chimney considerations

[linans]

There is a house from '54. I'm renovating the laundry room now, where there's a hole in the wall to the chimney that the previous owner put some insulation in. When I look into the hole, I see ash, etc. Previously there was an oil furnace. Now there's district heating. Can I brick up the hole or should a vent go there??? Why is there ash in the hole? It's hardly likely that there was a stove in the laundry room.

There used to be an open fireplace upstairs. It's been removed and bricked up.

 

[PX-21]

Is it really ash and not brick dust or something?
Usually, it's ventilation otherwise..
So take it easy with the trowel and check it out...

Regards

 

[fredda_p]

can actually be soot/ash - in our laundry room from the -50s there was previously a wood-burning setup for heating water for laundry.....

/Fredda

 

[linans]

Hmm... but how do I find out if it's "just" about bricking it up? It's clear that there is ash and half-burnt newspaper in the hole...

 

[norrbottenstorpet]

If your house has natural draft ventilation, it probably doesn't harm to use the channel for ventilation, regardless of previous use. So install a neat vent, and you'll have a certain flow from your laundry room. If more is needed, you can consider a fan solution via that channel.

 

[PX-21]

Hm... but how do I find out if it is "just" a matter of sealing it?? Clearly, there is ash and half-burnt newspaper in the hole...

Go up to the chimney and inspect which flue it could be....Does it work to call into the channel? ...if not, lower a rope with a weight (If you have chimney sweep equipment, use it)
Then do as you wish, even if you put a pax fan in the hole and expel the basement moisture.