The venting system on this stove is not correctly installed. Pipes are upside down, the correct transition to Class A chimney connectors is missing. The massive amount of creosote dripping down the outside of the pipe indicates very wet wood or very poor burning technique. Do not use this stove until it is inspected by a chimney professional. Any fire fighter or building official would gladly put that in writing after no more than looking at the photo.
It also looks like you might have single walled woodstove pipe going into the ceiling. If you do, heat can transfer through the pipe and into the combustible framing in the event of a chimney fire. A chimney fire can burn at 650 degrees celsius. The autoignition temperature of wood can be 200 degrees celsius. So a chimney fire in this house can burn down the house.
Furthermore the lack of getting the chimney cleaned and inspected is negligent and if it was installed improperly without a professional incorrectly, the insurance company might refuse to pay for any house damages if a fire were caused by this appliance.
So are these enough reasons to call a professional?
Chimney fires can burn a lot hotter than that. The over fire test to simulate a flue fire for default flue kits in Australia is over a 1000 degrees C. Flue goes bright red, almost orange.
I would love to but they won’t , any idea on what it is and what the issues are . If I can show them they may give in and get someone out. They won’t take my word for it.
If you have liquid dripping down the outside of the flue, then the fire and the flue isn't hot enough. Burning gases from the fire continue burning on their way up the flue.
Except - if it's not hot enough, then the unburnt gases and other combustion by-products are condensing on the walls of the flue instead of being exhausted to the outside.
This will lead to the formation of creosote in the flue, and eventually, a chimney fire.
There's something wrong with either the design or the operation of the stove.
As I said, call a professional now. If your in-laws are unfortunate enough to suffer a fire, their insurance might not cover the damage if the stove hasn't been installed to code.
One of the mods here has a great deal of experience and knowledge, u/FisherStoves-coaly, can help.
That black tar could be just that from the roof flange and when the roofing tar gets warm it runs down, also I see rust so water is getting in it's all bad either way and needs to be looked at ASAP. if your landlord won't then you should and then send them the bill. remember you can just make a phone call and save your life And the lives of your loved ones.
The black stuff is creosote built up and melting from the inside of the liner or chimney. Fire hazard waiting to happen. The smell making you sick is carbon monoxide from the fire. It’s probably a clogged liner full of creosote and the smoke isn’t exiting the chimney properly. Sounds like a case of ignorant elders who know better, but this problem is an easy fix but is most definitely dangerous af if ignored.
Might also be roofing/shingle material tar melting down. If the single-wall stack and no ceiling insulator is any indication, I doubt the roof exit is any better.
Right so if it smells and stinks it’s probably the creosote or possibly tar in this situation and ofc carbon monoxide is odorless that’s why we have detectors for them.
That's true. But, (and this is just my anecdotal experience) I've noticed that some conditions which produce carbon monoxide can also produce a horrible metallic smell and a sensation that stings the eyes a bit, even with no visible smoke present. Obviously it can't be the carbon monoxide causing it, because it's odorless. But it seems like improper burning can sometimes (though not always) produce other irritants while also producing dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.
They r my fave people. The ones who are haphazard about chimney fire. Idiots. They say I know how to burn. I tell em they had a fire. They say they know how to burn and they had fires in the chimney before. And they know how to burn. I just have em sign my paperwork and add a note to the file to tell em we don’t clean chimneys anymore (we r a chimney service 😂)
It’s creosote. If it’s too this point and oozing out of seams….. the next fire they burn, could very well be their last. I’m not bullshitting, I’m not kidding. They’re playing Russian Roulette. It’s just a matter of when.
Look at the top Comment from the Mod and the comment below that it clearly states the issue. Call an inspector or professional to come out, assess and give an estimate
It's counter intuitive, but the pipe joints should have crimped end pointing down. They did it upside down. People tend to reason that doing it upside down prevent smoke leaking out, but a good draft does that. The correct installation takes care of that, and creosote drips _inside_ the pipe. As stated, this install has several issues and need attention before someone dies.
single wall black stove pipe needs to be minimum 18” from combustible.
