Chimney is 26' brick, exterior, north side, 12" x 24" interior no clay liner. The avatar gives you some idea. I had a Lopi 1750 insert installed with a 6" insulated liner, chase cap and block off plate.The question is due to the type of chimney and the height, should I expect more creosote build up in the top 1/2? Wood is 2 years old, fires are moderate but not hot, yet.
Chimney height vs. creosote buldup
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Some accumulation in the top five or six inches and cap most likely. Not the top half. This time of the season keep'em small but hot.
I find that the top 5' or so of the liner, where the flue gasses are cooler, seems to get a bit of flaky stuff (exterior masonry chimney, 16'.) Below that it is mostly just fine, dusty stuff.
You were wise to install with an insulated liner. That is helping keep the flue cleaner. As long as you are burning good, dry wood it should be fine. Check once for every cord burned if concerned.
If insulated all the way up you probably won't have any difference to the cap. Here in the Tropics of Virginia where I am told we don't have Winter I have a 26 foot un-insulated liner that gets fed 3+ cord a year as the sole heat source. The top five or so inches have always had a little crust. Last season I rolled a little insulation in heavy kitchen foil and wrapped it around the little bit of liner exposed over the neck of the top plate. And instead of cleaning mid-season I went the whole season without cleaning.
Up there the other day and it was nothing but dust in the liner all the way to the top of it.
Up there the other day and it was nothing but dust in the liner all the way to the top of it.
smokedragon
Minister of Fire
When we installed ours in NC, the sweep said he only did insulated liners. I get a crust on the top foot and the cap, below that it is fly ash (or really fine gray creosote). I am hoping for less than that this year with an EPA stove. It is crazy when a new stove makes you excited about cleaning your chimney.
Sprinter
Minister of Fire
Funny post. End of my first season I bought a Sooteater and almost couldn't wait to use it. Removed the stove's baffle/secondary and got up on the roof with the sooteater expecting tons of stuff to fall down. I was almost disappointed when only a little bit of soot fell into the box. After last year's season I just looked down with a flashlight and saw nothing but a smooth bore all the way down. Anyone want to buy a SootEater? Well, maybe after a few years, I'll actually need it.
The moral is if you do it all right you should rarely need to clean your flue. Personally, I'll credit the good advise I got on this forum.
smokedragon
Minister of Fire
I am hoping that in the spring I can credit those same people for their good advise as well as the ingenuity of the fine folks at woodstock. So far, I will say I am making less ash and burning less wood (and getting more heat).
That's a win, win, win in my book.
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