Smoke Alarm – Most homes now have a smoke alarm, if not there is no excuse! Does your smoke alarm have a battery in it. How often I have entered a house to see the smoke alarm open and battery wire hanging down and no PP3 battery. “I’ve been meaning to replace that battery” it is all too easy to rob the battery from the smoke alarm, ‘meaning’ to replace it. Don’t! You never know when it may just save you or your families lives. It is recommended to place a smoke alarm in a central location down stairs, usually a hallway celling, it is also recommended to fit a second alarm upstairs in a central location usually a landing celling at the top of the stairs. If you are unsure contact your local Fire Safety Officer through your local Fire Service for advice.

Carbon Monoxide Alarm – Carbon Monoxide the silent killer, I don’t mean to scare – actually I do! This gas is tasteless, odourless and will send you unconscious which if unchecked will kill you. The simple fitting of a carbon monoxide alarm will warn you if levels are present. Placement of the alarm is important, carbon monoxide has a neutral density which means it can rise and fall depending upon currents from air movement including hot air around a stove or appliance. In room with a hot open fire or stove heating volumes of air, a ‘hot-air’ barrier can be created at ceiling level meaning the carbon monoxide detector fixed to the ceiling may not be triggered as a barrier of hot air sits around it. A good recommendation for the installation height is eye level to 30 cm from the ceiling to the side of the appliance no further away than 3m. If you are unsure contact your local Fire Safety Officer through your local Fire Service for advice.

Kidde: https://www.kiddesafetyeurope.co.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

Fuel

Wood

Only use seasoned wood, split and stored off the ground and protected at the top from rain with the sides of the stack open. It needs to be stored for at least 6 – 12 months this depends on how wet the wood was when you harvested it. Branch wood really needs splitting, if it is too narrow, strip the bark down one side this will help it to dry. Check with a moisture meter 20% or less moisture is good to go.

Woodburner – Wood with 20% moisture content or less is the key to heat. It is unwise to burn wood which has been tantalised or has paint or varnish on it.  If you burn wood with contaminants and you have a stainless flexi liner or twin wall liner the acid which can be formed can degrade it. If your burning wet wood the creosote and tar that can be formed on the liner can degrade it and cause chimney fires, avoid wet wood!

Coal

Open fires – if you want you can use House Coal, Coke, Manufactured Coal or Wood.

Multi Fuel Stove – Anthracite is a reasonably clean burning coal, however can get extremely hot if too much air is added, primary air control being left fully open for too long.

Multi Fuel Stove – Manufactured Coal although seems a good idea, as it is a reasonably clean burning fuel. If any damp is present in the flue or if burned with damp wood or the stove is slumbered, acid can be formed which can degrade the stainless steel flexi liners or twin wall insulated flue.

Slumbering Stoves or Open Fires

If you load an open fire or stove with fuel and then shut it down, close off the air to a trickle you will lower the flue temperatures and get incomplete combustion. The combustible gases that should have been burnt and heated your house, will now go up the chimney, condense and form tar and creosote which can cause chimney fires and ruin stainless flexible liners and twin wall insulated flues. It is false economy to slumber fires and dangerous.

Sweeping Frequency

It is recommended that you get your chimney swept at least once every 12 months, if you use the fire daily, burn wood or house coal every 6 months or less is recommended.

How I sweep: https://www.wensleydalechimneysweeping.com/how-i-sweep/

Wensleydale Chimney Sweeping

2 Chapel View Cottage

Thirn

Ripon

North Yorkshire

HG4 4AU

Tel: 01677 460 415

Mob: 07999 553 029

Email: wcs.soot@gmail.com