Creosote buildup, new guy concerens

[BigAcres]

Alright I've been burning for a month or so and wanted to inspect things a little ..ive had constant fire going for about 2 weeks and before that it was every day and all weekend kind of thing. I'm pretty concerned with the buildup and then I went and broke the damn baffle. Is that baffle still useable since that area is covered by the stainless steel baffle that goes in last? The corner peice that busted still sits in there fine so I dont see it being a large issue but what do you think? How about the buildup, do I need to be concerned? Sorry for the duplicate pictures.

 

[Bigger_Al]

Take a little furnace cement and glue the corner back on. I’d broke mine in half! Still holding s year later with the Rutlands.

 

[Bigger_Al]

 

[BigAcres]

Fyi this is a heatalator constitution. Sorry that should have been in original post. The buildup/flakes are very light and fall off with just a touch. I bet my shop vac would suck them off without even touching them

 

[BigAcres]

Take a little furnace cement and glue the corner back on. I’d broke mine in half! Still holding s year later with the Rutlands.

Ok great, thanks!

 

[Bigger_Al]

Also, looks light and fluffy and not creosote. I think you’re okay.

 

[BigAcres]

Looks pretty shiny in spots but I dont think ita very thick. All those flakes on that blanket though, is that ok? Just seems like that'll build up and catch fire

 

[blacktail]

Build up in your pipe is what counts.

 

[BigAcres]

Build up in your pipe is what counts.

This is the pipe.

 

[Bigger_Al]

I guess I’m comparing to a neighbor who had large shinny and some sticky black clumps and flakes raining down the inside of her stove pipe. Yours, for the most part, looks grey and fluffy.

 

[BigAcres]

I guess I’m comparing to a neighbor who had large shinny and some sticky black clumps and flakes raining down the inside of her stove pipe. Yours, for the most part, looks grey and fluffy.

Yes grey and fluffy. But some shiny areas. Zero sticky stuff. There were the flakes raining down which collected on that blanket that sits above the baffle. And this was only after 1 month.

 

[BigAcres]

Bump. I want to fire this up but should I sweep it while I have this all out apart?

 

[BigAcres]

Oh, also I have the flakes down wind outside. What does that mean? I just want to make sure this is all normal...

 

[blacktail]

In the time it took to take and upload the pics, you could have run a sooteater up the pipe.

 

[BigAcres]

In the time it took to take and upload the pics, you could have run a sooteater up the pipe.

Some advise or insight would be great. You sir provided zero. When it comes to chimney fires and creosote buildup it would be great if you could give me your thoughts on my situation. But thanks, I'll look up what a sooteater is... Dick

 

[jatoxico]

Oh, also I have the flakes down wind outside. What does that mean? I just want to make sure this is all normal...

You starting with paper? Nothing you posted looks too bad IMO. You have it apart but you can wait to sweep if you want from what I see. One guys opinion.

 

[BigAcres]

You starting with paper? Nothing you posted looks too bad IMO. You have it apart but you can wait to sweep if you want from what I see. One guys opinion.

Thanks. I cleaned what i could and just got her going. From my research it seems like I probably had a good hot fire with a really good draft which then carried those out the chimney. I do not use paper to start it. I can tell it is the exact same stuff that i saw from inside here. Very light and crumbles instantly when touched.

 

[jatoxico]

Get that sometimes off the cap. As long as the cap is clear you should be good. Use binoculars to check if you're not sure. Soot eater is a great product BTW.

 

[BigAcres]

Get that sometimes off the cap. As long as the cap is clear you should be good. Use binoculars to check if you're not sure. Soot eater is a great product BTW.

Haha I did just that. The louvers look open. Its supposed to warm up here this weekend and I'll get up there and inspect it closer. I looked up the sooteater and will purchase one. Looks like a great product. With something like that, if I ran that through there a couple times a season, would you still suggest having a sweep come out once a year? Fyi this is a new build with only 3 face cord of wood put through it.

 

[PAbowhunter]

I too am new to wood burning and made this post about a month ago.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/opinion-on-this-creosote-buildup.172424/#p

I made the decision to sweep it myself with a soot eater because my pipe is only 12 feet and I didnt end up with very much creosote. Still glad I did it since it makes me feel better about burning when im not around. To answer your question, no i dont think you need to sweep it this instant based on those pictures (Im not a chimney sweep though)
A couple things you may want to add to this post is how tall your pipe is and what it looks like towards the cap since thats where youre likely to have the most build up. My cap had a ton of nasty stuff on it because i was new to burning and had poor quality wood.

 

[jatoxico]

Haha I did just that. The louvers look open. Its supposed to warm up here this weekend and I'll get up there and inspect it closer. I looked up the sooteater and will purchase one. Looks like a great product. With something like that, if I ran that through there a couple times a season, would you still suggest having a sweep come out once a year? Fyi this is a new build with only 3 face cord of wood put through it.

If you sweep with the soot eater I don't think you need to have it done professionally...unless you think you got some stage 3 creosote. That you can't remove. My opinion is run the soot eater and see what you get. If its brown ashy, great. If its black shiny, ok but burn hotter. If the soot eater head comes out with sticky tar call a pro and figure out how to better dry your wood.

 

[BigAcres]

I too am new to wood burning and made this post about a month ago.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/opinion-on-this-creosote-buildup.172424/#p

I made the decision to sweep it myself with a soot eater because my pipe is only 12 feet and I didnt end up with very much creosote. Still glad I did it since it makes me feel better about burning when im not around. To answer your question, no i dont think you need to sweep it this instant based on those pictures (Im not a chimney sweep though)
A couple things you may want to add to this post is how tall your pipe is and what it looks like towards the cap since thats where youre likely to have the most build up. My cap had a ton of nasty stuff on it because i was new to burning and had poor quality wood.

Thanks. I think I may have a similar isse at the top of the chimney. It seem like I have a hard time getting a good draft, I know I burned too cool for a while as well. I'm going to clean it this weekend. How clean dis you get the top of yours? Did that seem to help?

 

[BigAcres]

If you sweep with the soot eater I don't think you need to have it done professionally...unless you think you got some stage 3 creosote. That you can't remove. My opinion is run the soot eater and see what you get. If its brown ashy, great. If its black shiny, ok but burn hotter. If the soot eater head comes out with sticky tar call a pro and figure out how to better dry your wood.

Thank you very much. I'll burn for another day or so and once the roof doesn't have snow on it I'll get up there.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Some advise or insight would be great. You sir provided zero. When it comes to chimney fires and creosote buildup it would be great if you could give me your thoughts on my situation. But thanks, I'll look up what a sooteater is... Dick

Some advise or insight would be great. You sir provided zero. When it comes to chimney fires and creosote buildup it would be great if you could give me your thoughts on my situation. But thanks, I'll look up what a sooteater is... Dick

Some advise or insight would be great. You sir provided zero. When it comes to chimney fires and creosote buildup it would be great if you could give me your thoughts on my situation. But thanks, I'll look up what a sooteater is... Dick

You were actually given some insight here. Sooteater is a good product.

 

[BigAcres]

You were actually given some insight here. Sooteater is a good product.

Thanks Mr. Obvious. I pointed out that I appreciated that portion of his otherwise useless post.