Chimney Cleaning

[Fire Goddess]

We bought our house in Nov. We have no idea whaen the chimney was cleaned last. Hubby says the inside of the chimney is 'shiney' as opposed to 'dusty'. Good? Bad?

Also...what are people's thoughts on those chimney cleaning products you throw into the stove while its running? A friend of mine used to use a powder her father gave her, and hubby said there are these things that look like road flares you can throw in...sounds scarey to me...

 

[Cearbhaill]

I can only speak for myself but the first thing I did when we bought our new (used) home this year was have a chimney inspector come and have a look. No way would I ever consider burning anything before having that done. It's a small price to pay for the safety of your entire family plus their home.
So get it looked at professionally at least the first time, then you can take over knowing that you got off to a good start.

 

[fraxinus]

You should definitely have your chimney inspected by a knowledgable sweep - your local fire department should be able to recommend one. Shiny deposits may indicate glazed creosote deposits - the most dangerous and difficult to remove kind. Beyond the chimney's cleanliness is the issue of its overall condition. If you had a home inspection this or the previous owner's disclosure statement may tell you whether the chimney is lined. There is, however, no substitute for a good sweep's inspection and it's really important for your safety.
The product your husband is thinking of was designed for putting out chimney fires, not cleaning, and is no longer available. There are anti-creosote products that work, but it's best to start with a clean chimney. There is also no substitute for seasoned wood and hot fires in reducing creosote deposits.

 

[BrotherBart]

If by "shiny" he means like the pic below then don't be burning into that chimney until a professional gets a shot at it. It is a 911 call waiting to happen.

 

[bbc557ci]

I'm a wood burning noob. In fact I haven't even put my stove in, yet. But in the course of my employment I see the results of chimney fires all too often.

Please believe me when I tell you, you would be wise to take the advice that has been offered above.

 

[Fire Goddess]

UGH!
Thank you all. I showed the pic to hubby and asked him if that is what he meant and he said he wasn't sure it looked like that but it wasn't dust. He cleaned the chimney with the wire brush-on-a-rope and got a 5 gal BUCKET full of crap from inside the chimney. YIKES! I asked him how it looked and he said he thought it was better. Guess who it going back up on the roof to check for me again? If it is not better, I am not using the stove.

The home inspector did check the chimney and said it was fine. Yes it is lined.

 

[bbc557ci]

Creasote can conceal cracked flue tiles and deteriorated/missing mortar between the tiles. Did the inspector look at it before or after the chimney was cleaned? If he looked at the chimney prior to hubby wire brushing it, how could the home inspector call it good ?

 

[Jimbob]

UGH!
He cleaned the chimney with the wire brush-on-a-rope and got a 5 gal BUCKET full of crap from inside the chimney. YIKES! .

I'm going to go WAY out on a limb, and guess the stove doesn't burn all that clean.
:coolsmile:

 

[bbc557ci]

I'd pay the $100 or whatever to have a qualified pro clean and inspect the chimney. We have a sweep around here that has a small camera he drops down the chimney after he cleans it. Well worth it IMHO. Bet the local fire department and insurance carrier would agree.

 

[begreen]

Well, there's no telling how much came from your burning and how much was already there from the previous owner's usage. But as previously noted, with the exterior chimney, creosote will be more of an issue. If it looks very clean now and not shiny, then I would try burning for another couple weeks and check it again. That way you will start getting a sense of what the current season's accumulation is.

PS: Do you have a camera that hubby can take up and get a picture of the chimney throat? It's hard to judge the condition without a picture.

 

[JimWalshin845]

If its as shiny as the one BB showed us, it will have to be chemically treated, so expect to pay a bit more than $100. A homeowner with a chimney brush will never remove shiny creosote.

As per products, we use TSP or a stove additive to help reduce creosote build up. The anti-creosote logs they have out are pricey, about $15.00 at HD & Lowes and some people swear by them. They do help dissolve creosote 'over time' though.

Burning a stove HOT for 15-30 minutes a day along with well seasoned wood will help reduce the problem from the get-go.

Good luck!

