Results of my sweep, what do you think?

[mwhitnee]

First year with my BK king. Think I got it quite clean. Burned around 4-4.5 cords last year, wood haf a little more MC than I would like. Wood will be better this year.

4.5-5 gallons creosote, shiny, some pieces about golf ball sized but a mixture as you can see.

Does this result constitute a mid-year sweep in your opinion? I did not do that last season. Thanks in advance...

 

[begreen]

That looks like a good cleaning job, however 4-5 gallons is a lot of sote. The masonry chimney may be cooling down the flue gases excessively and prematurely. Have you thought about installing a stainless steel liner sized to the stove flue outlet?

 

[blacktail]

5 gallons and you're asking if you should do a mid season cleaning? You could benefit from more changes than just a mid year sweep.

 

[mwhitnee]

That looks like a good cleaning job, however 4-5 gallons is a lot of sote. The masonry chimney may be cooling down the flue gases excessively and prematurely. Have you thought about installing a stainless steel liner sized to the stove flue outlet?

Yes of course, not in the budget right now. In addition I might be selling my house.

 

[mwhitnee]

5 gallons and you're asking if you should do a mid season cleaning? You could benefit from more changes than just a mid year sweep.

Agreed. I should have prefaced my post with my budget is tight right now and I might be moving. Just asking about how important it would be to do a mid-year sweep.

 

[toddnic]

Most definitely a mid-year sweep.... Maybe even a sweep after every 6 weeks or so. 5 to 6 gallons of creosote is a lot and would be a significant chimney fire if it ever ignited.

 

[Chas0218]

How tall is your chimney? Where did it seem the majority of the creosote build up was? My guess is you have a tall chimney and were building up towards the top because it was cooling quickly. You might need to run your stove a little warmer if possible to keep those flue temps higher. This means it will go through a little more wood but it is better to go through a little more wood than to have a chimney fire. How often do you stoke the fire?

 

[Jags]

5 gallons of creosote is what I would call "excessive". Yes, at least one mid season cleaning should be added to the schedule. Maybe even consider monthly or 6 weeks or whatever works for you. That is a lot of fuel if it were to ignite.

 

[tarzan]

As others have said, definitely clean every six weeks or so. If you plan on leaving the stove when you sale I would be sure to pass the info provided on this thread to the new owners.

 

[mwhitnee]

How tall is your chimney? Where did it seem the majority of the creosote build up was? My guess is you have a tall chimney and were building up towards the top because it was cooling quickly. You might need to run your stove a little warmer if possible to keep those flue temps higher. This means it will go through a little more wood but it is better to go through a little more wood than to have a chimney fire. How often do you stoke the fire?

I think most of the creosote was near where the cast iron sleeve enters the chimney. I did not see much at the top or the middle. My chimney is around 24' but the sleeve enters around 6' up from the bottom.

I run my stove pretty open a lot of the time. Mostly 2/3 throttle.I don't stoke the fire a lot, not needed.

 

[BrotherBart]

How much of that was puffy popcorn like stuff?

 

[mwhitnee]

How much of that was puffy popcorn like stuff?

Hmmm, maybe 1/3...

 

[BrotherBart]

The puffy stuff has lit off and burned already.

 

[RFarm]

Looks like a great sweep job.

 

[Smoked]

If you think most was at where the stove exhaust comes in, make sure the fitting there is very tight. Cool air entering will cause more accumulation. If you have a clean-out at the bottom, make sure you seal that very well too.

 

[mwhitnee]

The puffy stuff has lit off and burned already.

Hey BB, if you're talking about the popcorn stuff that I can crush in my hand easily, not that much then. Most was harder, kinda like lava rock.

I just chipped off some creosote off the clay liner by putting my arm in the cast iron sleeve with a chisel. Very clean now, I can easily see the clay liner.

 

[St. Coemgen]

Burned around 4-4.5 cords last year, wood haf a little more MC than I would like. Wood will be better this year.

4.5-5 gallons creosote, shiny, some pieces about golf ball sized but a mixture as you can see.

Does this result constitute a mid-year sweep in your opinion?

No. Not at all like my clean out.

I burn about 3 chords a year and have less than one gallon (4 liters) of clean out after one winter (two stoves and chimneys). Nothing "golf ball sized". More like pea sized (and very little of that -- mostly just soot).

