creosote build up

[emje]

i had my chimney lined in february of 2022 & started using a wood burning stove.
i burn seasoned hard wood. i use creosote remover. i try to keep my fires hot. i have it swept once a year.
however, the past 2 times i've had a chimney sweep come out, they have told me i have creosote build up & should use creosote remover. they seem to not actually remove the build up while doing the cleaning?
in november they swept my chimney & when i went to light my stove after they left, my stovepipe started smoking. they came back the next day, & i assumed they removed the creosote?? however, just in time for 20 below weather, my stovepipe started smoking again & soot appeared where my stovepipe meets my wall. i tried to keep a fire burning, but i had to give up & let it go out for fear of what all the smoke was doing to me & my family.
the chimney sweep is blaming me & saying my chimney has always had terrible creosote problems??
i had a woodburning cookstove, but i worried that it was causing the issues as it is harder to get it hot & keep it hot. so i switched to just a regular (drolet) woodburning stove last fall.
i don't know what to do. i don't know what else i can do.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

The first thing I’d want to do was find out exactly what condition the chimney was in. I’d want info as to what type of creosote was found, and how much. Was the cap clogged? Is it currently in a condition that is safe to burn in?


Now let’s look at what you are running. What stove are you burning? How tall is the liner? Is it insulated?

You mention burning seasoned hardwood. The word seasoned means different things to different people. Have you verified the moisture content of your wood?

 

[emje]

the chimney had been capped in the attic by the previous owner. i hired someone to get it lined & out the roof.
it is not currently in a condition where i can use it. i tried to see up the chimney when this all started & there was no light...only darkness.
my stovepipe smokes if i light my stove.
it is a drolet columbia II stove.
i have no idea what kind of creosote it is.
it is a 25 foot chimney with a stainless steel liner.
the wood was split a year & a half ago. i'm not sure of the moisture content.
my chimney sweep is supposed to come out tomorrow to look at it again. they sent me these photos to prove they have been doing their job? there is no dates or any other kind of note on these photos.

 

[begreen]

This may be a combination problem. Let's start with a description of the entire setup. Would it be possible to post some pictures of the flue setup from stove connection to the attic transition, to the chimney top?

For certain, get a moisture meter and if you don't have one a splitting maul or a good ax. General makes some decent moisture meters. To test the wood's moisture content you will need to bring some splits indoors for a few hours to warm them up to room temp. Then, replit them in half. Then take the moisture meter and push the probes very firmly into the middle of the freshly exposed interior of the split with the prongs parallel to the wood grain. Try this on a few pieces of wood.

While the sweep is there, ask him to see if there is any air leaking into the flue system that could be cooling down the flue gases and causing the creosote to condense inside the flue piping.

And last, we need to review how the stove is being run. Do you have a thermometer on the stove top or stove pipe? If so, what are typical running temperatures?

 

[emje]

i do have a thermometer. i try to keep it in the yellow. it was more difficult with my cookstove but not at all a problem with my new stove. it only goes below on cool down & heat up. but i try to make the heat up quick with kindling & smaller logs.
i don't have more pictures at this time. i'm sure i should.
one photo is the new set up. though for the first 3 years i had the cookstove with a longer stove pipe. it was always getting creosote buildup in the pipe & chimney entrance. i cleaned it regularly. this one has no build up in the pipe or inside the flue at the stovepipe entrance point so far. i'm guessing the clog is somewhere near the top of the chimney.
i'm realizing that having a wood burning stove is possibly more than i have the brain space for & wonder how our species managed to continue to thrive for all those years we were dependent on fire for heat.
i am looking into other ways to heat my house...daydreaming about moving south.
my house is a 1900s four square brick & brick house with a basement prone to flooding.

the guys who put in my chimney just messaged to tell me to use anti-creosote spray several times a day.

 

[begreen]

With the cold that is now in WI I can understand the need for heat.
Is there an insulated 6" stainless chimney liner in the chimney or does it have clay tile lining, or no lining? If it is a clay liner, what are its inside dimensions?

 

[emje]

there is a 6" stainless steel liner. it was put in 4 years ago.

 

[begreen]

The liner should have been insulated. That would meet code and it would keep the flue gases hotter. Switching to double-walled stove pipe will help a bit, but first, get a moisture meter to check the wood.

 

[emje]

thanks
i assume it was insulated. it was a professional chimney company. i contacted them for details about my chimney, but they have not responded.
i stayed with single walled stove pipe for the additional heat after some debate. of course now i'm second guessing everything.

 

[begreen]

The stove is the source of heat. It's not a good idea to rob the flue system of heat. That cools down the flue gases. When they get below about 250º they start condensing on cold surfaces inside of the chimney pipe. That is what creates creosote.

 

[emje]

okeydoke.
can anyone tell me, is it normal for a chimney sweep to not clear out the creosote?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I can’t imagine him not cleaning it unless it was in such bad shape that he didn’t want you burning in it. Does his invoice say he cleaned it?

 

[begreen]

okeydoke.
can anyone tell me, is it normal for a chimney sweep to not clear out the creosote?

That would not only be unethical, but also dangerous. However, if just a casual sweeper, he may not be equipped for serious buildup removal. In that case he should be up front and tell you so.

 

[bholler]

okeydoke.
can anyone tell me, is it normal for a chimney sweep to not clear out the creosote?

I am sure they cleaned it. The problem is that you have allot of glaze in.your chimney and they may not be able to remove it without damaging your liner. When I come across this I give them creosote powder and tell them to run it hotter get dryer wood and use the creosote remover and call me back in a month. They never do they only call when they plug it up again and never have drier wood.

 

[emje]

they don't say anything other than to tell me i have creosote build up & to use creosote remover. that's all they say. & then they write things on the report to make it look like everything is a-okay.
next year, same thing.

 

[emje]

now 2 months after my last sweeping in 20 below weather, my chimney is no longer working. when i tell my sweep that i cannot see sunlight in my chimney, he says, "do you have your flue open?"

 

[emje]

my last "inspection" report...i highlighted the things that were either inaccurate or that he would have had no idea if it were true or not because he never asked me.