I took advantage of the warm weather and snow free roof to clean my flue this morning. all went well, got out about a gallon and a half of fine grainy creosote. But as has been said on this form many times the trouble will be found at the top, and that was where I found it. Up on removing the cap I found a cone of creosote blocking about half of the 6" liner. It was thin light weight and flakie and fell to the bottom as soon as I touched it. I had noticed the stove was not drawing quite as well as usual so I was not surprised.
Mid winter cleaning
- Thread starter Pine Knot
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Lanning, I'm not so sure you can burn too low with a cat stove. Most nights here (with a cat stove) we burn with the draft fully closed or very close to that. We have no creosote problems even at the top. We cleaned our chimney last summer after burning for 2 years and only got a cup or so of soot.
My point is that cat stoves can be burned on low. After all, it is smoke that the cat burns.
My point is that cat stoves can be burned on low. After all, it is smoke that the cat burns.
Yes, I do a hot fire every day and that seems to have kept the lower end of the liner fairly clean. The creosote had formed in the last 3-4 inches of the 20 foot liner just where the cap clamps on.
My wood is well seasoned but only put in the dry in November. Might be suspect.
My wood is well seasoned but only put in the dry in November. Might be suspect.
Pine Knot said:
Yah that happens, I would snag a moisture meter and get the answer for moisture content, hear any sizzling, any bubbles on the ends. If not you might be OK, maybe you can split some of the pieces a little smaller that should help dry it out better.
The good news is you were/are smart enough to do a mid season cleaning and therefore you should be fine the rest of the season, even with suspect wood.
This same thing happened to me a while ago, I actually did three cleanings just to be really sure.
This year I have well seasoned wood so so only a cleaning after the spring, maybe a peek down the chimney but that's probably it.
Backwoods Savage said:
Yes, I agree, but only if your wood is of a low moisture content. If the wood has a high moisture content then burning on low will lead to creosote problems. Wouldnt you agree?
My wood was "seasoned", Year and a half split Chestnut oak and locust that had been fence post for about twenty years. But probably not "dry" since I only put it under a roof in November.
So you had a heap of wood setting out in the rain and you are calling that "seasoned"? I propose that the first day of seasoning is when it is cut and split under cover. During the summer you can count the time uncovered since it isn't raining.
Yes, I think think there is a difference between "seasoned" and "wet". Wet wood will dry in a couple of months under cover, unseasoned wood will not.
I had a feeling I wasn't the only one who took a look at the chimney this past weekend!
We got up to VT Friday evening. Before lighting the stove, I went outside and removed the plug at the base of the chimney. I took a look inside with the flashlight and honestly didn't see much. In fact, it looked similar to my last inspection in the fall; browish light fluffy stuff...kinda looked like very dry potting soil. It felt good knowing things were in good shape inside the ol chimney.
We got up to VT Friday evening. Before lighting the stove, I went outside and removed the plug at the base of the chimney. I took a look inside with the flashlight and honestly didn't see much. In fact, it looked similar to my last inspection in the fall; browish light fluffy stuff...kinda looked like very dry potting soil. It felt good knowing things were in good shape inside the ol chimney.
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