I would say you are either burning too cool (overloading your stove, not giving enough air for combustion and thus smoldering) or your wood was too green.

 

[begreen]

It could be that the stove and wood are fine. Catalytic Blaze King stoves tend to have cooler flue gases to start with. When those gases hit the cold, masonry flue they will condense. This can be exacerbated by an oversized flue slowing down the gases, allowing more heat transfer. A properly sized, insulated liner will help reduce this condensation in the flue piping.

 

[Elle]

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First year with my BK king. Think I got it quite clean. Burned around 4-4.5 cords last year, wood haf a little more MC than I would like. Wood will be better this year.

4.5-5 gallons creosote, shiny, some pieces about golf ball sized but a mixture as you can see.

Does this result constitute a mid-year sweep in your opinion? I did not do that last season. Thanks in advance...

I think others said most stuff, but I didn't see anything for comparison. This year I got about 2 cups of sote burning 2.5 cords or so. The year before and previous years I burned an average of 4-5 cords at least and only had 1.5 cups or so-and that's cups, not gallons. Wood wasn't so good last year. I have a 30 or so foot stainless chimney and I have to think that helps. Honestly, I would be nervous if I got that much out. I'd be cleaning once a month, but that's just me. Others have a lot more experience with this and they don't seem excessively worried about it. I"m a bit of a pansy.

 

[tarzan]

My BK burns dirtier than the tube stove I had hooked to the same 6" flue. With the tube stove I could have easily burned for the three seasons I had it without cleaning although I did. With the BK, I need to clean at the end of every season. It's nothing measured in gallons, probably a quart? but my chimney is easy to clean and it gives me peace of mind so no reason to put it off.

I think Begreen is dead on, an insulated liner would likely be the solution.

 

[ElmBurner]

I thought the whole point of a catalytic stove is that there is nothing left at the end? Just water and hot air?

If there is that much soot, wouldn't it be saying something is very wrong? Like the cat is plugged/not functioning/not being used?

 

[Jags]

I thought the whole point of a catalytic stove is that there is nothing left at the end? Just water and hot air?

Not quite accurate. It is true that a cat stove will burn more of the particulate matter (because of the cat), but it is also true, that not everything in wood is consumed with fire. The inherent nature of a slow rolling stove (making up the legendary burn times) also comes at the expense of flue gas temps. Low gas temps and the remaining particulate matter sticks to the cool(er) stack - i.e. - creosote.
(there are quite a few variables that can affect how much or how little, but in a nutshell, this is the short version).

 

[Highbeam]

I too experience much cooler flue temps and much greater creo accumulation with the BK than I did with a non-cat on the same flue. The low flue temps make stuff condense that would otherwise blast out the chimney cap with all of the heat. In addition, the non-cats had a lower epa gph rating meaning that the cat stoves are designed to pass more particulate.

Totally worth it for the long burn times and high efficiency. This is one of those cases where higher efficiency is gained at the expense of higher emissions. Much like old diesel trucks getting 20 mpg but spewing black smoke while new diesel trucks with less emissions getting 12 mpg.

 

[BKVP]

No. Not at all like my clean out.

I burn about 3 chords a year and have less than one gallon (4 liters) of clean out after one winter (two stoves and chimneys). Nothing "golf ball sized". More like pea sized (and very little of that -- mostly just soot).

I would say you are either burning too cool (overloading your stove, not giving enough air for combustion and thus smoldering) or your wood was too green.

Bingo! Higher than believed mc and msybe loading 10 minutes before bed and shutting it down. Instead load, burn hot for 45 min of so, then shut down. Deal with moisture at higher temps....IN ALL STOVES.

 

[BKVP]

I too experience much cooler flue temps and much greater creo accumulation with the BK than I did with a non-cat on the same flue. The low flue temps make stuff condense that would otherwise blast out the chimney cap with all of the heat. In addition, the non-cats had a lower epa gph rating meaning that the cat stoves are designed to pass more particulate.

Totally worth it for the long burn times and high efficiency. This is one of those cases where higher efficiency is gained at the expense of higher emissions. Much like old diesel trucks getting 20 mpg but spewing black smoke while new diesel trucks with less emissions getting 12 mpg.

Sorry...clarify this for me please. Cat stoves have, on average, much lower particulate emissions. Is the by pass sealing? How long is by pass left open? And more...