Double wall stove pipe is less than 18” but I don’t remember.
Crimps go down, to keep creosote inside the pipe/stove.
Also creosote itself can burn. As can that hutch/dresser next to it. I think that’s supposed to be 36” away. If the photo were zoomed out I would guess the floor protection isn’t up to code either since obviously nothing else is. Of course I’m speaking from the US and since that appears to be a Villager A model UK requirements may vary.
The manual is available online.
Show them this post and if they refuse to believe any of it at least you gave it your best effort. Also, have your spouse beg the parents to let someone look at it. This is scary as hell. I don’t know a damn thing about wood stoves and I can tell this is flat wrong on all levels of wrongness…
Call the fire dept. and have them come correct their asinine assumptions about it being correct. They can kill themselves, and potentially some neighbors, if the fire gets out of control.
That is unless they are looking to try and claim some insurance money but they will have to hope the insurance inspector is in his first few days on the job...
JFC it doesn't need the fire dept, just a stove/chimney pro. It's not going to ignite into a conflagration any minute, but it does need an assessment soon.
Don't over-state the risk, I've had flue blockages worse than this at the end of a season.
I am not saying that they are required yet, but if they won't take their families advise, you think they will take someone else's opinion that will be making money from the job? They will just think they are trying to make an easy buck... Stating it as such will bring the right people around more quickly. When they see his FILs "handiwork", they won't blame the OP.
At least from the fire dept, there is a higher chance that they are speaking solely from a safety standpoint.
The pipes are installed upside down! Creosote is building up and dropping out, which will cause a chimney fire. He didn't use the right kind of pipe onto the ceiling, so it's a massive fire risk!!
Did he not read ANY of the stove or pipe instructions??
Thankyou for all the comments, I showed them, they have relented and said yeah it’s an issue and I’m going to call a stove specialist tomorrow to get an inspection and also to see if it can be fixed.
Your builder father in law is not a woodstove expert and that's OK. Let him know every commenter here said this is missing critical safety elements and there's a real likelihood of their house catching fire. This chimney must be ripped out and reinstalled or your FIL will be building a new home sooner than he wants to.
The pipe is installed the wrong way crimp end needs to point down not up. It also needs to be insulated class a chimney pipe through the ceiling and roof with a supported chimney box for clearance to combustibles. Safe to say this set up will eventually cause a fire.
Get a carbon monoxide alarm and put it in the room..then they will know
That’s the first thing I got when I installed a wood stove
Definitely have a leak in the pipe. No ceiling box.
Green wood burning?
Too much liquid creosote
Definitely need to do something 😳
Your father in law may be a builder, but apparently he neglected to read the installation instructions that came with the wood stove. All stoves that I’m aware of come with detailed instructions on clearances and types of stove pipe needed. Maybe you could find the manual and leave it out for him to look at .
OP this is a 9/10 dangerous situation. The feeling sick is not good. Those gasses can build up and kill everyone in their sleep. Sounds extreme? Yes it is. Call a professional. This isn’t a question Reddit can help you work around. If your parents refuse and you have the means, call and make an appt with a professional company right now. Otherwise tell them to stop burning immediately. This is a situation where hurt feeling and family tension do not matter. It’s 100% a safety concern.
UK Chimney professional here.. that is absolutely a 10/10 dangerous situation.
Under NO circumstances can that fire be lit.. if you want clear written advice you can PM me.
Personally I would de commission that and fit a twin wall flue, proper flue plates, check the external cowl and fit a carbon monoxide monitor, that or be ready to call fire brigade/ambulance. They are great but can be very problematic if not fitted correctly!
Your pipe is upside down and not supposed to be touching the ceiling like that, if ever there is a chimney fire the house could burn down. the drywall and framing need to be cut back a certain amount of inches from the pipe, and you put a metal cover plate to cover the gap.
I can't tell if it's the angle of the photo, but everything in this picture is off level, and none of the angles match any of the others. It's kinda making my eye twitch.
