Had a slight incident. Have a few questions.

[Twalt87]

Sorry for the long post.
New stove installed September as well as when we got our wood. So it's all wet. I knew I was going to get creosote when burning the wood but was told it would be OK for 1 season.

Yesterday I was getting my fire going and it was being a bit fickle due to the wet wood so I cracked the door open a smidgen to alow air to rush in.

My Gf was watching the fire as I went outside for a moment, I heard a crackling in the air and looked up at the chimeny and saw sparks flying out from it. Ran inside fully closed off the fire.

Went on my roof and the sparks were coming from creosote buildup on the top of my rain cap. None from on the chimeny itself.

The inside of the flue was about an inch or so thick or fluffy soot, where my Inside flue meets the chimeny there's some caked on hard black creosote. Cleaned it out and lit the fire tonight.
When I go on the roof there's a popping noise that I don't hear inside.

Should I worry about anything? Anything I should do different? I did not clean the rain cap as it was pissing outside. How can I clean off the caked on creosote from the raincap?

I read online it's better to burn short hot fires then to burn all day dampened down when the wood is wet.

 

[bholler]

The inside of the flue was about an inch or so thick or fluffy soot,

That sounds like burnt creosote I would really recommend that you get a sweep out to clean and inspect the system then get some better fuel or wait till the wood you have dries.

 

[jatoxico]

With out a visual inspection it's hard to say where you stand. You don't want to foul the system with glaze creosote since its not easy to clean so best thing may be to have someone come clean it.

Burn airy bright fires and try to add as much dry scrap lumber or other dry wood you can find. Split the wood small as possible and don't go chasing burn times.

 

[weatherguy]

I'd do what Jatoxic said and add you can mix in some bio bricks or another similar product, I wouldn't keep burning the green wood unless you plan on sweeping it every week or so.
It's easy to clean the cap if you can get on your roof, can you get up there?

 

[Twalt87]

I can wipe the thick sooty stuff with my hand. It falls off and under it is bare shiny stainless still.

I'm definitely not aiming for longer burns now, nor burning over night.

 

[bholler]

It's easy to clean the cap if you can get on your roof, can you get up there?

Not if it has a thick layer of glazed creosote on it. It can be very difficult to clean in that case. We have burnt off more than one cap because we could not clean it otherwise.

 

[bholler]

I can wipe the thick sooty stuff with my hand. It falls off and under it is bare shiny stainless still.

Post a pic of the fluffy stuff. But from your description is sounds like burnt creosote to me.

 

[Twalt87]

I'd do what Jatoxic said and add you can mix in some bio bricks or another similar product, I wouldn't keep burning the green wood unless you plan on sweeping it every week or so.
It's easy to clean the cap if you can get on your roof, can you get up there?

I can get up there easily.

Not if it has a thick layer of glazed creosote on it. It can be very difficult to clean in that case. We have burnt off more than one cap because we could not clean it otherwise.

What would you recommend? Just buy a new cap.

Post a pic of the fluffy stuff. But from your description is sounds like burnt creosote to me.

I didn't take a photo of it but I found one similar to mine on Google. The one I'm going to post is worse then mine was.

If it is burnt creosote does that mean I had a chimeny fire?

 

[Hogwildz]

I can get up there easily.


What would you recommend? Just buy a new cap.


I didn't take a photo of it but I found one similar to mine on Google. The one I'm going to post is worse then mine was. View attachment 193636

If it is burnt creosote does that mean I had a chimeny fire?

That's some decent build up, but look like flyash to me, should sweep off fine.

 

[snavematt]

I'm no expert but flyash and creosote are very different


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Twalt87]

Mine isn't as bad as that pic. It could be fly away ash I have no idea lol. Never had a woodstove before until this one. So I'm learning.

Absolutely love the thing though. Love the 75$ winter hydro bills too lol

 

[bholler]

If it is burnt creosote does that mean I had a chimeny fire?

Yes is you had sparks coming out of the chimney even if you only saw them coming off the cap you had a chimney fire. Without being there or seeing pics and hearing allot more detail we have no idea who serious it was of if there was any damage but from your description there is no doubt that you had a fire.

 

[Twalt87]

Yes is you had sparks coming out of the chimney even if you only saw them coming off the cap you had a chimney fire. Without being there or seeing pics and hearing allot more detail we have no idea who serious it was of if there was any damage but from your description there is no doubt that you had a fire.

What I mean by saw it at the cap is, I went onto the roof. There were no sparks coming from down the pipe whatsoever. The only place that had any smoldering was at the outer edge of the rain cap down the pipe shows no sign of a fire as far as I can tell

 

[jetsam]

Get a nylon brush and a pole and sweep it weekly. You will get a feel for how often you actually need to do it that way.

My rude of thumb is that any time I am going to get more than a cup of crud, it's time to sweep. I used to do it once a week, now that I have a better handle on things it's more like 3 times a year. (It helps that I have better wood this year.)

