Chimney Cap
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jetsam
Minister of Fire
We're due for a little less than 1" and people are referring to it as "The Storm".
Take a flashlight up there, pop the cap off, and look at the cap and the flue. Good way to see if you need to sweep the flue, and you can get a better look at the cap.
Shmudda
Burning Hunk
You need to burn a hotter fire. If you do it will clean the cap up and it won't be as dark colored as what you have now. Don't be afraId to get the chimney temp to 350 to 400 deg as its a cleaner burn and no creosote will build up
maple1
Minister of Fire
It's pretty hard to tell from a small picture. Looks dirty, maybe from burning cool. Is this connected to an insert? Is the liner insulated?
maple1
Minister of Fire
Woody5506
Minister of Fire
Mine has similar discoloring but it has been over 2.5 years. I sweep my chimney 1-2 times a year and never see creosote.
If it rains, and the dark goes away, it's soot. Going up and checking for buildup is the only way I know to be sure you don't have creosote.
It's connected to an insert and the liner isn't insulated. I was burning cooler in the beginning because I was going by the stove thermometer which turned out not to be a stove top thermometer. I now burn 500-600. Sorry about the pick. Too cold and we now have snow on the roof to get a better picture.
maple1
Minister of Fire
Do you mean the chimney was last swept in September?
That is a long interval for a new burner. I would recommend a month until you get a handle on how it burns & accumulates dirties.
That is a long interval for a new burner. I would recommend a month until you get a handle on how it burns & accumulates dirties.
I moved in the house in June. Chimney swept in September. Stove was here when I moved here. It's not new.
Woody5506
Minister of Fire
I'm inclined to agree with maple. I swept mine after the first month of burning just to get an idea of how much actually accumulated. I was happy to see practically nothing. Is it a pain? yes...but all part of the learning experience.
Woody5506
Minister of Fire
Burning properly with nice seasoned wood with a moisture content of 20% or less will usually allow you to only have to sweep once a year. Maybe even longer depending on your chimney.
I do twice a year for peace of mind, and I still had a chimney fire this year after leaving the air open too long on a reload.
My husband and I are new to burning. I thought you do it once a yr. We have an insert. Does the insert need to move out to sweep? Do you sweep from the roof or inside the house and up the liner?
maple1
Minister of Fire
Well, I haven't swept mine in almost 7 years. Some need to sweep every month. Once a year is by no means a rule or firm guideline.
I would get it swept ASAP, especially since you say you have an uninsulated liner and were running it cool for a while. Not saying for sure it needs it, but there is the safety & peace of mind aspect....
Do you feel comfortable looking down the chimney from the top? If so, see if there's any buildup.
Supersurvey
Feeling the Heat
You can get a sooteater from rockfordchimneysupply.com. Clean from the top or bottom. From the bottom you will have to manage the dust. This is what mine looked like after 2 months of nightly burning. 5:00pm to 1:00am daily.
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Shmudda
Burning Hunk
Maple I disagree. You mean to tell me your stove never had a cool fire and created black soot and light creosote? Every stove has. What happens when you burn a hotter fire the black soot and light creosote gets burnt and cleans up. Are you a rookie in burning? Creosote is dangerous when it's caked heavy but when light it's easy to burn off. The poster even stated he burned cool which would agree with what I was saying. Again burn a hotter fire for a longer period and it will vanish
And Maple you haven't swept your chimney in seven years? Wow, not the person to be giving advice then!
Craig
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