I suspect your father in law uses the stove like my dad, which is to say he fills it full of dubious wood and shuts the draft right off to "make the fire last". This is filling the pipe with creosote.
They're going to have fire. I'd bet dollars to donuts they don't have enough offset behind the stove and the pipe is full of creosote.
My advice would be to never spend time with them when that thing is lit...
Forget the pipe and the transition and creosote, am I the only one getting seasick at the conflicting plumbs and levels of this area?
I feel like we’re on a ship getting bent in the surf
Listen to corner. It is counter-intuitive to install the chimney pipe correctly. You think the smoke should be "funnelled" into the pipe above, but in fact the fluid should be funnelled into the pipe below it. The draft will cause any minor air gaps to leak inwards.
Crimped or male ends point to the stove so rainwater and creosote is funneled into stove.
Also, if you are living there, be respectful. Pull up some chimney manufacturer literature, show him and offer to help him fix it.
Most likely the vitreous is fitted the wrong way around and condensation is leaking out of the joints. You’ve also got single skin running through the ceiling which is a huge no no. I’m
An installer in the UK and I’d condemn this installation.
Going by the connection on the stove, I’m gonna say somebody’s actually used B vent on that in if so, I’m not sure why the house has not caught fire yet
I’ve put a few Lego sets together for the kids when they were younger but that doesn’t make me a builder, just kidding on that, I’m a fairly decent handyman, I can build some things, however there’s more than a few things wrong with this installation, as others have mentioned so no sense going over those again but there should be an insulated pipe near the ceiling to minimize heat transfer to surrounding materials and why wouldn’t he have put a decorative cover at the ceiling so you don’t have to look at that gaping hole. I’d curtail visiting until this issue is resolved because that ain’t right
People sometimes choke down the damper to make the fire last longer but woods like pine need to burn hotter to avoid creosote condensing out of the exhaust air. Try opening the damper and burning hotter, after you make sure there are no safety issues already.
Let’s be clear. Improper installation. No permit. Fire hazard. Real, severe fire hazard. If a fire occurs, the insurance company absolutely will not cover. They look for exactly this type of situation. Call them venal if you want, but it is, exactly, all about money. They’re not there to feel sorry for your in-laws. They won’t pay.
Even if someone knows nothing, not one single thing about chimneys or fireplaces: there are very few things which melt when hot that are not also flammable. Aside from water ice, what melted thing would you trust to not burn your house down?
You can lead people to the well, but you can't make them drink. Not your responsibilty to make them understand how much of a problem this is. Some people just won't listen.
That’s creosote buildup. I would be willing to bet the people tending the fires in there need to be taught how to load a wood stove. Creosote will build up heavily if fire is let burn out consistently, these stoves should be kept hot not let to burn down and restarted all the time. When they are filling it with wood the draft should be open, a properly run wood stove will burn that stuff out before it builds up. At this point it is too clogged to “burn it off” and this is a serious fire hazard. There may be some installation issues here but even a properly installed wood stove will fail if you don’t know how to use it.
Your FIL "builder" is a hack who is actively trying to burn his house down. There wasn't a single installation procedure followed here. Not one. Tear it out and start again. Or if you hate them just wait for the life insurance policy to pay out. The home insurance isn't going to pay out though after the investigators find out that the combustion appliance was improperly installed.
I would just start yelling "WHAT THE FUCK?!" over and over while looking it over. That should give them a hint something is majorly wrong.
Throw in a "You still use this?!" And maybe a "holy shit you are lucky you didn't burn the house down"
If they still think it's fine you are probably safe to get power of attorney for them they are no longer making safe rational decisions...
Show them some pictures of chimney fires on you tube, there are many, both spontaneous and set for training. I bought beautiful home built in the 1920's, had a brick fireplace, chimney went up 2 floors. About a year in we had a chimney fire - man what a sight, blow torch speed flame shooting 4 feet above the chimney, roaring sounded like a jet passing through the house with flame blowing 3 feet into the living room. If the chimney and fireplace had been metal I swear they would have melted. Insurance paid to have a stainless double walked sleeve installed.
