Prevent Chimney Fires

Burt Robertson, HVAC Marketing Manager

We saw shortages of chimney products due to the increase demand in the wood and pellet stove. Many consumers think burning wood or pellets is the answer until they go through a heating season and do all the extra work associated with burning wood. My real concern is the safety issue. Consumers try to cut corners when installing chimneys for their wood stoves. It is not uncommon to get phone calls from people who want to run single wall smoke pipe up the side of their home for a chimney. No way do you want to use single wall smoke pipe!

Most consumers don’t understand the importance of using a class A All fuel chimney product like Selkirk Metalbestos. Yes, it is expensive, but you get what you pay for. What do you get ? You get a product that only requires 2” clearance to combustibles and can withstand 1000°F continuous operating temperature and 1400°F for 60 minutes and 2100°F for 10 minutes. With the increase in the demand for fire wood, some individuals will be burning green wood (not seasoned). Burning green wood means creosote will build up in the chimney and there might be a risk of a chimney fire. This is where that class A All fuel chimney which can withstand 2100°F for 10 minutes may prevent damage to your home. Remember no chimney is meant to be a combustion chamber and will most likely need to be replaced after the fire. With a single wall pipe, there would most likely have been extensive damage to the home.

Be safe and use Selkirk chimney products.