Creosote Buster...?

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jkazak

Member
Jan 21, 2014
58
Nebraska
Should I be using any of these mainstream products to help keep the pipes clean..? I have about 30-feet of chimney and typically run the fire pretty hot with stove cruising around 450-500. Hotter on occasion and for overnight burns pretty much box full and primary open just enough to keep it burning - so it does see some extended slow burns.

What say ye..?
 
they do help a little and if you consistently have excess build up and have tried everything else with no success it is worth a try. It sounds like you are burning right do you have excess buildup? if you don't you would just be wasting your money
 
I use two scoops of the Rutland creosote remover at least once a week....It really does change the quality of the creosote and make chimney cleaning easier.....
 
Take a look at your chimney . . . one look should answer your question. If there is some or a lot of shiny, hard, glass like creosote using these products may help convert it to the more easily sweep-able creosote. If there is a lot of the "soft" creosote either your wood supply is not seasoned enough or you're running the stove too cool (although from your description of the heat levels it sounds good) and you need to sweep the chimney. If there is less than a quarter inch of the "soft" creosote pat yourself on your back . . . your heat levels are good, the wood is good and you're burning safely.
 
firefighterjake said:
Take a look at your chimney . . . one look should answer your question. If there is some or a lot of shiny, hard, glass like creosote using these products may help convert it to the more easily sweep-able creosote. If there is a lot of the "soft" creosote either your wood supply is not seasoned enough or you're running the stove too cool (although from your description of the heat levels it sounds good) and you need to sweep the chimney. If there is less than a quarter inch of the "soft" creosote pat yourself on your back . . . your heat levels are good, the wood is good and you're burning safely.
Click to expand...

You bring up a good point.
This installation has bee in place for maybe 90-days with all new SS double-wall insulated pipe and burning pretty much 24/7. And I have not opened up the stack to inspect it. Shame on me. I'm using well seasoned red elm and oak and mulberry and locust that's probably not quite there but those I run with a lot of primary and good draft. Its just such a mess to open the stack....and the area has new carpet....still bad on me I guess.
 
I have tried that creo shot in a tube and it hasnt helped one iota.
 
The best creosote buster is to not get any to start with. Yes, it is possible, but it takes really good dry wood. For sure nothing like the folks who buy their wood that is supposed to be "seasoned." That stuff is not ready to burn. If you buy, get the wood a year in advance and then stack it outside in the wind. Top cover only.
 
For peace of mind take a look in there ASAP. Better yet because you may not know what your looking at, get a brush in there and see how much chips you have at the bottom. If burning is new to you and the wood is said to be seasoned enough. it may not be. Beware, once you get a hot stove you can burn unseasoned wood just fine. But it makes a mess of the chimney. Years from now using wood you know, and how you burn, the chimney condition gets easy to predict.
 
I have burned wood so dry it'd combust just by looking at it to long..... and i'd still get creosote.
 
firefighterjake said:
If there is some or a lot of shiny, hard, glass like creosote using these products may help convert it to the more easily sweep-able creosote.
Click to expand...
I checked mine at day 25 and was glad I did.
Finally was able to sweep that dangerous crap out (mostly) after about 10 days (4 dosings) of TSP based product. I also incorporated higher temperatures, but I think it helped to make the shiny more cruddy and thus sweepable.

Probably be burning more of the cheap scrap lumber available to me (at very least to get flue up to temp) as this wood is making chimney cleaning a chore, and a more frequent one.

From what I've seen/read, a lot depends on your wood.
 
On the creosote removers,I think they are supposed to be used when the stove and flue are at operating temp but do you use them thru the cat or straight thru and not thru the cat? The instructions usually don't specify.
 
binko said:
On the creosote removers,I think they are supposed to be used when the stove and flue are at operating temp but do you use them thru the cat or straight thru and not thru the cat? The instructions usually don't specify.
Click to expand...
Most of them want to be applied to a slow, smoldering fire. This allows the chemicals to latch onto the sides (and creosote).
 
That I understand, but my question is can it go thru the cat or does it have to bypass the cat?
 
KindredSpiritzz said:
I have tried that creo shot in a tube and it hasnt helped one iota.
Click to expand...

Then perhaps that wood was not as dry as you suspected?! We get no creosote and burn good dry wood.
 
Backwoods Savage said:
Then perhaps that wood was not as dry as you suspected?! We get no creosote and burn good dry wood.
Click to expand...

12-16% MC, its been in a wood shed 2 years now. Mostly aspen, a little pine and maple. I think some chimneys are just more prone to creosote formation than others, specially if you have some angles in it. Course running a vogelzang furnace doesnt help matters any.
 
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