one month old chimney cap black

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I guess you didn't look too closely. It has 2 stays.
 
I'm glad you cleaned that chimney when you did Miko. That's some serious fuel that you removed!

How many people just let it ride and never know what their potential hazard is!?!

pen
 
pen said:
I'm glad you cleaned that chimney when you did Miko. That's some serious fuel that you removed!

How many people just let it ride and never know what their potential hazard is!?!

pen

Yes, fuel indeed. I read (I believe on these boards) that some use creosote to promote complete burning. I have been sprinkling it as well from time to time on loads that need some xtra help. I was surprised to see how long it takes to actually catch and burn, even when sifted onto red hot coals. After about 5-10mins it starts popping and crackling, and burning. It does help to get the wood involved. The worst part about waste, crystallized creosote for me is the toxic black dust cloud that it generates from even the slightest movement. I let the scoop settle outside, and when I pour it on the fire I make sure the draft pulls that stuff right up the flue.
 
I think everyone has it wrong.
I had similar problems on our cap at our previous house.
It looks to me that you've been having some pretty decent snows??
Whenever that would happen, snow & slush would somewhat build-up on the cap screen.
Pretty soon, exhaust would accumulate on the slush. As the snow would let up, the
dirtied slush would totally melt away from the heat of the exhaust, but dirt imbedded in
the slush would remain to dirty-up the cap & screen. In years when we had near record
snowfalls, it would proportionally be worse.

At our current house, our cap has no screen, and we have no such problems.
I would get rid of the screen, if you have one (just inhibits draft in the end).
 
Pagey said:
...at some point you will want to get up there and confirm that it is only discoloration and not creosote.

+2. Better safe than sorry.
I would suspect that the wood might not be dry enough. That seems to be the reason for 90% of the issues posted here.
A better/different thermometer won't solve that problem.

Miko Del said:
This is the amount of creosote that came out of my 12' stack, 6" diameter, from Thanksgiving to Valentines day.

Glad you got that cleaned up. I don't think I could fill that much of the bucket with 2 seasons of cleaning.
 
I never would have thought about burning the creosote in the stove. Interesting.
 
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