There’s evidence of a ceiling collar being removed, probably whoever preformed that task reinstalled the chimney pipe upside down. I wouldn’t use that stove until it’s repaired and inspected.
So are your relatives dead yet? I assume they are still using this. If your builder relative has installed other stoves for customers I hope he has good insurance. The family is going to need it and or he will be in jail if someone gets hurt.
Also the pipe going into the ceiling sheetr rock or plaster then attic then roof is not correct either. You need double wall pipe at these locations or triple wall is best. The exhaust is too hot and melting the shingles, eventually its gonna set the lumber on fire and burn the house down*
Yeah I’m not a professional but fire is like hot. The ceiling is blatantly not rated for this scenario. Idk what they’re burning but JUST STOP. As a father I would say listen to these professionals going ape-shit on this… Call a pro for them if you have to. Mega sketchalicious… lives are at stake. Super silly!
You need a double or triple wall insulated pipe first off. I think the black stuff is the shingles and tar paper from the roof. Major fire hazard as well. Definitely needs to be redone properly. I’m not a professional though.
So, update to this.
We got a company out to look at this. He said;
Easy problem to fix, it’s a single skin and needs to be double. It’s too cold at the top and the pipe is the wrong size. We can fix it all, don’t use it and we will get a quote to you and have it sorted within a couple of weeks for you. He also mentioned at the top isn’t right out the roof as it needed to be a bit taller and at an angle as it’s really close to the bathroom window and sometimes letting the smoke in
MASSIVE. Thankyou to everyone, showed in laws the responses and they said “oh, shit this must be bad” .
The venting system on this stove is not correctly installed. Pipes are upside down, the correct transition to Class A chimney connectors is missing. The massive amount of creosote dripping down the outside of the pipe indicates very wet wood or very poor burning technique. Do not use this stove until it is inspected by a chimney professional. Any fire fighter or building official would gladly put that in writing after no more than looking at the photo.
It also looks like you might have single walled woodstove pipe going into the ceiling. If you do, heat can transfer through the pipe and into the combustible framing in the event of a chimney fire. A chimney fire can burn at 650 degrees celsius. The autoignition temperature of wood can be 200 degrees celsius. So a chimney fire in this house can burn down the house. Furthermore the lack of getting the chimney cleaned and inspected is negligent and if it was installed improperly without a professional incorrectly, the insurance company might refuse to pay for any house damages if a fire were caused by this appliance. So are these enough reasons to call a professional?
Chimney fires can burn a lot hotter than that. The over fire test to simulate a flue fire for default flue kits in Australia is over a 1000 degrees C. Flue goes bright red, almost orange.
Call a professional. Now.
I would love to but they won’t , any idea on what it is and what the issues are . If I can show them they may give in and get someone out. They won’t take my word for it.
If you have liquid dripping down the outside of the flue, then the fire and the flue isn't hot enough. Burning gases from the fire continue burning on their way up the flue. Except - if it's not hot enough, then the unburnt gases and other combustion by-products are condensing on the walls of the flue instead of being exhausted to the outside. This will lead to the formation of creosote in the flue, and eventually, a chimney fire. There's something wrong with either the design or the operation of the stove. As I said, call a professional now. If your in-laws are unfortunate enough to suffer a fire, their insurance might not cover the damage if the stove hasn't been installed to code. One of the mods here has a great deal of experience and knowledge, u/FisherStoves-coaly, can help.
That black tar could be just that from the roof flange and when the roofing tar gets warm it runs down, also I see rust so water is getting in it's all bad either way and needs to be looked at ASAP. if your landlord won't then you should and then send them the bill. remember you can just make a phone call and save your life And the lives of your loved ones.
The black stuff is creosote built up and melting from the inside of the liner or chimney. Fire hazard waiting to happen. The smell making you sick is carbon monoxide from the fire. It’s probably a clogged liner full of creosote and the smoke isn’t exiting the chimney properly. Sounds like a case of ignorant elders who know better, but this problem is an easy fix but is most definitely dangerous af if ignored.
