Burning creosote?

[rwilson]

My first year with my Heritage and have a question about burning a very hot fire. I just put a full load in and had the air open all the way. In about 15 mins, the fire was really going and the logs were glowing bright red with real nice flames. All of a sudden I smelled a "hot" smell (which I've smelled before), and went over to the stove to check it out. The top temp was only 350, but the stove pipe was very hot (double-wall). What made me a little nervous was the sound coming from the stove pipe. It wasn't roaring or very loud like what I've read about chimney fires, but sounded more like a "crackling" sound. It sounded like little "bits" were falling down the chimney.

So, was this a good thing? Was the creosote just burning up? Do I need to be concerned about anything?

Thanks!

 

[jpl1nh]

As my stove is really starting to heat up, I get a "crackling" sound which is the stove parts, especially the metal parts, expanding. Does sound a bit like pieces dropping. It's unlikely you've built up enough creosote this soon to be a problem unless you are burning wood that isn't very well seasoned, that is that has a high moisture content.

 

[webbie]

Sounds like a normal "mini" chimney or pipe fire. The smell may have been just a little more of that paint cooking off.

The problem can be when people don't have these little pipe fires often. Then a lot of tar can build up and cause a big one. In that case, the pipe would probably glow red. So, in your case, it was probably a good thing. You will have to clean out that burnt creosote sooner or later, as it may build up in an elbo or on top of the baffle...where ever it would naturally fall to.

 

[Corey]

Ticking or pinging in the stove is normal as it warms up. A crackling sound 'in' the flue pipe -which may seen to move progressively up the pipe- is the beginnings of a flue fire. Might be time to sweep that chimney.

 

[rwilson]

I ran the stove very hot again with the air wide open so it went up the chimney. It didn't make the sound as much. I haven't really gotten the pipe that hot before, so I'm starting to just think it was the expanding metal. It sounded very similar to the stove when it warms up. Just to be safe, when the weather clears up here, I'll check the chimney out. Do you think I should check the chimney on the roof, or check the stove pipe coming right out of the stove? Or should I not even worry about it?

Thanks again

 

[rwilson]

Coming out of the stove is 5' of double-wall stove pipe with a damper in the adapter. This connects to a 9' chimney, 6' of which is above the roof. The chimney is double-wall (Selkirk) with a rain-cap on top.

 

[stejus]

I'm burning a fairly new stove (HI300) and I have the advantage of seeing the stove pipe and liner. The surround peices were missing a mounting kit so I still don't have the surround attached.

I did the same thing you did and loaded up the stove and ran wide open for about fifteen minutes (per manual). I hear the metal expanding all the time during the heat build cycle.

One thing I also learned is the vent pipe can over heat very easily with a full load. I looked up and noticed a glowing vent pipe and backed down on the air. This happened before the 15 minutes passed. Now I am looking at the stove temp and charring of the wood and start backing down slowly when it nears 300 degrees (on the stove top).

My manual also suggests a wide open small hot fire for an hour every day to burn off any creosote that formed in the previous 24 hours. I do this with some small rounds (mostly oak and maple) to form a nice burning small hot fire. If you can get the stove top above 300 and burn wide open for an hour a day, I guess most of the creosote burns off the liner.

Happy burning!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Most of my creosote is in the pipe between the stove and chimney.

I'd pull the pipe and take a look for my own piece of mind.

Matt

 

[rwilson]

Well, if it was a small chimney fire, there wouldn't be any creosote in the pipe, right? I can look into the stove pipe, but what exactly would I be looking for?