Cleaned out the chimney...

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nola mike

Minister of Fire
Sep 13, 2010
928
Richmond/Montross, Virginia
Now just waiting patiently to start my first fire of the season. Probably still another couple of weeks away. 10 day forecast showing low-mid 70's days, mid 50's nights. Sweet.

Anyway, got maybe 3-4 cups creosote from last season's burning. MUCH less than the year before, and this was really the first full year. Better wood (even better this year! even better still next year!), more burnin' skillz I guess.

Interesting that I found a baseball sized chunk of chimney insulation just sitting at the stove exit. I insulated the chimney with pour in liner after I swept last year, and before the season started. Must have poured a bit down the chimney by mistake. I'm surprised that i didn't run into any draft problems.
 
3 -4 cups? WOW, that's very clean compared to what I clean out every spring.

I have an 8" flex stainless liner in a 2 story brick chimney - the liner was put in when we had an older 8" exit stove.

When we upgraded to the summit insert, I had to use a 6"- 8" adaptor. This year I filled the house with smoke starting the first fire - no updraft.

I found a bunch of creosote had gotten caught up in the 6-8 transition and hadn't fallen down into the stove with the rest.

I hope I remember to check that every year.... took a couple warm days with windows open to get the smoke smell out of the house... oops.

In total I'd say I had enough creosote chips to fill a couple gallon pails.
 
3 -4 cups? WOW, that's very clean compared to what I clean out every spring.

I have an 8" flex stainless liner in a 2 story brick chimney - the liner was put in when we had an older 8" exit stove.

When we upgraded to the summit insert, I had to use a 6"- 8" adaptor. This year I filled the house with smoke starting the first fire - no updraft.

I found a bunch of creosote had gotten caught up in the 6-8 transition and hadn't fallen down into the stove with the rest.

I hope I remember to check that every year.... took a couple warm days with windows open to get the smoke smell out of the house... oops.

In total I'd say I had enough creosote chips to fill a couple gallon pails.
That's quite a bit of creosote. Sounds like your not burning hot enough and/or your wood isn't dry enough.. Too large a flue can cause lazy draft as well which could make things worse..

Ray
 
Do you have a picture of the creosote? There is a difference between 3-4 cups of brown powdery looking stuff and 3-4 cups of chunky crispy black creosote.

Anyways, it sounds as if you were able to clean up your burning habits between 2 years ago and last year so keep up the good work. Hopefully as your wood gets better and you get more and more familiar with the stove you will find yourself having even less.
 
I think you may need to try and burn hotter if possible.
 
Well, mine was very fine/black/powdery. I also only burned less than a cord last winter (warm warm warm), so that probably also had something to do with it. My first season I filled the better part of one of those plastic shopping bags.

EDIT: Yup, here's my thread from last year.
 
Gotta agree with the replies. Might be wood that's not completely dry, poor draft, flue size...a number of things. 3-4 cups, as Ray says, is alot to come out of your flue.
 
Well, mine was very fine/black/powdery. I also only burned less than a cord last winter (warm warm warm), so that probably also had something to do with it. My first season I filled the better part of one of those plastic shopping bags.

EDIT: Yup, here's my thread from last year.

Mike it is good to know your wood will be better this year. You no doubt will get better and better.

btw, the black stuff is creosote and the brown stuff is soot.
 
Gotta agree with the replies. Might be wood that's not completely dry, poor draft, flue size...a number of things. 3-4 cups, as Ray says, is alot to come out of your flue.
If memory serves me right I believe the OP originally stated he got 1-2 gallons not 3-4 cups.. Maybe I am seeing things? lol

Ray
 
If memory serves me right I believe the OP originally stated he got 1-2 gallons not 3-4 cups.. Maybe I am seeing things? lol

Ray
I'd say a plastic shopping bag from the grocery store could hold about 2-3 gallons. When you hear something like that you wonder why the chimney didn't burn down.
 
I'd say a plastic shopping bag from the grocery store could hold about 2-3 gallons. When you hear something like that you wonder why the chimney didn't burn down.
My thoughts precisely! I was surprised when I read your post and saw 3-4 cups.. Quite a difference.. I had a chimney fire a few years back and had that sort of creosote.. This was back before I knew better and found hearth.com. Had to replace clay liner with insulated S/S liner..This year got a clean report card from the sweep :) New liner and stove took care of that!

Ray
 
Milner 351 - It might be an idea to sweep your chimney once a month during the burning season until and unless you see your volume of creosote decrease very significantly. A lot better to spend the extra time and effort than to risk a chimney fire. It's pretty easy to take your stovepipe apart and sweep from inside during the winter usually, if you have a stove with stovepipe and chimney - don't know with the flex liner if you have yo sweep from the roof...which could be a pain in the winter , ut you could watch for a milder day with no snow on the roof...or hire a sweep. I'd err on the side of safety. 2 gallons is worrisome.
 
My sweep tells me he gets less than a cup of fine brown powder when he cleans my 30' uninsulated liner. 3-4 cups seems like a lot.

I am trying to figure out a way to insulate it without having to pull the entire liner. Alternatively I am looking at pulling the liner completely and having a local company do the poured concrete liner and not have to worry about it ever again.
 
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