How much creosote...

[steved]

I haven't checked since we started using the powder, but even when I had creosote it was a thin film. It was probably less than 1/8 inch think, more of a film. With the powder, it just comes off as flakes of ash.

But I was wondering at what point creosote becomes a concern...does any amount constitute a problem, or is some creosote buildup normal?

 

[labdad]

I use a product called Creosote destroyer and never have any measurable amount of buildup. After a entire season I may have an 1/8th to a 1/4" in the top foot or two of my chimney. I also burn hot fires with well seasoned wood.

 

[trophyhunter]

Any amount of it is flammable, enough of it catches fire and "Here We Go!" Let the stove run hot and often and enjoy a relatively clean chimney on account of it.

 

[steved]

Ok, that's what I thought. I have none now that I use Rutland's stuff, but I was wondering of I could get away without it...since I had such a minor amount. I've seen the chimneys with such creosote that it would fall off in chunks...but never really knew what was considered bad.

 

[blades]

chunks falling off very bad, inside of flue gummmy tar very bad also

 

[trophyhunter]

Ok, that's what I thought. I have none now that I use Rutland's stuff, but I was wondering of I could get away without it...since I had such a minor amount. I've seen the chimneys with such creosote that it would fall off in chunks...but never really knew what was considered bad.

Falling off in chunks? Yea, that's bad. That's the sort of build up that sustains prolonged chimney fires and makes the kind of heat not much of anything survives when it burns. If you ever get a quantity of that stuff, punch a few holes in a coffee can and drop it in and hit it with a plumbers torch to see how animated that stuff really is when it burns.

That's simply a result of low temp's in the stove and chimney, on a regular basis. Burn like that, you'll have a chimney fire at some point sure as death and taxes. Let it rip on a daily basis once or twice and dry out whatever accumulated on the low ends of the previous burn cycles and you'll be just fine. I sweep twice a year and don't get enough creosote to fill a small pint mason jar out of both sweepings. There's plenty of "ash", which is nothing more than what was dried out and made safer by those daily hot burn cycles that otherwise would have multiplied as more creosote.

 

[Fred Wright]

Creosote is normal with wood burning. How much buildup one gets over a set period of time varies. As was mentioned, with hot fires and well cured firewood the buildup will be less. I brush out the flue twice per season, just to sleep better at night. There isn't much there, a light coating of brown dust is all.

 

[steved]

Since using the Rutlands, we've gotten maybe a cup of ash for an entire heating season; so we don't seem to currently have a problem. My problem is most likely that we have a lot of start/stop firings...light it at night, it goes out during the day, light it that night, it goes out the next day, etc..

I was just feeling out whether I actually need to use the Rutland's...seems I had better keep on doing what is working for now.

 

[trophyhunter]

If your only getting one cup of ash for an entire season's burning you must not be using much firewood, or your chimney is staying nice and hot and draws like an F2 rocket on it's way to the moon. Either way, I'd sleep well at night with those results.

 

[steved]

This RSF stove is definitely set up better than the EnviroFire it replaced. The chimney is insulated, not an lined air-core like the predecessor, and its now inside an insulated wood-framed structure versus just a wood-framed structure before...so that helps. And its an almost straight run from stove to cap. We burnt about five cords last year.

But even so, I was getting the film I mentioned in this thread in this stove...that's when we started using Rutlands which was recommended by the installer once I asked them about it.

I'm still not real comfortable burning hot, although we do...just can't get a warm fuzzy when the fire is glowing orange and the dang stove creaks, snap, and pops. I was sitting by the last stove when the structure that was housing the chimney "popped" (i.e. spontaneously combusted)...now every little sound the stove makes puts you on edge. I know its normal, but its still un-nerving.

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

I usually get a few inches in the bottom of a 5 gallon pail, in a year which is nothing in a 7 inch pipe.
I went two years without cleaning and I still only have and inch or so in the pail.
I tap the tin pipe coming out of the furnace and tell by the hollow sound that my pipes are clear all the time. The secret I believe is dry wood,hot fires and the fact my chimney runs through my house except for the top 6 feet above the roofline.By the time the smoke cools enough to condensate its already in the air.
Most of my creosote is in the last 6 feet of pipe.

 

[steved]

Most of my creosote is in the last 6 feet of pipe.

That's where I noticed mine as well.

 

[CWME]

My buddy has the last 10' or so of his chimney lined with a 3/8-1/2" thick coating of creosote. The stuff is glazed over and stuck like motar to the tiles. Steel brushing and my soot eater won't begin to touch it. Not sure what to tell him to do to get it out.

 

[steved]

Rutland's Saf-T-flue has worked well for me...might give that a try and see if that loosens it up?

FWIW, my buildup was glass-like, very hard but brittle.

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

My buddy has the last 10' or so of his chimney lined with a 3/8-1/2" thick coating of creosote. The stuff is glazed over and stuck like motar to the tiles. Steel brushing and my soot eater won't begin to touch it. Not sure what to tell him to do to get it out.

You don't do anything with it....you burn. Most of a chimneys problem comes when the 7 inch chimney has 5 inches of buildup.
You can use every cure in a can out there, but creosote will never go away, and having some isn't bad

 

[steved]

I went from having creosote in the top of my chimney to being able to read the etched pipe specifications inside my chimney using a cure in a can. It does work.

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

In the big picture what did you achieve, besides spending 10 bucks on snake oil.You are either really new at burning, or a cure in a can sales rep.
People have been burning wood for millennium, and a very small percentage ever have chimney fire that does damage. 99 percent of those folks are trying to save a buck, and burn non seasoned wood, either because they bought cheap wood or were not organised enough to cut this years wood last year.

 

[steved]

I'm neither...my family has burnt wood for at least 40 years at their current home, but I personally never had to worry about creosote before...this is a new to me house, new to me woodburning setup.

Before you spout off, you ought to think about the situation...I already had one house fire only two years ago thanks to a guy who ****ed up my chimney with a ****** retrofit. I'm working hard to protect my family and not have another house fire; and yeah, this cure in a can did the trick for MY situation. And get over yourself, I was and I am burning good wood...don't automatically think people don't try doing the right thing.

I don't care if I get banned for that last bit, I don't need this forum that bad. You're NOT in my shoes, you obviously don't think about what YOU have to lose. I started this thread hoping I could get away from having to add that powder every week, but obviously you missed that point.

Have a nice day.

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

You'll never get off the powder now. You are hooked on marketing. I just gave you all the things you need to do to "survive" a wood burning utensil.
I am in your shoes..small baby and 12 yo daughter, wife. Get a carbon dioxide detector, plug it in. If it doesn't go off, your fine.
How does a retrofit cause a chimney fire ?
If the thoughts of fire jumping through a block of steel, or smoke magically going backwards into your house constantly nags at you, you need a LP/oil? nat gas furnace, set and forget.

I spout because, some peoples ignorance can cause ripples in other peoples psyche to worry about the wrong things.

 

[kodiak]

PLAYINWOOD - It seems that SteveD is simply sharing his direct observations of how this particular product has appeared to help to reduce some amount of creosote buildup in his flue. Nothing more, nothing less. If you question his theory then challenge it directly instead of trying to imply that he doesn't know how to properly operate his appliance.

Note that I have never tried the product that SteveD is talking about.