Chimney brush not coming out of top of chimney

[Tampon]

I have pretty much answered my own question but not being a roofer or ever up on a roof looking at a chimney thought I would check.

I have just brushed my chimney and the brush stoops right at the top. Went outside to see if it is up and out but no. Thought the pot might be not open vertically and just vent through the side holes. As it is raining right now and nothing coming down the chimney, and the soot is slowing drawing up the pot I think I am fine.

I measured the length of the brushes and I am right to the top of the pot so not blocked in the stack. Just the top

Comments?

[pidsy]

Do you have a chimney cowl? Could that be stopping the brush?

Birds nest should have come out so it’s got be a physical part of the chimney top.

[Tampon]

This is the pot, looking at it closely the holes don't show any light so defo closed from the top. Our front stack is the same and we have a bit burner in that one.

All looks good.

Now just to fit the burner

[mickyh7]

Don't you have a friend called 'Bert?

[pidsy]

I’d be concerned about trying to vent a fires worth of smoke out through so few holes. I’d want to open that back up properly.

Had an issue recently with one of the houses here that had a curved cowl which was deemed too enclosed for proper ventilation so yesterday I had the job of modifying it.



Cut through each side where the curved section was fixed. The sticky finish to the top of the chimney is evidence of the resident burning unseasoned wood and all sorts of other stuff in the fire.

The chimney sweep was happy to certificate it after this.
Ours here is an open double and other than when it’s completely vertical rain (we can hear the odd drop coming down) we don’t have any issues.

[Tampon]

Cheers pidsy, the other fire vents fine.

Main worry was something blocking it but it make sense now.

Covered in soot and need a beer

Edited by Tampon on Saturday 24th October 12:24

[pidsy]

It’d be well worth getting a proper sweep in who can tell you what the issue is within minutes.
Getting it swept and certificated will keep your house insurance provider happy too.

All of us who live here are in “tied” houses so as a part of our living here, we have to have chimneys swept and cert’d yearly - otherwise our insurance gets tricky.

You could buy some smoke pellets off Amazon and do a test just to make sure.

[Tampon]

I smoke tested the last one in the living room, this one you can here the wind whipping across when it picks up, shut fall down when it does and the dust suck up so we are good.

It will be smoke tested and everything checked when we fit it. Currently it looks like this, just getting dirty jobs done while I can

Edited by Tampon on Saturday 24th October 12:23

Edited by Tampon on Saturday 24th October 12:25

[pidsy]

[wolfracesonic]

Hard to know exactly what’s going on from the pic OP but that looks like a pepper pot cowl, meant mainly to keep the rain out of redundant flues, they have a ‘lid’ so no wonder you can’t push your brushes out the top.

[njw1]

As said, you have one of these one top of your chimney;



They're used to cap off unused flues and still provide ventilation, I'm not an expert but I'm sure they're not to be used on a live flue

[Tampon]

Jesus if that is the case then our other burner has been running incorrectly.

Be good to know more if anyone knows for sure.

Cheers

[shtu]

Yep, that's a vent cap. Stop using the fire until that has been removed, replace it with a cowl.

https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/chimney-pots-and-c...

[Tampon]

Cheers, lucky we aren't in the house as having building work done.

I will have to get the pot replaced, as we are there the burner will get a liner as well


Thank you

[pquinn]

Pot probably doesn't need replacing, just the cap lifting out. They're usually just dropped on loose.

[lj04]

When we moved in to our cottage 9 years ago I had both chimneys swept. I felt confident of having a good sweep when this old chap in his 70s appeared. They he told me he had only been a sweep for 3 years. He said both chimneys were ok, luckily I noticed the front chimney stack had a few bricks removed in the loft before I went to use it.

[dhutch]

njw1 said:

As said, you have one of these one top of your chimney;


They're used to cap off unused flues and still provide ventilation.

I does look like it, presumably its cemented on, else I would expect you would have pushed it out by now!

Daniel

[Tampon]

dhutch said:

njw1 said:

As said, you have one of these one top of your chimney;


They're used to cap off unused flues and still provide ventilation.

I does look like it, presumably its cemented on, else I would expect you would have pushed it out by now!

Daniel

Hmmmm, now he wonders if he can push it off with the brush...

[shtu]

Great idea, until you start pondering where it might land.

[dhutch]

shtu said:

Great idea, until you start pondering where it might land.

First on the roof, breaking a few tiles, then on the car!