Blocked Wood Burner Chimney (We think)

Has it been like that since you started using it this autumn? If so, the most likely cause is a bird's nest at the top of the flue.

If you can access the top of the flue, then you have the choice of fishing out the nest or dropping a lit firelighter down from the top.

I don't know about Catral, but I'm sure that Chimeneas Los Rodríguez on the road to Callosa will have a deshollinador (sweep) on tap.

We are in Catral and go see Chimeneas Rodriguez to have ours swept

Hi Jim is probably right I had a bird in mine fortunately managed to get it out we use budget burners and he gave us a name of a chap who was brilliant called Freddie from pinoso great chap knew his stuff very professional and cleaned up in fact we have booked for next year with him.

Good luck hope you can get it sorted out.

Hi Mart59. If you have access to the top of the chimney, why not put a guard over to stop birds getting in. Would work out cheaper than an annual visit from a chimney sweep.

I just wrapped some steel mesh round the cowl, bent it into place, and secured it with some bits of wire. You can find steel mesh in most ferreterias. 

If you've got an extractor fan above your hob, do the same to its cowl - I dug the remains of six nests out of ours when we moved in.

Hi there Jim and all that have replied. Thanks so much for the reply and the advice. This morning I will go up the ladder and undo the clips at the top, to see if there is indeed a nest there. This is a recent problem though, seems it happened after we used the ready made logs from Leroy Merlin. We think it started doing this about three days ago. Shall keep all posted. Thanks all.

We got the chimney sweep to do that too. No more visitors down the chimney for us

We had the same problem 2-3 years ago of smoke billowing out if wood burner. In the chimney was the biggest birds nest I have ever seen. A month or so ago our neighbour had the same problem. The amount of material a bird can stash in a chimney is unbelievable.

Thanks to all for the help. In the end I had a go myself, realised that it could be carefully taken apart, some sort of sheet metal. Working brilliantly now but it will need an overhaul come spring time.

Grateful to you all, for the comments.