New Wood Burning Stove = Fire Alarm

[Adam]

Hi All,

I've just completed installing a new small (3kW) wood burning stove in an old chimney, including a chimney liner. Everything seemed OK, and the fire was lit for a couple of hours yesterday (and made nasty paint smells, but apparently that's normal.)

However, today I've had it going on full blast for an hour and a half or so and the fire alarms in my house started going off. :( I can't see any smoke leaking out anywhere and all the joints and seals seem fine so I don't understand what's going on. The alarms carried on going off until I'd opened all the doors and windows and closed down the fire. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks a lot, Adam

[Davy]

I think there are two types of alarms; those that react to smoke and those that react to smokeless combustion. What have you got. Davy

[soup]

Are you sure they aren't "heat alarms" rather than smoke alarms ?

I remember my digs when I was at college were forever having fire alarms. "They" had fitted smoke detectors in the living room/kitchen so that everytime someone burned toast it was the full, everyone evacuated, six fire engines (this the females [and some males]seemed to love as all these hunky fiemen would be about the place) performance. This was all solved when they removed the smoke detectors from the living room/kitchen and installed "heat detectors.

[Adam]

Not sure. The alarms were fitted already when we moved in. How can you tell?

Thanks, Adam

[cynic]

You did install adequate air supply vents didn't you?

[Gel]

You may need to consider CO alarms too.

Smoke alarm guidance here:

To ascertain type you have, is there some indication printed on outside of alarm?

If not take alarm off ceiling, look at label; if Ionisation type there'll be a radioactive warning symbol

[Adam]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

Hmm, well, no. The fire is only small so doesn't require a dedicated permanent air supply and the house is old (draughty front door into the room with the fire) but I guess it could be the reason.

Re. the fire alarms - they've got the radiation warning.

Anyway, I've had the fire on twice since I wrote the post above and haven't had any problems. I'm beginning to think maybe the problem was an unlucky combination of the open vents on the fire (I had the "spinwheel" on the front open for a while at the time). In any case I'll get one of those smoke pellets and test it out with that just to be sure.

Cheers, Adam