Scratching noise coming from the woodstove

[sassafraspete]

Ok, this is a first for me. We heat our house with a wood/oil combo furnace that's in the basement. We also have a small woodstove that we fire up from time to time. I came home from work the other night and my wife says she is occasionally hearing a "scratching" noise coming from the woodstove. I was too tired to investigate...it will keep until the weekend.

We figure out that it is definately some kind of animal ...but what? Could it be a squirrel....maybe a ground squirrel... or what about a bat? Maybe a bird?

The critter was only scratching during the day while my wife is home...but not at night. To combat the noise ....she resorted to turning her music up LOUD.

OK, so it is the weekend, and we start to tackle the job. We started to take on the task of removing the stove pipe. The scratching seems very loud...what if it is a squirrel ....we had visions of this squirrel covered in black...jumping all around our house. Can you imagine that? What if it is a bat? I think I better put on some old clothes.

Ok...what tools to get. Well, I have a couple of fish landing nets down in the basement. I hauled those up. I get a bucket to set the stove pipe in. Meanwhile the scratching continues.

Ok...I removed the screw holding the stove pipe together...
What am I about to see.....

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="red"> What am I about to see.....
</font>


Toss another log in and you'll see "BBQ" /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[RoyJackson]

Reckon by now you know what is was...
My money is on it being a squirrel

 

[Egon]

Ahh shucks Pete, It could be any of many things. Put a screen on the chimney cap To keep out the bees.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif as always

 

[Boondox]

I'm assuming this sound happens whether or not the stove is in use? If only at startup or when the fire really gets going...when is the last time you checked for creosote buildup? Just asking since if we let our chimney go too long between cleanings chunks fall down and sound just like the scratching of a small animal.

Pete

 

[Glenn9643]

If your experience is the same as mine you'll find an owl. I had two that came down the chimney at different times and they can make a lot of noise.

 

[riptides]

A cat.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Indydirtfarmer]

Anyone seen Santa Claus lately????? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JayC]

So that's where Jimmy Hoffa has been all these years! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[PineRidge]

Happened to me years ago with a gas furnace.

Turned out a common squirrel had come down the chimney like old St. Nick, down the flue-pipe, and out the draft diverter.

He was sitting just behind the top front cover on an old Moncrief furnace.

When I took the front off the furnace we both had an accident. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif