Hello, i have been lurking around here for some time just always looking at past posts. I just finished installing my voglezang performer non-cat stove and have been burning it for about 2-1/2 weeks. i have been a little paranoid about creosote so i checked the stove pipes after a week of burning, clean pipes. Just checked the top of the chimney today and found the tar like creosote. So i pulled the stove pipes apart and as you can see in the pics it was filled with gunk. I guess my question is how bad is bad. judging by my pics do i need to clean it before starting another fire? And the other is what caused it. I have a 6" 35' SS flex liner with a 1/2" insulation kit. I have been checking my oak with the HF moisture meter and its mostly in the 13 to 18 % range. When i am burning i get great secondaries and my stove top temp is 300 to 600 in a normal burn cycle. One thing i have been concerned about is my flu temp, i can't get it much over 300 degrees. Another option is this past week my wife was burning all day while i was at work and i know she has not had a lot of experience getting used to the stove and what to look for. I know she has had some problem's getting good temps and such.
creosote this bad this soon?
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Todd
Minister of Fire
When you took those moisture meter readings did you split the piece and take the reading from the inside? If your wood is dry maybe you just need a little more time to get familar with the stove. I can't really tell by the pictures but if the creosote crunchy or powdery and about 1/4" thick it' s time to sweep. The most dangerous creosote is the tar or shiney looking crap which is hard to get rid of.
Welcome Sickle. Can you add the stove to your signature?
Good for you to be checking the setup regularly. Oak can hold a lot of interior moisture. To be sure it's really dry, replit a split and test on the freshly exposed wood surface. Can you also try burning a hotter fire first thing in the day to see if that helps?
Good for you to be checking the setup regularly. Oak can hold a lot of interior moisture. To be sure it's really dry, replit a split and test on the freshly exposed wood surface. Can you also try burning a hotter fire first thing in the day to see if that helps?
Thanks for the response.
I just got inside from checking my wood. i pulled it from different areas of my pile. i found a lot of it that is in the teens mostly small splits (4" to 5 " diameter) and shorts (12" long). Then i checked some long pieces (20") and they were around 23% to 27%. I even checked a really large piece that was 38%. I guess my problem is the larger stuff is not nearly ready and i will have to pick though it better as i go. I am sure some of the longer thick stuff has been mixed in.
As far as my build up it is very thin but couldn't that still be a hazard or would burning some hot fires at this point clear it out?
I just got inside from checking my wood. i pulled it from different areas of my pile. i found a lot of it that is in the teens mostly small splits (4" to 5 " diameter) and shorts (12" long). Then i checked some long pieces (20") and they were around 23% to 27%. I even checked a really large piece that was 38%. I guess my problem is the larger stuff is not nearly ready and i will have to pick though it better as i go. I am sure some of the longer thick stuff has been mixed in.
As far as my build up it is very thin but couldn't that still be a hazard or would burning some hot fires at this point clear it out?
It only takes a minute or two to sweep it. Since you took these pics i'm assuming it's not too hard to get to your chimney. Sweep it regularly (whatever makes you sleep well at night) like once per month, using a poly brush.
This is combination with picking and choosing your wood should keep you in a safe place.
You obviously are concerned and want to do this correctly. That sort of "spirit" is 3/4 of what it takes to burn safely.
pen
This is combination with picking and choosing your wood should keep you in a safe place.
You obviously are concerned and want to do this correctly. That sort of "spirit" is 3/4 of what it takes to burn safely.
pen
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
Welcome to the forum sickle.
I've burned wood a long time but have never used a moisture meter. I think too many times they are not accurate enough for one thing. On the oak, for example. We have found that oak needs to be seasoned for 3 years after it has been split and stacked out in the wind to dry. I'd suggest you wait on the oak and try to find something else to burn this year.
Do check and clean that chimney as needed even if you have to do it 5 or 6 times your first couple of years. These are the critical years and most folks blame the stove and chimney when it is nothing but the fuel they are trying to burn.
Good luck.
I've burned wood a long time but have never used a moisture meter. I think too many times they are not accurate enough for one thing. On the oak, for example. We have found that oak needs to be seasoned for 3 years after it has been split and stacked out in the wind to dry. I'd suggest you wait on the oak and try to find something else to burn this year.
Do check and clean that chimney as needed even if you have to do it 5 or 6 times your first couple of years. These are the critical years and most folks blame the stove and chimney when it is nothing but the fuel they are trying to burn.
Good luck.
Wish I had taken a pic of my chimney a week and half ago before I swept. Yours really didn't look that bad to me. I had so much accumulation I had lost about an inch of pipe diameter. I was burning min 3 yr old firewood along with alot of cabinet lumber scraps. I think flue temps are everything. Cold flue and any wood will build creosote.
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