 

[Girl]

When in doubt have it checked out.
2 years ago I had to have the chimney guys bring in the big guns (literally).
The year that it was baked on they also took the extra time to go over how to damper down properly.
This years inspection & cleaning the owner of the company came with another guy & the big guns just in case.
Didn't need it but I guess I am flagged due to that one year, I am not complaining extra attention makes me like them more.
He also checked out my wood supply for this year & made suggestions as it is always damp living where I do.
It is worth having a pro come over & check things out.
Put a big pot of coffee on when they get there & have some cookies ready (thats what I do anyway)

 

[BrotherBart]

That Federal Airtight is a cat stove. If the cat is in good shape and the cat bypass is being closed to light it off after a hot fire is burning it should not be putting anything nasty into the chimney.

 

[Fire Goddess]

He said the stuff that came out, came out easily. It looks like creosote to me.

I know the house had been empty for a year before we bought it, but prior to that they used the stoves for heating the house. They had quite the set-up and appear to have been 'serious burners' but does that mean they were responsible ones? No way of knowing. Don't know how much of the 'crap' is from me or the previous owner. Hubby said it is far cleaner now than it was...I am trying to sweet-talk him in to going back up and taking some pics...

Jim, we have well seasoned wood, but I was not burning properly when I first started. Thanks to you all, I am doing much better and using the stove a it should be. Not perfect, but much better.

bbc the inspector checked the exterior, did not look inside the top...just the bottom where the 'trap door' is.

If tiles are cracked, mortar missing, what does that mean?

BeGreen, I am leaning towards doing what you suggest...and also making an appt with a chimney guy as well. It is supposed to get very cold here and our back-up heat source is electric. So, if we can use the stove I would like to.

Goin' to work on Hubby for some pics...

 

[Cearbhaill]

The home inspector did check the chimney and said it was fine. Yes it is lined.

In my case I was not referring to a general home inspection as one does when buying a home. They often do not even go up onto a roof to inspect, and I am certain that they do not have the specialized tools a certified chimney guy would have. Their inspection is cursory and their reports littered with phrases such as "did not appear to be..." and "no visual evidence of...", all designed to cover their butts.
No where near the level of thoroughness needed in such a potentially harmful system.

Get a real chimney inspector.

 

[Fire Goddess]

BB, I believe the cat is ok...how would I know if it wasn't? I know that the temp gage seems to be working and there are no cracks on the inside that I can see.
The smoke coming from the chimney is typically white-ish except when I am reloading.

 

[BrotherBart]

When you close the cat damper the thermo for the cat chamber should rise to around a thousand degrees or so. The key is that it rises. That indicates that the cat is lighting off as it should.

Edit: Whoops broke my hearth.com rule and spoke of that which I have not experienced. I have never had a cat stove so I hope those that do will chime in.

 

[Fire Goddess]

LOL, that's ok. I appreciate you trying to help me out.

When you say the damper, you mean the one behind the cat going up towards the stove pipe, correct? If so, yes it does go up to 1000 degrees, give or take. Sometimes that will require more work from me than other times, but the point is that is does, yes?

 

[BrotherBart]

LOL, that's ok. I appreciate you trying to help me out.

When you say the damper, you mean the one behind the cat going up towards the stove pipe, correct? If so, yes it does go up to 1000 degrees, give or take. Sometimes that will require more work from me than other times, but the point is that is does, yes?

Yep. It's working.

 

[Fire Goddess]

Just an update...
We spent the better part of the day cleaning out the stove, stove pipe, and of course, the chimney. We also cleaned the cat (ash) and found that there was no gasket! Hubby had one and put the new one on and it is now running superbly.

I am still planning on having a chimney guy come out. We also discovered that the back plate on the inside of the stove (not the exterior cast iron, the piece bolted to that) is warped and has a crack in it. I never inspected the stove myself, though the fire dept did come out and inspect both stoves before we bought the house and called them both ok. I seem to think I noticed the warp before, but never put my head inside the stove to get a closer look. We have been running the stove 24/7 since we moved in until today...and with it all open and cleared out, lo and behold... So, don't know if the fire dept. saw that and thought it was ok. I couldn't find anything in my manual about that piece and replacement...nor do I know how it got that way...any thoughts?

Thank you all for all your help today! Hubby is calling this forum "the other man" lol :lol:

 

[JimWalshin845]

I know some fire backs have an inherant crack, most original designed Defiant owners like myself have a fire back crack right next to the '1975 ' insignia. As per it being warped, unless it is affecting the damper, I don't think it should be a real concern. Maybe the next time you remove the stove pipe you can shine a light inside the stove and see if you can see any light from the stove's exhaust.