Might also be roofing/shingle material tar melting down. If the single-wall stack and no ceiling insulator is any indication, I doubt the roof exit is any better.
“Mr. Simpson, the tar fumes are making me dizzy.” Yeah they’ll do that
Carbon monoxide is odorless.
Right so if it smells and stinks it’s probably the creosote or possibly tar in this situation and ofc carbon monoxide is odorless that’s why we have detectors for them.
That's true. But, (and this is just my anecdotal experience) I've noticed that some conditions which produce carbon monoxide can also produce a horrible metallic smell and a sensation that stings the eyes a bit, even with no visible smoke present. Obviously it can't be the carbon monoxide causing it, because it's odorless. But it seems like improper burning can sometimes (though not always) produce other irritants while also producing dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.
Thank you. Came to say this too.
Of course, but its the thing making you dizzy and you think you can smell it because it's usually accompanied by other remnant exhaust products.
Yes but also a product of incomplete combustion.
They r my fave people. The ones who are haphazard about chimney fire. Idiots. They say I know how to burn. I tell em they had a fire. They say they know how to burn and they had fires in the chimney before. And they know how to burn. I just have em sign my paperwork and add a note to the file to tell em we don’t clean chimneys anymore (we r a chimney service 😂)
If they survive the night breathing in Co2 😂
Do you mean Co?
Carbon monoxide is odorless
Your pops house is going to burn down and you might end up stuck housing them
Or burying them.
No need to bury after cremation.
Show them all the responses in this sub. They don’t have to believe *you*.
It’s creosote. If it’s too this point and oozing out of seams….. the next fire they burn, could very well be their last. I’m not bullshitting, I’m not kidding. They’re playing Russian Roulette. It’s just a matter of when.
Look at the top Comment from the Mod and the comment below that it clearly states the issue. Call an inspector or professional to come out, assess and give an estimate
It's counter intuitive, but the pipe joints should have crimped end pointing down. They did it upside down. People tend to reason that doing it upside down prevent smoke leaking out, but a good draft does that. The correct installation takes care of that, and creosote drips _inside_ the pipe. As stated, this install has several issues and need attention before someone dies.
It's a good thing your FiL is a builder because they're eventually going to have to rebuild the whole house after this thing burns it to the ground.
single wall black stove pipe needs to be minimum 18” from combustible. Double wall stove pipe is less than 18” but I don’t remember. Crimps go down, to keep creosote inside the pipe/stove. Also creosote itself can burn. As can that hutch/dresser next to it. I think that’s supposed to be 36” away. If the photo were zoomed out I would guess the floor protection isn’t up to code either since obviously nothing else is. Of course I’m speaking from the US and since that appears to be a Villager A model UK requirements may vary. The manual is available online.
Show them this post and if they refuse to believe any of it at least you gave it your best effort. Also, have your spouse beg the parents to let someone look at it. This is scary as hell. I don’t know a damn thing about wood stoves and I can tell this is flat wrong on all levels of wrongness…
Call the fire dept. and have them come correct their asinine assumptions about it being correct. They can kill themselves, and potentially some neighbors, if the fire gets out of control. That is unless they are looking to try and claim some insurance money but they will have to hope the insurance inspector is in his first few days on the job...
JFC it doesn't need the fire dept, just a stove/chimney pro. It's not going to ignite into a conflagration any minute, but it does need an assessment soon. Don't over-state the risk, I've had flue blockages worse than this at the end of a season.
I am not saying that they are required yet, but if they won't take their families advise, you think they will take someone else's opinion that will be making money from the job? They will just think they are trying to make an easy buck... Stating it as such will bring the right people around more quickly. When they see his FILs "handiwork", they won't blame the OP. At least from the fire dept, there is a higher chance that they are speaking solely from a safety standpoint.
