Anatomy of a chimney
A chimney, simply put, is a vertical tube designed to draw combustion products (smoke and gasses) from an appliance like a wood stove or fireplace to the atmosphere outside the house. Here are the basic parts:
What type of chimney is best
There are advantages and limitations to each kind. Determining the best type of chimney for you requires a complete picture of the specific appliances that the chimney must serve
Total Coverage Chimney Caps
Chad with MastersServices.com says “Raccoons live, breed, and die in chimneys. The proper chimney cap keeps out any animal envaders and any water damage causing large money repairs.
Annual Safety Inspections for Your Chimney
An annual safety inspection should be performed on every fireplace before its first fire of the year. Call a trained chimney professional who knows all the components of a chimney and fireplace to perform a visual inspection.
Animal infestation
If you hear animals in your chimney or if you smell something coming from your chimney that you suspect is from animals (dead or alive), call your chimney professional.
Odors: woodstove, fireplace, chimney
There are several types of odors that could detract from your enjoyment of the wood stove. Creosote has a very strong, acrid odor, generally much worse in wet weather or in the summertime when the chimney is less effective in drawing the odor up the chimney.
Creosote
One of the great misunderstandings in the world of woodstoves is how creosote fits into the picture. Contrary to popular belief, creosote is not an inevitable product of wood burning. Creosote forms when wood is burned incompletely, and is an indication of improper use, poor installation, or a poor wood stove design.
Woodstove problems: poor performance
Sometimes it seems that the stove just isn’t working as well as it used to. If there is no obvious problem, such as smoking, catalyst malfunction, etc., but it just doesn’t seem to be doing the job it used to, consider the possibilities in this article.
Woodstove problem: catalytic combustor
If your stove has a catalytic combustor, it is critical that it be in good working condition, as the efficiency of the stove depends almost entirely on the cat. ? In general, If you have followed the instructions for lighting the stove, waited until it is up to the correct temperature, and engaged the cat, within a few minutes the stove should be burning steadily, with little or no visible smoke exiting the chimney.
Woodstove problem: woodstove gaskets
Gaskets around doors, ash pans, air intakes, or between metal panels of a wood stove are critical to proper stove performance. Leaky or missing gaskets let air in in the wrong place, fouling the burn and often severely reducing burn efficiency.
Woodstove problem: cracked or broken glass
Under normal conditions of use, the stove glass will not crack or break. Causes of glass breakage are varied including that of improper glass installation.
Woodstove problems: warped or broken parts
The metal plates on the inside of the stove are there to protect the outside of the stove from damage. If any of the burn plates becomes cracked or badly warped, replace it. It is a lot cheaper than replacing the whole stove down the road!
