Help with a bit of a dilemma

[dm65]

I wonder if this is one of the plasterers having a recce ?

 

[dm65]

Bit of an update

Plumber came round today and capped off my gas pipe then popped a smoke pellet in the existing opening but we didn't see any (plumber thought he saw a tiny bit) smoke out of the chimney

I went upstairs and I swear I could smell the smoke (can you smell those pellets?) in the attic

Upshot is, more delay and now need someone to check my existing liner/chimney

Does anyone know anybody in Leeds that does this ?

PS I was hoping to have had the fireplace rebuilt by end of play tomorrow

 

[Eric The Viking]

You probably want a good chimney sweep as a start. In my limited experience, they're very good at assessing chimney condition, and they're usually pretty "frank."

Also, don't expect a smoke pellet to work if: the air on the roof is significantly warmer than the air in the room, or there's no way for air to enter the room at low level either.

Chimneys aren't magic - air is heated and rises, sucking more with it as it goes. If it can't flow properly it can't rise. That's how you get CO2 and CO buildup - in the first case combustion happens properly but the exhaust gases can't rise fast enough. In the second case airflow is so poor that the build-up of CO2 impedes combustion too so that it's incomplete (and you get CO instead of CO2). Both are poisons, but CO is really dangerous as it's more chemically active in the body.

Check there's a permanent route for quite a large volume of air to reach the fireplace.

If you need to do a test before any necessary vents are done (modern windows stop the draughts that used to help in the C19th!), do the test with the room door open, on a cooler day.

Most brick chimneys are 1/2-brick where they go through the attic and the chimney breast brickwork, and between houses in back-to-back chimneys (often a cause of noise complaints - effectively the two properties are connected through missing pointing in the chimneys). The only practical solution if you can't repoint them effectively is a liner. Bear in mind that, if back-to-back, you may fix your problem with repointing but create one for the other party (and some danger too, as both CO and CO2 are heavier than air so sink through the house as they cool.

I am NOT a builder, nor a heating specialist. You should get proper advice. I've only posted the above to give you some idea of the issues. FIrst off, you probably need it cleaned anyway, so find a sweep and make the chap a big mug of tea...


[edit] got CO and CO2 the wrong way round - CO comes from poor combustion, CO2 when things burn properly.[/]

 

[dm65]

Good reply Eric, thanks

I'm currently online now looking around - seem to be plenty of companies offering sweeps etc so will start calling

 

[dm65]

Sweep (I didn't know a liner needed sweeping !) arranged for the 15th so will update this once done

Another simple job turning into an epic !!!

This is one of those typical scenarios in an old house where removing some wallpaper has progressed to a plastering job etc - from my distant past, I sort of half expected this but ...

 

[dm65]

Chimney inspected today by the cleanest looking chimney sweep !! I was actually surprised at how clean he looked

Anyway, all good news, he says the liner is fine and from his smoke test, there was plenty coming out of the chimney and I saw it being pulled up the liner quite strongly

He left behind a lovely little certificate to say it's been tested and is functional so I can now crack on and rebuild that infill - well, I can in 3 weeks when I've stopped taxing/working/visiting etc :-(

There will be questions, stand by your keyboard ...