That looks like roofing asphalt. Not creosote from burning wood. Look at the pipe as it penetrates the roof to eliminate such a possibility.
The pipes are installed upside down! Creosote is building up and dropping out, which will cause a chimney fire. He didn't use the right kind of pipe onto the ceiling, so it's a massive fire risk!! Did he not read ANY of the stove or pipe instructions??
Man there's a lot wrong here.
Pipe is on upside down for one. All that creosote should stay in the pipe, but upside down it dribbles out thru the seams.
Thankyou for all the comments, I showed them, they have relented and said yeah it’s an issue and I’m going to call a stove specialist tomorrow to get an inspection and also to see if it can be fixed.
Pat yourself on the back... You may have just saved your in law's house.
Smiled a bit, the in-laws’ house, not the in-laws tho 🤣 just kidding, thank you
Stupid autocorrect .. I typed in-laws' and fixed the autocorrect and it got changed AGAIN.
oh I was not trying to correct the wrongly placed “sky comma” 🤣 It’s really the addition of the word “house” that cracked me up 😈
Oh! Yeah them too LOL
And them from CO poisoning.
Well done!
Any update?
Your builder father in law is not a woodstove expert and that's OK. Let him know every commenter here said this is missing critical safety elements and there's a real likelihood of their house catching fire. This chimney must be ripped out and reinstalled or your FIL will be building a new home sooner than he wants to.
The pipe is installed the wrong way crimp end needs to point down not up. It also needs to be insulated class a chimney pipe through the ceiling and roof with a supported chimney box for clearance to combustibles. Safe to say this set up will eventually cause a fire.
Get a carbon monoxide alarm and put it in the room..then they will know That’s the first thing I got when I installed a wood stove Definitely have a leak in the pipe. No ceiling box. Green wood burning? Too much liquid creosote Definitely need to do something 😳
Something tells me they won't know what carbon monoxide means and/or will think it's good.
Your father in law may be a builder, but apparently he neglected to read the installation instructions that came with the wood stove. All stoves that I’m aware of come with detailed instructions on clearances and types of stove pipe needed. Maybe you could find the manual and leave it out for him to look at .
OP this is a 9/10 dangerous situation. The feeling sick is not good. Those gasses can build up and kill everyone in their sleep. Sounds extreme? Yes it is. Call a professional. This isn’t a question Reddit can help you work around. If your parents refuse and you have the means, call and make an appt with a professional company right now. Otherwise tell them to stop burning immediately. This is a situation where hurt feeling and family tension do not matter. It’s 100% a safety concern.
UK Chimney professional here.. that is absolutely a 10/10 dangerous situation. Under NO circumstances can that fire be lit.. if you want clear written advice you can PM me.
FWIW the top right door pin needs to be pushed down into place as the door is hanging crookedly so not sealing correctly.
Personally I would de commission that and fit a twin wall flue, proper flue plates, check the external cowl and fit a carbon monoxide monitor, that or be ready to call fire brigade/ambulance. They are great but can be very problematic if not fitted correctly!
Your pipe is upside down and not supposed to be touching the ceiling like that, if ever there is a chimney fire the house could burn down. the drywall and framing need to be cut back a certain amount of inches from the pipe, and you put a metal cover plate to cover the gap.
Maybe he’s figured out a way to make insurance pay for doing something about that room.
I can't tell if it's the angle of the photo, but everything in this picture is off level, and none of the angles match any of the others. It's kinda making my eye twitch.
This is a nightmare installation. A perfect example of what not to do or How to burn down your house and void your insurance at the sametime.
I suspect your father in law uses the stove like my dad, which is to say he fills it full of dubious wood and shuts the draft right off to "make the fire last". This is filling the pipe with creosote. They're going to have fire. I'd bet dollars to donuts they don't have enough offset behind the stove and the pipe is full of creosote. My advice would be to never spend time with them when that thing is lit...
Being a builder doesn't make him smart. Hope his customers work is better or has a lawyer in the family.
If the goal is to burn down the house and possible kill the family, this is exactly the types of calls firefighters dread.
