Is it reasonable to assume that a simple accumulation of soot in a chimney could cause a fire? It turns out that this is a common occurrence. After all, soot, which is 98% carbon, is practically indistinguishable from coal. Let’s see what happens.
Imagine a situation: you haven’t cleaned the chimney of your stove or boiler in a while and you notice that the airflow has decreased. This is the first sign that carbon deposits have reduced the space for smoke. To increase the draft, open the ash pan and the valve, and that’s where the problem begins. As the oxygen content in the pipe increases, the temperature rises rapidly, and the carbon particles absorbed by the increased draft ignite the soot, which may go unnoticed. Often, the first signs of impending trouble are a buzzing sound in the chimney and sparks flying from the chimney.
Regarding the physics of this process, it’s important to note that the combustion temperature of soot reaches +1200°C, which leads to the destruction of the flue and the possible ignition of surrounding materials. In one case reported on social media, soot in an asbestos-cement pipe ignited in the owner’s absence, resulting in an explosion that destroyed the pipe.
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