Smoke smell next door

farook

My neighbour has been in and said that his wife is suffering from coughing, headache and fever. He said it could be that your stove is letting smoke into his bedroom upstairs. The smoke is going up chimney stack and no smell on our side.
1. Is this possible?
2. How can I check this is happening or not?

malc_b

Is the chimney in the party wall (semi-detached or terraced house?)? There seem to be a few options. The smoke is coming back in their window - does your chimney meet legal requirement for position etc? The smoke is coming through the brickwork - surely that is their responsible to fix their wall, unless perhaps their argument is that the acid smoke has eaten through. I think in the first instance it's up to them to prove it is your smoke. OK, perhaps first go in and see if you can smell smoke too. If there is a real problem it makes sense to sort it amicably. If you don't think there is a problem then it's up to them to get in an expert to say there is.

farook

Semi detached houses built in 1882.
It scares me to think that smoke can kill and god forbid if something was to happen. How can we check if there is smoke in there bedroom. It is a room used to sleep in.
We have had fire running or 15 years from that chimney..

Canucklehead

Hi

Smoke pellets. Light one in the fireplace and see what happens.Maybe get a chimney sweep to check it out.
Cracked brickwork/joints would be quite likely in this age of house.

Corgi Guy.

ariba10

If there is smoke there is probably carbon monoxide as well.

Your neighbour should have a C O detector and he could prove it with that.

nesssie1702

Phone your local environmental health department and/or building control and ask for their advice - they don't just regulate you know!

farook

Phoned enviroment guys they said line chimney.
What is involved in lining chimney. from top of fire to chimney is approx. 10/12 metres and is it job a DIY can do. drop liner from top and fit to flue pipe with right connector. What happens at top we have the old type huge chimney stack with 4 chimney pots.

welda

Have to agree with other posters, sounds like a chimney breach leeching into your neighbours, not the end of the day tho.

Depending fuel type you are burning will determine flue specification, I have just purchased and received 904/316 grade stainless steel liner (multi fuel wood burner) I paid just under £200 for 8 meter length, two man job tho, I'll be feeding down while a friend gently pulls liner down via a rope connection, once fully in place, I'll be fitting a liner hanging cowl, then secure to pot. Health and Safety will be greatly adhered to, I have borrowed a slinger harness which will be well secured to chimney stack.

Whether your job is a diy task, I cant really say, but if you do decide this is a task you can take on, make sure you are well strapped in at high level, if you are not keen on the high level work, make sure who ever is way up there is secure from possible falls!!

W.

Fishingtime

It can be done as welda has said.
I wish I could have done it, but my diy skills are rubbish.
I just paid £1000 to have my chimney lined and insulated :mad:

MrsTinks

First do the CO2 test - and if possible do the smoke pellet test too

welda

Just another few words on this subject Farook, you state there are four pots withing stack, do they all belong to you?

If it were me in this situation, I would apply smoke test first, I say this because, possibly this fume situation is arising from the neighbours side, do they burn fossil fuel? I think you would be doing them a good service going the smoke test route on your chimney vent, if test is sound, there is a problem (serious) somewhere else, which in turns means, you have had the expense of having a possible sound chimney lined which may not cure the problem, just a few thoughts of my own!

Yoxford, a grand..............blimey!!!

W.