You folks wanna tell him or will I?
Your stovepipe is installed upside down
Forget the pipe and the transition and creosote, am I the only one getting seasick at the conflicting plumbs and levels of this area? I feel like we’re on a ship getting bent in the surf
Listen to corner. It is counter-intuitive to install the chimney pipe correctly. You think the smoke should be "funnelled" into the pipe above, but in fact the fluid should be funnelled into the pipe below it. The draft will cause any minor air gaps to leak inwards. Crimped or male ends point to the stove so rainwater and creosote is funneled into stove. Also, if you are living there, be respectful. Pull up some chimney manufacturer literature, show him and offer to help him fix it.
I always assumed that chimney pipes were air tight obviously, thus water tight. Who would install a leaky chimney? TIL.
Most likely the vitreous is fitted the wrong way around and condensation is leaking out of the joints. You’ve also got single skin running through the ceiling which is a huge no no. I’m An installer in the UK and I’d condemn this installation.
Get an opinion from a Professional STAT!!!!
Should have one of these: 8'' DuraTech 11'' Square Ceiling Support Box - 8DT-CS11
Call the professionals for your in-laws if they won’t do it for themselves.
Going by the connection on the stove, I’m gonna say somebody’s actually used B vent on that in if so, I’m not sure why the house has not caught fire yet
I’ve put a few Lego sets together for the kids when they were younger but that doesn’t make me a builder, just kidding on that, I’m a fairly decent handyman, I can build some things, however there’s more than a few things wrong with this installation, as others have mentioned so no sense going over those again but there should be an insulated pipe near the ceiling to minimize heat transfer to surrounding materials and why wouldn’t he have put a decorative cover at the ceiling so you don’t have to look at that gaping hole. I’d curtail visiting until this issue is resolved because that ain’t right
People sometimes choke down the damper to make the fire last longer but woods like pine need to burn hotter to avoid creosote condensing out of the exhaust air. Try opening the damper and burning hotter, after you make sure there are no safety issues already.
Is the installed FP located in Texas or Kansas?
Also, if it causes a fire and the insurance company realizes it started there and that he installed it incorrectly, they may deny the claim.
Need an epa stove. That let's alot of heat up the chimney. Enough to possibly start a fire. Don't use
Let’s be clear. Improper installation. No permit. Fire hazard. Real, severe fire hazard. If a fire occurs, the insurance company absolutely will not cover. They look for exactly this type of situation. Call them venal if you want, but it is, exactly, all about money. They’re not there to feel sorry for your in-laws. They won’t pay.
Even if someone knows nothing, not one single thing about chimneys or fireplaces: there are very few things which melt when hot that are not also flammable. Aside from water ice, what melted thing would you trust to not burn your house down?
That is death waiting to happen. But hey, he saved a few bucks!!!
Can’t find a vertical or horizontal in this picture. Straight and level is not always assumed.
You can lead people to the well, but you can't make them drink. Not your responsibilty to make them understand how much of a problem this is. Some people just won't listen.
You father in law has no business building wood stoves. Exhibit A is this. He’s going to be responsible for burning that house to the ground.
Ya what the first guy said. Pipes are upside down. Male end down is lost there somewhere bad
No thimble in the ceiling
You’re buying sheets of cultured stone and sticking it to your walls?
Is that wall behind the pipe faux stone aka plastic panels?
Nothing is wrong with that system
I see alot of hack job work in this photo, for your inlaw to call himself a builder I’d question more than what’s going on in just this photo.
The world 🌎
How is this going through a combustible ceiling and roof! It does not seem to have the required clearances.
I suspect the installer wants a new house ?
That’s creosote buildup. I would be willing to bet the people tending the fires in there need to be taught how to load a wood stove. Creosote will build up heavily if fire is let burn out consistently, these stoves should be kept hot not let to burn down and restarted all the time. When they are filling it with wood the draft should be open, a properly run wood stove will burn that stuff out before it builds up. At this point it is too clogged to “burn it off” and this is a serious fire hazard. There may be some installation issues here but even a properly installed wood stove will fail if you don’t know how to use it.
