Hard creasote

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

oilstinks

Minister of Fire
Jan 25, 2008
586
western NC
Cleaned my flue again and noticed there is some hard build up that doesnt want to come off. Using a poly brush. Seems to come off the stainless pretty good but the single wall it is stuck. I try to brush once a month and burn a TSP stick twice a month. Its torward the top of the single wall. Wouldnt have noticed it if i hadnt completly pulled apart my flue. Only takes about 15min to get things together, get on roof and lift out insulated so why not cheack it while im there.
 
No thoughts on how to get this hard stuff off?
 
Can you post a pic of what you're looking at. It would help us to determine which state of creosote you are describing.
 
oilstinks, are you talking about some glaze or some hard chunks of soot? That also is a very strange place to find creosote. Any leaks?
 
Oilstinks - I remember a thread where Tom (chimneysweeponline) had mentioned some chemical cleaner that was used for glaze type creo. I am not/was not familiar with it, but you may choose to contact him and ask about it.
 
I think I read here that only pro's have access to that chemical and it's a 3 trip/3 week process.
 
You are talking about glazed creosote, which is generally regarded the most dangerous type of buildup. It's incredibly hard to remove, but there are consumer chemicals available, one called TSR(Third Stage Remover), that you spray on the wood load and burn it. It takes quite a bit of time to do its job, I think somewhere in the 1-2 month range? Don't quote me on the timeframe. The other option is the one that was just mentioned ^^^^^^^^^ , where a certified chimney sweep comes in with his super chem, sprays down the interior of the pipe with it, and you continue burning to complete the process, 3 trips, 3 weeks just like ^^^^^^^^that guy said.
 
I'd just replace that section of single wall. It's cheap enough (unless it's enameled).
 
Pessimist says: "That will take you 3 months to remove with a consumer product"

Optimist says: "You can get a sweep to get you all set in 2-3 weeks"

Realist says: "Get a new stovepipe and fix the leak"
 
Whats causing it. That is about 4ft above stove. The isulated is set in the sheet metal square per instructions. Does it need to be sealed some way? IT is not a tight fit into the connector. What i did brush out didnt seem to wanna burn real well when i put a small fire on top of it. The stainless semmed to clean just fine. I do see 600F 14" up on the stack thermo now and again once a day I try.
 
It's an air leak. Seal around that gap with Rutland stove/furnace cement.
 
oilstinks said:
I do see 600F 14" up on the stack thermo now and again once a day I try.

Is this surface or probe temps? If 600F on the surface, that means ~1200f internal - too high IMHO.
 
Yea that surface temps but that is a spike till stove heats up to get secondary going. I have bout 10-11 foot total of pipe. The ht (at least i believe it is insulated)insulated shifts a little in the wind where the flashing gives a little and the flashing is slightly larger than pipe. will it bust the furnace cement? Cant remember the name but the pipe is about 10" diameter but is 6" pipe inside. Im wanting to say ameri vent. Like i said what i got out kinda smoldred in the stove but didnt really burn. I thought it was really flammable?
 
Calling firefighters to this post!!

If I am reading correctly, only a 4 ft section is hard glazed cresote? So if it catches on fire, is it gonna be a real chimney fire? Or something that will quickly burn itself out?

I realize that the problem has to be found as to what it is and corrected, but wondering about the possible chimney fire effects?

Not as serious as something glazed from top to bottom or what?
Think many of us would like an explanation on this phenom??
 
No joke i'd hate to be paged out to my own house. I could check in route and check on scene at same time. I may just could be overly cautious but ill try to post some pics when my new computer is up an running using intermitent internet at work right now
 
Status
Not open for further replies.