First time cleaning chimney and my VC Dauntless....

[a59cheffy]

Purchased our VC Dauntless in November '21, installed by local dealer in March '22 with new chimney. Did a few break in fires and then warmer weather hit. Started a few low heat fires at the end of October, then regular fires on through til January. I am guessing I burned about a cord and a half. I know now from having a chimney fire and finding you good folks I should have cleaned the chimney much, much sooner and more often! Was given bad advice initially....

Purchased a sooteater, removed the chimney inside, cleaned from bottom up using the trash bag method. Chimney is squeaky clean. Sooteater rocks!

Question is, I have not been burning the stove hot enough and glazed creosote has accumulated in the throat collar and lower section of the chimney. How do ya'll clean it? Is it a danger or will hotter fires burn it off?

 

[trailrated]

I'm not familiar with this stove, or your set up but how did the area you describe as having creosote Not get cleaned when you cleaned the chimney? When I clean my pipe, I remove my secondary burn tubes and ceramic baffle. I go on the roof and run a chimney brush all the way down the pipe into the stove. If you can't get on your roof for a top down clean, I assume you can do the same from the bottom up, No?

 

[a59cheffy]

I'm not familiar with this stove, or your set up but how did the area you describe as having creosote Not get cleaned when you cleaned the chimney? When I clean my pipe, I remove my secondary burn tubes and ceramic baffle. I go on the roof and run a chimney brush all the way down the pipe into the stove. If you can't get on your roof for a top down clean, I assume you can do the same from the bottom up, No?

Yes, I did the bottom up clean. I removed the chimney pipe between the stove collar and the support box on my cathedral ceiling. Sooteater did a great job all the way to my rain cap. Looked great! Then took inside chimney pieces outside and used the sooteater on them. Got most of the soot and carbon, but there is some baked on creosote closer to the stove connection that won't come off with the sooteater.

 

[trailrated]

I'd try and scrape off that creosote off if it were me personally. Use a plastic scraper of some type just to protect the stove finish if there is one in that area. Maybe a plastic pry tool and some soft taps with a hammer to chip it away. (soft taps on the pry tool). Go lightly and see how it acts. Without seeing it, it's hard to say the best way to go about it. May be someone that has experienced the same will chime in.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

If you have some glazing.. try creosoot liquid.. I hear that works

 

[Woodsplitter67]

adding to my post above.. you do not run the creosoot with the cat running.. Id put some on a paper towel or news paper get a decent fire going and flue up to temp and burn that with the newspaper..should help with glazing

 

[a59cheffy]

adding to my post above.. you do not run the creosoot with the cat running.. Id put some on a paper towel or news paper get a decent fire going and flue up to temp and burn that with the newspaper..should help with glazing

Thank you! Just had the chimney and stove inspected by the person who installed it for me! He said the glazing inside my chimney above the stove is pretty normal. There are no air leaks at the support box connection and I should be good to go. He was impressed I was able to get the chimney as clean as I did.

 

[a59cheffy]

adding to my post above.. you do not run the creosoot with the cat running.. Id put some on a paper towel or news paper get a decent fire going and flue up to temp and burn that with the newspaper..should help with glazing

Well don't have to worry about cleaning the glazing off of the flue. Did it all on its own after starting a fire. When the stove got to operating temperature heard a small avalanche come down. All the glazing must have released from the pipe from the heat. Now I just have to vacuum it out!