One of the most common causes of chimney fires and carbon monoxide risk, is attempting to burn wood that has not been seasoned correctly. Wood with too high a moisture content will burn inefficiently and can very quickly coat the inside of your chimney with creosote and tar products which can not only reduce significantly the internal chimney size but also coats the chimney with highly flammable material that can easily result in a chimney fire. A partly restricted chimney will result in a poor draught and most likly smoke and carbon monoxide entering the room- carbon monoxide can be fatal. A chimney fire will invalidate any liner guarantee and will normally require the chimney to be re-lined. The two recently taken pictures on our travels highlight the extent to which a chimney can become restricted and also clearly shows the effects of creosote formation.
Golden rules – alway burned correctly seasoned wood and have your chimney swept by a certified chimney sweep per your appliance manufacturer’s frequency recommendations .