creosote, the evil black stuff

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MS-310

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How do you guys get rid of creosote? like a fireplace log, potato's, pop cans.
whats your thoughts on it?
 
Burn a hotter cleaner fire and sweep your chimney. The aluminum can and other stuff don't seen to work.
 
I use either the cleaner log or I found the active ingredent in powder form that I add to my fire once a week, seem to work and a good cleaning once a year.

Good hot fires and burning good seasoned work is the best way
 
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Yeah just thinking if there was anything that you could do...like the pop cans and stuff
 
Just the creosote removing powders or logs

Whats the whole pop can or potato thing now you got my interest
 
The creosote removal powders and logs (and pop cans, etc.) are a treatment for problem that should not have happened. If you clean your chimney a minimum of once per season and burn dry wood, creosote should not be building up.

Harry K
 
So your saying on those warm days 40 to 50 degs and you kinds "choke" your stove it wont leave any creosote? I know small little fires work better but.....

Im just looking to prevent biuld up. I dont like to get up 32 feet on an ladder to clean the flue more then once a year.
 
That seems to be a good idea, I thought about it but never found out.
 
I wondered that as well. If I put a tee in place of the 90 degree elbow couldn't you just run the brush up from the bottom? Don't know if you could get the brush started into the chimney with not much clearance between the floor and the tee. Might be pretty messy as well. Then you would also be missing the area between the tee and the stove. Maybe it is better to get on a ladder or hire someone.
 
Matbe someone can explain this better but...
I watched a chimney sweep clean my sis in laws chimney from inside the house, he had a plastic curtain duct taped around the fireplace and ofcourse he had drop cloths laid out around it. He used the same kind of brushes and the same technique. He had a hepa vac for cleaning up afterwards. It looked easy, just be ready for a little mess. Not that he made much of one but he does this daily I bet. Good Luck.
 
what type of chimney do you have? i know that single wall stove pipe is very
bad at building up. due to temperature variance from the outside wall to inside
wall. insulated pipe works the best, but is expensive. actually, here in northern nevada you must run insul. pipe outside. single wall can only be used
inside with proper clearences. like everyone has said though, well seasoned
wood is the key, no matter what species. i also have a practice of burning wide open at least twice a day for 15-20 min. to help keep pipe clean.
 
I am not sure if you guys are talking about cleaning a owb or house chimney, but I clean my owb from the ground. I have a flexible fiberglass rod that I run up the chimney from the bottom it works wonders no need to go up on the ladder. You can buy the rods in sections that screw together, so you can customize the length.
 
I clean my triple wall stove pipe from the bottom. Just shove one section up and clean that spot. Then add an extension and clean that section and so on. On the way down, do it again. I only have to clean once a season if that so its not bad.
I don't know if I'd ever choke down my stove to prevent creosote build up. I think that would only ever make it worse. You need a good hot fire to keep the creosote from forming inside the chimney. I know plenty of people who run a choked down fire to save wood. Their chimneys are always full of more creosote. If it gets too hot in the house, crack a window for a few minutes.
 
So your saying on those warm days 40 to 50 degs and you kinds "choke" your stove it wont leave any creosote? I know small little fires work better but.....

Im just looking to prevent biuld up. I dont like to get up 32 feet on an ladder to clean the flue more then once a year.

man thats a tall flue on your boiler if it's 32ft in the air!!!!!!!...whats up with that?
 
Kinda in town..........................I hate town.......I hate town.......


At least I work in the boon docks.
 
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