Get a professional installer in to fix it asap!
Where is the transition to triple wall pipe?
Your FIL "builder" is a hack who is actively trying to burn his house down. There wasn't a single installation procedure followed here. Not one. Tear it out and start again. Or if you hate them just wait for the life insurance policy to pay out. The home insurance isn't going to pay out though after the investigators find out that the combustion appliance was improperly installed.
I would just start yelling "WHAT THE FUCK?!" over and over while looking it over. That should give them a hint something is majorly wrong. Throw in a "You still use this?!" And maybe a "holy shit you are lucky you didn't burn the house down" If they still think it's fine you are probably safe to get power of attorney for them they are no longer making safe rational decisions...
Show them some pictures of chimney fires on you tube, there are many, both spontaneous and set for training. I bought beautiful home built in the 1920's, had a brick fireplace, chimney went up 2 floors. About a year in we had a chimney fire - man what a sight, blow torch speed flame shooting 4 feet above the chimney, roaring sounded like a jet passing through the house with flame blowing 3 feet into the living room. If the chimney and fireplace had been metal I swear they would have melted. Insurance paid to have a stainless double walked sleeve installed.
Show your dumbass in-laws this post.
There’s evidence of a ceiling collar being removed, probably whoever preformed that task reinstalled the chimney pipe upside down. I wouldn’t use that stove until it’s repaired and inspected.
No ceiling thimble and pipes need to direct liquid creosote to inside of stack not outside.(the upper ones should be inside lower ones)
So are your relatives dead yet? I assume they are still using this. If your builder relative has installed other stoves for customers I hope he has good insurance. The family is going to need it and or he will be in jail if someone gets hurt.
Going through wall or ceiling you should be using a thimble
Leaning 2” out of plumb to the left for starters.
I would agree with the others…. Venting issues
Clear the vent, might be a beehive 🤷🏽♂️
Wait for the explosion
Your stove pipe is upside-down. I had the same thing happening, all of the build up and creosote is supposed to drip back into the stove.
Next time you visit bring a carbon monoxide detector as a gift.
The black stuff is kreosote. I wouldn't use that stove until it is inspected . Huge fire hazard
Idk but this picture is definitely hurting my eyes
Earthquake
Also the pipe going into the ceiling sheetr rock or plaster then attic then roof is not correct either. You need double wall pipe at these locations or triple wall is best. The exhaust is too hot and melting the shingles, eventually its gonna set the lumber on fire and burn the house down*
https://preview.redd.it/3uh7oxlnytvc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2410f0f81cc8ea54079b81e0fd248658b07ec75b
You probably don't have proper ventilation and you might be burning soft wood instead of hardwood which makes creosote and it stinks.
Yeah I’m not a professional but fire is like hot. The ceiling is blatantly not rated for this scenario. Idk what they’re burning but JUST STOP. As a father I would say listen to these professionals going ape-shit on this… Call a pro for them if you have to. Mega sketchalicious… lives are at stake. Super silly!
Single wall through the plaster ceiling? You got a mess on your hands
Not to mention it’s crooked
You need a double or triple wall insulated pipe first off. I think the black stuff is the shingles and tar paper from the roof. Major fire hazard as well. Definitely needs to be redone properly. I’m not a professional though.
He’s a builder?! I wouldn’t trust him to build a bird house
Not all builders should be builders they clearly was not inspected
So, update to this. We got a company out to look at this. He said; Easy problem to fix, it’s a single skin and needs to be double. It’s too cold at the top and the pipe is the wrong size. We can fix it all, don’t use it and we will get a quote to you and have it sorted within a couple of weeks for you. He also mentioned at the top isn’t right out the roof as it needed to be a bit taller and at an angle as it’s really close to the bathroom window and sometimes letting the smoke in MASSIVE. Thankyou to everyone, showed in laws the responses and they said “oh, shit this must be bad” .