Beer cans in the fire ???

[kevinj]

Has anyone ever heard of tossing an empty beer can into a wood burner,

fireplace, whatever, to burn off any creasote ???

Maybe the aluminum has a chemical reaction to creasote.

Have you tried it ?

Does it work ?

 

[Wood Scrounge]

hmmm!?? I can't imagine it does anything but would love to be told diffrent.

 

[EastwoodGang4]

Tried it

I tried it last year after i heard about it. It doesn't hurt anything, but i didn't see any difference either. It's not magic creosote evaporator. alls you get is a funny looking blob of a beer can in your ashes, or nothing at all if you're burning hot enough.

 

[Pcoz88]

It does work.

My Father-in-law has been throwing in pop cans for years.His chimney stay's clean. The creosote if any drops down to bottom of the clean out.:chainsawguy: :chainsawguy:

 

[omegajim]

Learn something every day.

Never heard of anything like this before. wow.

Maybe if you threw in a full can of pop you'd really get some neat reaction!

 

[wdchuck]

Maybe add this to the woodstove myths thread.

I've been known to toss a barley can in once in a while, after 10minutes all the evidence is gone.:biggrinbounce2:

 

[Husky137]

I imagine if it was that easy that chimney sweeps would have been out of business long ago.

 

[turnkey4099]

I imagine if it was that easy that chimney sweeps would have been out of business long ago.

I've been hearing about it occasionally over the past 30 years. Been heating with wood for about the same length. Never tried it and I figure it is 'urban legend'.

Harry K

 

[Stihlboy088]

Hmmm?

Sounds like time for a mornin' brew preferably somthing of the leinenkugal's line. Need to empty the can to test it out this mornin.

 

[CylinderService]

I give all my cans to the Boy Scouts, and my chimney is always clean. Just goes to show the power of an empty beer can!

 

[Billy_Bob]

What I have read is that you put a beer can into wood stove, then need to get wood stove REALLY hot to get beer can to burn.

However it is the "really hot" part which keeps the chimney clean!

 

[habanero]

What I have read is that you put a beer can into wood stove, then need to get wood stove REALLY hot to get beer can to burn.

However it is the "really hot" part which keeps the chimney clean!

That is exactly what I was going to say.

 

[Husky137]

What I have read is that you put a beer can into wood stove, then need to get wood stove REALLY hot to get beer can to burn.

However it is the "really hot" part which keeps the chimney clean!

Probably because it starts a chimney fire....

 

[mga]

Kevin,

I believe you mentioned in another thread that you are getting smoke in your house from your wood heating system. Here is some information from ATSDR on the dangers of aluminum. There is a lot of info to be found on Google if you search 'aluminum fumes'.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts22.html

How can aluminum affect my health?
Exposure to aluminum is usually not harmful, but exposure to high levels can be. Workers who breathe large amounts of aluminum dusts can have lung problems, such as coughing or abnormal chest X-rays. Some workers who breathe aluminum dusts or aluminum fumes have decreased performance in some tests that measure functions of the nervous system.

Some people with kidney disease store a lot of aluminum in their bodies and sometimes develop bone or brain diseases which may be caused by the excess aluminum. Some studies show that people exposed to high levels of aluminum may develop Alzheimer’s disease, but other studies have not found this to be true. We do not know for certain whether aluminum causes Alzheimer’s disease. People may get skin rashes from the aluminum compounds in some underarm antiperspirants.

We do not know if aluminum will affect reproduction in people. Aluminum does not appear to affect fertility in animals.

that's what the guy from Lifetime Pots and Pans told my wife when he sold her $1600 worth of stainless steel pots and pans...and that was like 25 years ago. (ouch)

so, obviously they knew about the dangers of aluminum back then.

as for burning the cans....never tried that, but i also heard that a half a cup of salt does the same thing to keep the flue clean. never tried that either.


the two year old link to cans in the fire:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=27629

 

[omegajim]

I would think burning salt would be corrosive to the liner of the chimney.

Seeing as heat usually accelerates most chemical reactions, you would be more likely to have a corroded metal liner.

 

[kevinj]

I give all my cans to the Boy Scouts, and my chimney is always clean. Just goes to show the power of an empty beer can!

HaHa...
That's gotta look kinda funny...

A boy scout troup,
pushing in shopping carts full of beer cans,
into a grocery store ...

 

[kevinj]

Kevin,

I believe you mentioned in another thread that you are getting smoke in your house from your wood heating system. Here is some information from ATSDR on the dangers of aluminum. There is a lot of info to be found on Google if you search 'aluminum fumes'.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts22.html

How can aluminum affect my health?
Exposure to aluminum is usually not harmful, but exposure to high levels can be. Workers who breathe large amounts of aluminum dusts can have lung problems, such as coughing or abnormal chest X-rays. Some workers who breathe aluminum dusts or aluminum fumes have decreased performance in some tests that measure functions of the nervous system.

Some people with kidney disease store a lot of aluminum in their bodies and sometimes develop bone or brain diseases which may be caused by the excess aluminum. Some studies show that people exposed to high levels of aluminum may develop Alzheimer’s disease, but other studies have not found this to be true. We do not know for certain whether aluminum causes Alzheimer’s disease. People may get skin rashes from the aluminum compounds in some underarm antiperspirants.

We do not know if aluminum will affect reproduction in people. Aluminum does not appear to affect fertility in animals.

Thanks guys for your being concerned.
I never did the aluminum can thing,
I just wondered if it worked..

As far as being under the weather,
it's only a cold virus.

I haven't burned in the fireplace for a short time,
and thats only because I'm waiting for a part for my humidifier.
Without the humidifier it gets rather dry.

I'll try these sugestions soon.

Thanks everyone...

 

[da new feller]

cans in the wood stove

from what i understand, a couple times a month you want to toss 6-7 alum. cans in stove at the same time. there is a chemical reaction which takes place and reduces build up in pipe. you still need to sweep once in a while. the best thing is to burn your fire really hot from time to time and that reduces build alot.

 

[jensen 32000]

I wouldn't try that with a stove with catalytic combusters, as it could contaminate them.