Boiler causing chimney fire

[Millsy 82]

I got called out to an oil boiler today which apparently caused a chimney fire. When I got there I found the flue and liner had been removed by the fire brigade to get any debris out the liner was in good condition and so was the cowl.

Now assuming the cowl was properly cemented in so no twigs etc can get down the out side is there any way that the chimney can catch fire unless some random bird has decided to poke twigs through the cowl instead of making a nest.

 

[Best]

Cowls are better with stainless steel mesh around them to stop birds falling into flue or shoving sticks down it. Some cowls thankfully are made with mesh fitted.
Boiler going bad & heavy sooting are most likely cause of fire.

 

[Roger Welton]

Have seen chimney fires on oil boilers in the past due to being heavily sooted which then caught light

 

[Best]

Have seen chimney fires on oil boilers in the past due to being heavily sooted which then caught light

Yes, & not nice if you try to vacumn the heavy sooted boiler & there is a spark in the middle of the soot! Cleaner bag goes on fire, it's filter burns & holes & smoke plus soot enter the cleaners motor! :grin:

 

[Millsy 82]

I had a good look at the flue liner and it didnt look too bad unless it all burnt away or the fire brigade cleaned it out to make sure there was no chance of it starting again (which would probably of been the case) and the boiler was fairly clean inside it was serviced end of last year which it looked like their was a bit of soot on the top baffles but what I would expect from having a flue liner removed.

 

[Roger Welton]

Yes, & not nice if you try to vacumn the heavy sooted boiler & there is a spark in the middle of the soot! Cleaner bag goes on fire, it's filter burns & holes & smoke plus soot enter the cleaners motor! :grin:

Have had to get fire brigade out when opened door on large sectional boiler which had been reported as smelling to find it full of smouldering soot, as soon as door was opened it flared up, live never swung a door shut so quickly in my life, had flames out of the top of the chimney. On a positive note the fire brigade flushed the boiler clean when they had there hose down the flue, though the boiler room floor needed more attention.

It turned out the boiler had been belching black smoke for around a week before they thought to call any one. The issue with the burner was the small pin that held the air shutter to the oil ram, so was remaining in the low fire position.

 

[Dotty]

Nuway NOL's are swine's for that. the air damper can seize too giving you first stage air with second stage oil. then you've a huge clean up on your hands! and so easily prevented by a squirt of wd40!

 

[Roger Welton]

Agree about the Nu ways event though the oil rams seem well made they still like to stick, though I this case it was a Riello g20 soft start and the pin that attaches the air flap to the oil ram had come adrift.