Is this early creosote?

[alaskanbullworm]

Howdy,
Three questions
Am I looking at early creosote buildup here?
Any good way to tell between soot and creosote?
If it is creosote, what timeframe (if any) would make this a "normal" deposit burning at 24/7

Thanks all,

 

[Seanbear]

Thats the "best" kind of creosote to have, and we all get it. It should come right off with a chimney brush. Its a messy job, but its really easy. As far as I know, that kind is the early stage of formation. All wood burning will add up over time, just keep a list of when you cleaned it last.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Looks good. We all get something.
There not much of it and it looks very dry.
You’re good

 

[bholler]

Howdy,
Three questions
Am I looking at early creosote buildup here?
Any good way to tell between soot and creosote?
If it is creosote, what timeframe (if any) would make this a "normal" deposit burning at 24/7

Thanks all,


View attachment 301868

The conditions don't look bad at all. For that ammout of buildup I would guess 2 to 3 months

 

[begreen]

Looks more like soot and ash. Creosote is blacker and shiny.

 

[Seanbear]

If Ive heard right, creosote has 3 stages, youre talking about stage 3 I think. The kind of creosote the OP is easy to deal with. The black shiny stuff means its beyond time for a good cleaning

 

[bholler]

If Ive heard right, creosote has 3 stages, youre talking about stage 3 I think. The kind of creosote the OP is easy to deal with. The black shiny stuff means its beyond time for a good cleaning

Well some of that is accurate some is not. There are 3 stages of creosote. What we see in the pic probably doesn't even qualify as creosote it looks mainly like just ash. But the stages of creosote have nothing to do with frequency of cleaning. It has to do with temperatures in the chimney. If the exhaust temps drop below the condensation point before it exits the chimney you will end up with creosote. How cool it gets determines the stage of creosote. And if you end up with stage 3 (hard glaze or tarry creosote) it is extremely difficult if not impossible to clean without the use of chemicals