Salt in stove?

[cellexjohn]

Yep,

It was suggested by my chimney sweep to add rock salt (driveway salt) to my stove on occasion to help keep creosote from forming in the flue? He said it helps when burning non optimally cured wood. Anyone have any experience with that? I thought it sounded crazy. I guess there could be some kind of chemical reaction but....

Thanks,
John

 

[ponyexpress976]

similar but different

Heard about doing the same thing but toss a few empty beer cans in every once in a while. No idea how, why, or if it works. Sounded to much like a hoax for me to take it seriously...but they sure do throw off some pretty colors!!

 

[savageactor7]

Seems to me I've heard that a long time ago but just figured it to be an old wives tale.

 

[laynes69]

Its a old wives tale. Salt is very corrosive to both the stove and pipe. I wouldn't do it. Keeping a hot fire and burning seasoned wood is the best way to keep creasote down.

 

[howellhandmade]

There was a thread a while back about aluminum cans -- somebody posted a link to an article about why it should help, forming metallic salts that help break up creosote. Searching for aluminum can should turn it up. With sodium chloride I'd be more worried about corrosion.

Jack

 

[Circle B MN]

I could be totally wrong, but my thinking leads me to believe that if I ad salt to my wood stove, and any moisture finds it's way to it, that it would lead to corrosion..? Just my first thought...

 

[Mike Van]

I wouldn't do the salt thing either - I'm pretty sure a few bags of good hard coal will help, if your stove has a grate.

 

[rmount]

Years ago I was told to throw salt in the fire when you have a chimney fire, it was supposed to put it out. Never tried it, best to just avoid chimney fires.

 

[Mike Van]

Nothing really puts out a chimney fire that I've found.

 

[dh1984]

i got something from the fire department when i was on there. where if i had a chimney fire.i would have to lite the flare and it would put the chimney fire out by suppressing the oxygen out of the smoke. and it would put it out really good. but the company that us to make them burnt down and they ain't no other place that makes them anymore.but i got about about a case of them and they are like 8 or so in the case.but i got about 7 left but the guy next door had a chimney fire and i used one over there.and it work really good on putting it out.

 

[grandnational]

I assume your sweep also sells stoves

salt, the nacl kind at least, will only lead to corrosion. simple as that.

 

[dh1984]

I assume your sweep also sells stoves

salt, the nacl kind at least, will only lead to corrosion. simple as that.

:agree2: with grandnational

 

[stint]

Try placing some salt on any metal you have laying around, and after a few damp or humid days see if that is what you want the inside of your stove to look like

Never did like *old* wives or their uhhh tails (sp)

 

[Dalmatian90]

but the company that us to make them burnt down and they ain't no other place that makes them anymore.

They re-introduced them this past summer.

http://www.ruralking.com/chimfex-ru...?cvsfa=1908&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=303031303930303737

Chimfex contains a dry chemical powder in it's smoke that breaks up the chemical chain reaction in the fire.

(And yes, the factory that made them did burn down...oh the irony. Took them like a decade to start up production of the Chimfex line again at one of their other plants)

 

[flotek]

put some salt inside old beer cans ,toss them in and run around the stove no less than 100 times all while holding your right leg singing abbracaddabra and the fire will instantly go out.once you are done dreaming about wives tales and what your grandpa told you 40 years ago youll come to realize the best way to prevent a chimney fire is burn hot clean fires with dry seasoned wood and sweep the pipe so creosote doesnt have a chance to accumulate

 

[dh1984]

They re-introduced them this past summer.

http://www.ruralking.com/chimfex-ru...?cvsfa=1908&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=303031303930303737

Chimfex contains a dry chemical powder in it's smoke that breaks up the chemical chain reaction in the fire.

(And yes, the factory that made them did burn down...oh the irony. Took them like a decade to start up production of the Chimfex line again at one of their other plants)

thats the best thing they did there. thats the best thing to use in a chimmey fire it really puts them out

 

[ThinBand]

There is a chemical reaction when you put rock salt on a hot fire. I do it the day before I clean the chimney. The creosote reacts with the salt and foams up. When I clean out the bottom of the chimney there are big chunks of creosote like rice crispy cakes. There is no rust in my stove from this. The salt can break down the morter in a brick chimney though. So I don't leave the salt in the stove all the time. Just a half a hand full before cleaning the chimney. I have a stove at work with a metal chimney . The pipe is much hotter than my brick one and it doesn't form any creosote. I don't use salt there and I'll bet it would rust if I did.

 

[fubar2]

Properly packaged gunpowder would clean it out also, but I'm not going to use it either.

 

[amateur cutter]

Properly packaged gunpowder would clean it out also, but I'm not going to use it either.

I wanna come watch:camera: I'm pretty sure I don't want salt in my firebox. Ever looked @ a 10 yr old car from MI or other midwest states?