Why is my chimney so clean?

[SamT1]

I look down my chimney everytime I get on the roof and it’s always pretty much spotless. Nothing that could be brushed off, just a oily looking film on the brick. I’ve lived here 4 years and have burned a good bit of wood and have never cleaned the chimney. I assumed it had been cleaned before I bought the place since it was so clean then, but it looks the same now. I burn mostly junky wood I don’t want to sell. I put green logs in a night too a lot. My house had a junky vestal insert in it until I got an earth stove my dad pulled out n favor of gas a couple years ago. So I don’t think it’s the insert.
What is it about some chimneys that make them more or less dirty? I used to have brushes and I’ve seen some bad stuff.

 

[lone wolf]

I look down my chimney everytime I get on the roof and it’s always pretty much spotless. Nothing that could be brushed off, just a oily looking film on the brick. I’ve lived here 4 years and have burned a good bit of wood and have never cleaned the chimney. I assumed it had been cleaned before I bought the place since it was so clean then, but it looks the same now. I burn mostly junky wood I don’t want to sell. I put green logs in a night too a lot. My house had a junky vestal insert in it until I got an earth stove my dad pulled out n favor of gas a couple years ago. So I don’t think it’s the insert.
What is it about some chimneys that make them more or less dirty? I used to have brushes and I’ve seen some bad stuff.

Have you been letting it burn full blast so the chimney burns clean or do you always smolder it slowly?

 

[SamT1]

Have you been letting it burn full blast so the chimney burns clean or do you always smolder it slowly?

when it’s cold in the morning before I get dressed I’ll open the door and dampener and sit in front of it. Will sometimes do the same in the evening if I’m low on coals and it’s having trouble keeping the house warm. Try to make some more coals fast before I put the big wood on for the night. Most days I’m gone all day and the wife won’t load it so I need it to go all day.

 

[lone wolf]

when it’s cold in the morning before I get dressed I’ll open the door and dampener and sit in front of it. Will sometimes do the same in the evening if I’m low on coals and it’s having trouble keeping the house warm. Try to make some more coals fast before I put the big wood on for the night. Most days I’m gone all day and the wife won’t load it so I need it to go all day.

That door open and letting it roar will clean it!

 

[Leeroy]

Interior or exterior chimney?

 

[SamT1]

Interior or exterior chimney?

It an interior built into a big brick wall. It has one small bend down towards the bottom. It’s 15” or more square flue. Santa could almost come down it.

 

[NSMaple1]

Oily looking film?

How thick is that?

Oily looking sounds like creosote. Truly clean would be just a bit of fly ash.

 

[SamT1]

Oily looking film?

How thick is that?

Oily looking sounds like creosote. Truly clean would be just a bit of fly ash.

The film looks like you rubbed the bricks down with a light coating of oil or wax. It’s nothung you can scrape off or anything just changes their color.

 

[Marley5]

Before I went to an OWB, had an indoor Clayton wood furnace.

Inspected chimney but never cleaned it in the 10 years of owning that home.
Burning hot seasoned wood eliminates creosote buildup.

You must be doing it right......don't clean somping that don't need cleaning.

 

[Leeroy]

I'd be concerned. Sounds like the start of what's called glazed creosote to me.

 

[greenskeeper]

This reminds me of a probably inappropriate joke for these forums....

 

[NSMaple1]

Ya I'm not thinking of anything else going up your chimney that would make oily looking, aside from glazed creosote. Whether it's enough to be worried about or not would be another story.

Got a pic?

 

[Hinerman]

Look like any of these:

glazed creosote