? I'd have to be sure before going ahead with anything.

Dtp79

inocybe wrote: »

I have an alarm nearby so that doesn't worry me.
I can't have anyone look at it without removing the stove, and that will cost.
There's no doubt in my mind that the flue is cracked. I'm just wondering what the consequence of all this sand being lost, will the chimney end up damaged?
Would insurance normally cover something like this? I'd have to be sure before going ahead with anything.

Not sure about the insurance. A CO alarm is only the last line of defence. Do not depend on it. If too much sand is lost then your liners will probably crack with the heat I'd imagine

Robbie.G

Who fitted the stove was it a DIY job of did you get someone in.What way is the flue fitted? What make of stove?What caused the liners to crack?What fuel are you using.
I don't think it's an insurance claim.If not addressed it could do serious damage to chimney.
A pic of it would help

inocybe

Robbie.G wrote: »

Who fitted the stove was it a DIY job of did you get someone in.What way is the flue fitted? What make of stove?What caused the liners to crack?What fuel are you using.
I don't think it's an insurance claim.If not addressed it could do serious damage to chimney.
A pic of it would help

Stanley oisin, only burning ash wood in it. I have no idea what caused the liners to crack, what would do that?

Dtp79

inocybe wrote: »

Stanley oisin, only burning ash wood in it. I have no idea what caused the liners to crack, what would do that?

Maybe dodgy construction. They probably didn't put enough sand filler behind the flue liner

2 stroke

inocybe wrote: »

I'm just wondering what the consequence of all this sand being lost, will the chimney end up damaged?

Your chimney is damaged, and going to get worse. I ignored a similar problem and am lucky to have survived, thank G for my draughty windows. An alarm won't wake you if you are carbon monoxide posioned.

scudo2

inocybe wrote: »

I have an alarm nearby so that doesn't worry me.
I can't have anyone look at it without removing the stove, and that will cost.
There's no doubt in my mind that the flue is cracked. I'm just wondering what the consequence of all this sand being lost, will the chimney end up damaged?
Would insurance normally cover something like this? I'd have to be sure before going ahead with anything.

PLEASE listen to the advice on how dangerous your stove is.
My Sister Avril was killed by carbon monoxide due to a faulty cracked flue in a rented cottage.
She came up to the kitchen, sat down to make a phone call and never got up again.
( Also never got to make the call.)
You can't smell carbon monoxide, If you want to risk your life in the hope that your alarm works, thats up to you but please do not let anybody else into the house when stove is lit.
Anything over 300ppm carbon monoxide in a room is dangerous and life threathening . When the Envoirmental protection agency tested my sisters house after her death it reached 2380ppm in a 10 miniutes.

Hope you still have faith in your alarm !

Type in "MY Sister Avril" in the boards.ie search bar

mordeith

I know of someone who installed a large stove and ended up cracking the flue. They were burning coal which generates serious heat in a stove. Anyway I remember the guy saying they were able to get the house insurance to cover it by saying the flue has been cracked before the stove went in (This may be because the house had been pre-owned.) Impossible to prove one way or the other but they were covered for repairs (they installed a rigid, metal flue liner).

inocybe

Ok that's all very well about the CO, but if the money isn't there it isn't there. I can't just magic it out of nowhere Lighting fires because oil is too expensive for central heating, you can't win...

scudo2

inocybe wrote: »

Ok that's all very well about the CO, but if the money isn't there it isn't there. I can't just magic it out of nowhere Lighting fires because oil is too expensive for central heating, you can't win...

READ MY PREVIOUS POST



Listen to adds on TV and radio.

PEOPLE HAVE DIED from carbon monoxide.
Including my sister.

You have no idea what myself and my family went through. I personal cry and breakdown when I hear of any more deaths.

I'm only trying to offer advice and tell you what a risk you are takeing by lighting your stove without getting it fixed.

Hope nobody has to go through what my family suffered.

recedite

It seems the sand that was filling the gap between a (cracked) 200mm clay flue liner and the chimney blockwork is leaking out and falling down. Possible solution is to drop a 150mm flexible stainless steel flueliner down the chimney and connect it onto the stove. You can buy these online as a kit.
Use the heavier grade of SS. Then if the sand pours in afterwards and surrounds the SS liner, it won't matter.

Dtp79

recedite wrote: »

It seems the sand that was filling the gap between a (cracked) 200mm clay flue liner and the chimney blockwork is leaking out and falling down. Possible solution is to drop a 150mm flexible stainless steel flueliner down the chimney and connect it onto the stove. You can buy these online as a kit.
Use the heavier grade of SS. Then if the sand pours in afterwards and surrounds the SS liner, it won't matter.

But the flexi liner will be covered in vermiculite the whole way down

recedite

That's even better then, the vermiculite will stop any more sand coming out.

Call Me Jimmy

Not necessarily helpful but my granda used to say sand down the chimney was a sign that either we'd have a cold winter or you had only three days to live!

scudo2

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

Not necessarily helpful but my granda used to say sand down the chimney was a sign that either we'd have a cold winter or you had only three days to live!

Famous last words. I hope not.

DK man

I had a leak in the chiminey up in the attic last week. Was up putting some stuff to store when I spotted a black stain about 1 metre below the roof.

I got a guy with a camera and he spotted a gap in 1 of the flue joints . I got a brick layer friend and he busted out 3 blocks and found the problem area he the took out all the old mortar and used fire cement before refilling the area with sand and cement - we got as much in as possible and he says that flue is well supported

Brickey was €65 for about 4 hours work - camera man didn't charge as he is a neighbour and I was buying a new Henley stove of him

The camera was a simple little device which he tapped onto small rods like sewer rods and this transmitted a picture down to a small screen. We didn't necessarily need his Picts as we could see the stained area in the chiminey breast

Busted Flat.

Just asking. dose the pipe from the stove rise up in the room and enter the chimney above the chimney gathering. IE that is the solid head just above your original fire.

inocybe

Busted Flat. wrote: »

Just asking. dose the pipe from the stove rise up in the room and enter the chimney above the chimney gathering. IE that is the solid head just above your original fire.

No, the stove sits in the old fireplace and the pipe just goes straight up.