Is this normal creosote in a month?

[45cheese2]

2 year old oak, maple and ash. Its pretty dry wood. I dont have a moisture meter anymore, but its uncovered spring through fall and ends are checked and wood rings when smacked together. Im on a 3 year plan with my stack of wood.

Im running a grandpa bear fisher stove. I start the stove and let it get up to 450ish on the stack temps and gradually turn it down till it hits 300 stack temp and it idles there till it needs a reload when I get home from work. Sometimes more wood when im home on the weekends. None of it has been sizzling water out at me.

I cleaned the chimney 2 weeks ago with a chimney drill from the bottom and when I burn the stove hot in the mornings I got a good bit of creosote out of it still. Is this normal or am I missing something? Ill try to attach pictures of the cup and a half of creosote that looks like tiny chocolate cereal. Normal or not?

 

[stoveliker]

I don't like the quantity for one month nor the shiny color.

Is your flue temp a magnetic thermometer on single wall pipe, or a probe thermometer in the gas?

 

[45cheese2]

The wire is on the damper because I damaged it somehow after cleaning the connector pipe and it just keeps the thing open till I can replace it. But these are just showing my stove and setup. It feeds into a 10 foot clay flue. The volume calculated to the same as the connector pipe. (Very close.) Also running a baffel that allows a little bigger opening than the flu to allow a little more heat up

 

[45cheese2]

I don't like the quantity for one month nor the shiny color.

Is your flue temp a magnetic thermometer on single wall pipe, or a probe thermometer in the gas?

Single wall, magnetic.

 

[stoveliker]

Wait, the pipe stops and transitions into a clay flue without metal liner?

That's your problem.

 

[45cheese2]

This is correct sir. Clay flu liner. I did have it inspected before i burned in it 2 tears ago.
I have plans to install a insulated liner and upgrade the stove this summer. But this year, ill have to just keep sweeping more often it seems. I do burn it hot (450ish) for about 15-20 minutes every time I have a cold reload. But on a hot reload, I keep it running 300. Thats why I was surprised about the amount of creosote. It just fell to the clean out door. That wasnt from a sweep.

 

[stoveliker]

300 is okay because it means inside is about 600.
But that amount of creosote for one month, and its nature is not good. Is the masonry chimney on an outside wall?

If you can't change the liner, keep sweeping often.

 

[45cheese2]

Yes. Its on an outside wall that is poured concrete up until the roof, its inside, but its against the wall. Its a single story basement with a roof on it from the 70s. We did just have a cold snap with -30s in duluth/superior area for the last 2 weeks or so. ....so that kind of makes sense. Glad I swept before that happened. Thats probably explains the buildup with that style flu

 

[45cheese2]

Plus side, the chimney cap has stayed clean this whole time. And thats been my guage how things are going. Its the coldest part of the system.

 

[stoveliker]

The cap may be the coldest part, but if "everything" deposits on the cold outside wall of that chimney already lower down, the cap might not get a lot of crud?

Anyway, I would prioritize safety and reline the chimney with an *insulated* liner. You may have to break out the terracotta flue tiles for that if the cross section as is does not allow for an insulated liner.

 

[stoveliker]

I also wonder whether that connection visible right above the stove in the first pic, has the pipe upside down? Pipes should go male end pointing down (so that anything that runs down along the walls does not leak out).

 

[45cheese2]

It is single wall connector pipe. And I made sure they go male end down. The pipe ties into the stove with a clean out Tee. The Tee had to get opened up with a hammer on an anvil to fit over the stove. That was coalys suggestion to fit it to my stove.

 

[45cheese2]

Here's the connection your referring to i believe.

 

[45cheese2]

Thank you good sir for the sage council!

 

[stoveliker]

That makes me feel old 🤣

 

[all night moe]

Is there horizontal run of the stove pipe before it hits the chimney? That is something that's a draft killer. Also, before wiring the key damper open, was it in use during the month before cleaning? What I'm getting at is, a weaker draft with that masonry chimney will lead to the cresol too.

I have noticed in my own past experiences, a masonry chimney with southern exposure will fare better than a northern exposure on exterior walls.

 

[begreen]

Thats why I was surprised about the amount of creosote. It just fell to the clean out door. That wasnt from a sweep.

Is the cleanout door gasketed or sealed? If not, and it's loose and leaky, that may be part of the problem. Cold air being sucked into the chimney can cool down the flue enough so that the creosote starts condensing. Try taping off the cleanout door or create a gasket by closing the door on a bead of silicone adhesive.