 

[bholler]

The only place that had any smoldering was at the outer edge of the rain cap

did fire get from your stove to the cap?

down the pipe shows no sign of a fire as far as I can tell

Other than the fact that you described what sounds like burnt creosote inside the pipe.

I dont know if you had a chimney fire or not I was not there and I have not seen the stuff in your chimney. All I am going by is your description and that description sounds like a chimney fire. Even if it was a fire that does not mean that anything was hurt at all. It is probably just fine.

 

[jeff_t]

What I mean by saw it at the cap is, I went onto the roof. There were no sparks coming from down the pipe whatsoever. The only place that had any smoldering was at the outer edge of the rain cap down the pipe shows no sign of a fire as far as I can tell

If you had smoldering at the outer edge of the rain cap, then you definitely had a little inferno in the pipe. Think about it. If it was hot enough at the cap to burn, then it was most certainly hot enough inside the pipe.

I'd get it checked out.

 

[Twalt87]

Thanks for the replies people.

My thought of why the rain cap lit was because I had the woodstove door cracked open a touch letting a ton of air into the stove to help get the wet wood going. I had a bunch of kindling in there. So my thought was it sent the sparks shooting right into the rain cap.

I Have strong draft from the stove out the pipe even when it's not lit

 

[Hogwildz]

That don't look like burnt creo, looks like flyash build up. There may be some creo under the ash, but my bet is that will clean right off with a good brushing. Caps are the coolest part of the stack, and will get black on the underside. Sure sign of burning less than optimal wood, or running too low of temps. Last couple years with 3+ year old splits, The bottom of my cap was still clean & shiny. I was surprised, & happy.

 

[bholler]

That don't look like burnt creo, looks like flyash build up.

That wasn't his chimney anyway but yes that does look like burnt creosote where the face has burnt hard and has a layer of grey ash on it.

 

[Twalt87]

After looking at pics of other people's chimenys what I have is flyash on the inside. No creosote. It brushes off with my bare hand and goes back to the shiny pipe it was originally.

The only place I found creosote built up in my chimeny is where the inside connects to the ceiling box, there's a thin skim of hard chit I can't scrape off with a knife, it's less then an inch in height. Just a little ring. The other place is the rain cap. No where else has any as I took my flue off and reached up the chimeny and its smooth stainless under the ash.

Following your advice I will burn a couple of logs hot and let it go out, that heats the house for several hours lol. Will be a pain lighting it over n over but w/e.
I will clean it out every week or so while I burn this wood.
This summer I will get someone to come and do a good cleaning and go from there.

Thanks for all the tips everyone. Very new to the woodstove game, house I grew up never had one either.

 

[bholler]

I am sorry but fly ash does not build up to 1" thick especially in under a full season. But again without seeing a pic of your chimney I cant say for sure. But to each their own if you are not concerned about it I guess I wont be.

 

[jatoxico]

Very new to the woodstove game, house I grew up never had one either.

Having a tough first year due to wood is common. Good on you keeping your eye on it. Way ahead of most folks who don't know or even think about any of this. Keep that air open a bit to send more heat up the flue. Once your wood supply improves things will change.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

sounds like a chimney fire to me, specially if you had a 1 inch creosote or ash build up in the pipe. Sounds exactly like what i had a few years ago. On the plus side it cleaned the chimney real good as it burnt itself out. I'd suggest cleaning the chimney once a month til you get some dry wood and get to burning cleaner. Just keep a good eye on it, that ash build up will burn if it gets hot enough

 

[Simonkenton]

Don't burn wood that was cut 4 months ago.

 

[Hogwildz]

After looking at pics of other people's chimenys what I have is flyash on the inside. No creosote. It brushes off with my bare hand and goes back to the shiny pipe it was originally.

The only place I found creosote built up in my chimeny is where the inside connects to the ceiling box, there's a thin skim of hard chit I can't scrape off with a knife, it's less then an inch in height. Just a little ring. The other place is the rain cap. No where else has any as I took my flue off and reached up the chimeny and its smooth stainless under the ash.

Following your advice I will burn a couple of logs hot and let it go out, that heats the house for several hours lol. Will be a pain lighting it over n over but w/e.
I will clean it out every week or so while I burn this wood.
This summer I will get someone to come and do a good cleaning and go from there.

Thanks for all the tips everyone. Very new to the woodstove game, house I grew up never had one either.

If it comes right off and you can see the piping underneath, you'll be fine. Def sweep it ASAP, and keep an eye on it say once a month or so. The stuff at the ceiling box sounds like creo, and if it is just near the joint, that may be an indicator that the joint is leaking cooling the area and causing creo to accumulate. Might want to check that joint and make sure it is not leaking.

Starting more often with cold starts will also cause quicker build up.