Creosote in new wood stove

[ce208b]

Great website. I bought a Model 74 buck a month ago. Installed in a conventional fireplace with flex ducting all the way to the top. Last week I noticed the exhaust cap was discolored and upon further inspection saw a slightly liquid tar dripping off of it onto the chimney cap. I guess this is creosote, but can you only burn this stuff out? It doesn't clean off even with degreaser. I am burning cutoffs from a pallet company. Thanks for the advice

 

[jtp10181]

Not sure if the cut offs are dried already before they cut, or green still? Usually you get that liquid creosote from too much mouisture in the wood. All the water vapor goes up the stack with the nasty stuff. The moisture creates cooler flue gasses because it takes energy from the fire to vaporize the water in the first place. So by the time it all gets the top where its very cold outside it is ready to condesate. It hits that nice metal cap and sticks right to it.

Hotter fires & dry wood = hotter flue temps -> less creosote.

 

[DavidV]

Gut instinct says it's wet wood. The 74 buck is a modern stove so unless you are afraid to burn it hot enough and therfore burning way to low, I would say your wood has too much moisture.

 

[thewoodlands]

Great website. I bought a Model 74 buck a month ago. Installed in a conventional fireplace with flex ducting all the way to the top. Last week I noticed the exhaust cap was discolored and upon further inspection saw a slightly liquid tar dripping off of it onto the chimney cap. I guess this is creosote, but can you only burn this stuff out? It doesn't clean off even with degreaser. I am burning cutoffs from a pallet company. Thanks for the advice

What temps are you burning at? Also try anti creo - soot spray it works in my opinion.

http://www.saversystems.com/anti_creo_soot_creosote_remover.php

zap

 

[ce208b]

Thanks for the answers, the outside of the stove has been running around 600 degrees. I haven't fully cranked it up yet due having not received the blower attachment. I guess I may not be burning hot enough yet? Two more questions though. I haven't cranked the heat up all the way because someone at work told me they had seen fireplace hearth and surround brick crack due to insert heat without a blower. Any truth to that? Also, is there any problem running flex duct all the way to the top? It doesn't run perfectly straight, so does this cause build up problems as well? I'll try burning different wood also.

 

[tfdchief]

Considering the temps lately, and its the cap clear up at the top, it doesn't look that bad to me. What does the flue look like. My last 2 feet of flue and cap get some build up no matter how hot I burn.

 

[jtp10181]

A hot stove doesn't always mean hot flue gasses.

As tfdchief said, it might be normal. But I never got an answer if the wood is actually dry...

Seeing that you get your stove up to 600F seemingly with no probs, I would guess your wood is OK.

 

[ce208b]

I don't truly know how dry the wood is without sticking a meter on it. I don't know if they cut it green or not. It is heavy enough to make me think it may not be totally dry. I am going to try burning some different wood. Thanks for the reply.

 

[raybonz]

Pallets usually are made with green oak and tend to be left outside so my guess you are burning less than dry wood..

Ray

 

[Crabby]

My cap looks like that. always has. i clean my chimney once a month. with my new 30 this year i cleaned the first time and the flue was pretty clean. the cap had more build up than the flue. I just scrap it off the best i can and the rest will clean off over the summer with the rain and what not.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I agree with Ray. Around here the pallets are made from green wood and then get stored outdoors, so they definitely would not be ready to burn. Best to get them and wait a year. If they use oak, then wait 2 years.