Creosote Buildup Time?

[Investmentdude]

Hey Y'yall.
I have been on the site for a bit while I was building my screened in porch with vinyl windows and installing my Vermont Castings Encore Defiant Stove. Well, it was installed and all is running smooth. My question for the group now is about creosote buildup with possibly wetter wood? So, the lining in the picture was just installed a month ago. We are building fires 5 nights a week and I'm burning maybe 10 -12 logs per 6 to 7 hour burn. I have a Midwest Hearth temperature guage on the stove only, and am burning red oak and apple right now that was standing dead for a while. I do not have a moisture tester at this time, but the wood is dry to the feel and sound. My thought is, with a new liner and burning around 450-600 every time (the good zone on the thermometer). I should have maybe a bit of buildup of creosote but Ill be fine to wait for Spring to get a cleaning.. I will clean it once a year.
My burn times are late afternoon into the evenings on the porch and on weekends I burn all day...But its not enough consistent or overnight to be a worry about creosote. Sound about right to you guys??

 

[sirlight]

Hey Y'yall.
I have been on the site for a bit while I was building my screened in porch with vinyl windows and installing my Vermont Castings Encore Defiant Stove. Well, it was installed and all is running smooth. My question for the group now is about creosote buildup with possibly wetter wood? So, the lining in the picture was just installed a month ago. We are building fires 5 nights a week and I'm burning maybe 10 -12 logs per 6 to 7 hour burn. I have a Midwest Hearth temperature guage on the stove only, and am burning red oak and apple right now that was standing dead for a while. I do not have a moisture tester at this time, but the wood is dry to the feel and sound. My thought is, with a new liner and burning around 450-600 every time (the good zone on the thermometer). I should have maybe a bit of buildup of creosote but Ill be fine to wait for Spring to get a cleaning.. I will clean it once a year.
My burn times are late afternoon into the evenings on the porch and on weekends I burn all day...But its not enough consistent or overnight to be a worry about creosote. Sound about right to you guys??

View attachment 301550 View attachment 301551

Most of the reading I have seen indicates sweeping about every cord or two. Wet would tends to cause more buildup though. Maybe others can comment, but those two 90 degree bends so close together look tricky to sweep correctly.

 

[Simonkenton]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Calculated-Industries-AccuMASTER-XT-Digital-Test-Meter/1001143244

 

[begreen]

It's best to not make assumptions, especially with a new install. The double-90 offset will be slowing down the flue gases and cooling them, especially with single-wall stove pipe. Also, cold starts tend to be dirtier than continuous burning. Clean the flue system after the first cord and see how it looks.

 

[GrumpyDad]

It's a Vermont Castings. I already had a chimney fire (or a creosote burn off) with 1/2 a face cord burning through (1/2 of 1/3 of a cord of wood) with my dauntless. Well seasoned wood. I let the overnight fires get below 400 (although they were running above 400+ when I went to bed), probably a few times then the next hot burn I had while inspecting wood and letting the flames go up the flue...cause creosote to burn off. If I were you, I would get a phone and look up there and check to see what you see. Cant hurt to look can it? I know you wont be able to see very far with the el. Im going to check after every burn that I let the stove die out. So basically every Friday evening when I arrive to my camp.

 

[stoveliker]

I'd buy a SootEater and do it yourself after a cord. If you burn 2 cords this winter, and don't want to get up on the roof (to inspect the cap etc) then have an end-of-season sweeping done by a professional.

Once a cord until you have the proof that you're doing things right. Then slowly back off, e.g. 1.5 cords (if your wood is at least as good), check, etc.

It's still good to sweep once per season - insurance companies like that. Even if you don't need it. With a sooteater it's not much work.

 

[Eman85]

Your house, I'd go up and pull the cap and look. When the fire is out and the pipe is cool use your hands and slap the pipe from both sides and see what falls from the pipe and into the stove. Chimney fires are exciting! It's really something to see the flames coming out like a roman candle and the sound like a freight train in the pipes.

 

[NewGuy132]

Last year I was burning wet wood and decided to get a mid year sweep. The stove and pipe were installed new in October and we did nightly fires when it was cold out and I'd bun most of the days on the weekends. I think the sweep can in mid January. He said that we had about 20% of the pipe filled with creosote and had already had a slow smoldering chimney fire. He ended up getting about 2 1/2 gallons of stuff out of the chimney. To be safe I'd get a mid season sweep, or as suggested get a SootEater and do a mid season sweep yourself. Personally I am picking up a SootEater myself this season and I'll probably do a swep a month just to be sure and then have someone come out at the end of the burning season.

 

[30WCF]

When I started burning a wood stove I’d sweep 3x a year, then got comfortable with once a year after I learned my stove.
I just bought a new stove, so back to 3x a year to see how this one behaves for me.
The frequent starts and die offs is probably worse than burning hot all the time.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Creosote can build up surprisingly fast. I'd sweep after a while, say a month, and see what comes out. Volume and type of creosote are important.

 

[NewGuy132]

I got my SootEater in today and gave my chimney a sweep this buildup is from those year so far. It was probably about 3 cups worth. We had some insulation put in the attic and it screwed up my draft. Still trying to figure it out.