Simple soot test to look at the fuel & quality of your fires.

Friday 20 October 2017

Simple soot test to look at the fuel & quality of your fires.

Simple soot test to look at the fuel & wood quality of your burn

Investigating you quality of fuel and burning conditions is not just for chimney sweeps, its something you can do at home too.

The first signs to look out for are Carbon deposits in the fire chamber and Darkening of the glass in the door, if you notice these signs then its time to undertake a straightforward visual check.

What you will need:

Camera - To log how your stove goes back together.
Torch - To help you see up the chimney flue.
Mirror - to help look up the flue
Sheets - To cover carpet and hearth
Gloves - As Soot is an irritant

How to gain access to your flue:

Option 1 - No inspection hatch in the solid stove pipe.

Firstly, Photograph the inside of your stove and take note of how she goes back together. You may wish to refer to the manual.
Remove your throat / baffel plate, this may require the removal of fire bricks first.
Use your torch & mirror to look in the fire box and up the flue.
Look at the soot that is sticking to the walls and inside of your flue.

Option 2 - Inspection hatch in the solid stove pipe.

Open up the inspection hatch on the pipework. this may be attached by a clip at the back or by screws or bolts.
Use your tourch to look in the flue
Look at the soot that is sticking to the walls and inside of your flue

What to look out for:

If there is a build-up of flaky biscuity soot or shiny tar like particles, it is a likely sign that poor quality damp fuel has been burned or your fuel is not getting enough oxygen. These deposits may eventually ‘fur’ up the flue system, restricting the up-draught, or potentially cause a chimney fire.

Its a good idea to call you chimney sweep to investigate further and try to catch the problem early, Your sweep will also be able to advise you on what changes can be made to stop this happening in the future.

If you have a fine covering of dry ash powder which may simply be rubbed away with your finger, this is a sign that your your fuel quality and burning habits are workingwell.

Note from a chimney sweep:

If in any doubt when working with your wood burner, stove or appliance, always call in a professional chimney sweep or specialist. Chimneys require regular sweeping and maintenance to keep them safe throughout the burning season and an inspection without sweeping will not reduce the risk of fire.