questions for knowledgable staff....

[jmikk31]

Ok some may think this is nuts, but i was turned onto an idea by a burner friend of mine. He advised me that if i put a couple soup cans in my stove when i burn, the gas from the cans keep the creosote down to a minimum. So i tried it and it actually works. It keeps the door glass very clean and i noticed creosote falling from the inside of the box. I did research on this and all i could find on it is that the cans create a thermite condition in the firebox and keeps the buildup down to a minimum. Has anyone tried this?? Second, my door gasket is starting to seperate from the door. The stove is less than a year old. Should i purchase a new gasket along with my high temp gasket epoxy tomorrow?? Any input is greatly appreciated fellas.

 

[BrotherBart]

What was creosote doing "inside the box" to start with? Yeah, the usual version of this old wive's tale is to toss beer cans in the fire.

Burn dry wood hot and just enjoy the soup or the beer.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Ok some may think this is nuts, but i was turned onto an idea by a burner friend of mine. He advised me that if i put a couple soup cans in my stove when i burn, the gas from the cans keep the creosote down to a minimum. So i tried it and it actually works. It keeps the door glass very clean and i noticed creosote falling from the inside of the box. I did research on this and all i could find on it is that the cans create a thermite condition in the firebox and keeps the buildup down to a minimum. Has anyone tried this?? Second, my door gasket is starting to seperate from the door. The stove is less than a year old. Should i purchase a new gasket along with my high temp gasket epoxy tomorrow?? Any input is greatly appreciated fellas.

Burn dry wood and replace the gasket.

 

[North of 60]

I think burning the cans damaged the gasket and is now seperating. hh: Thermites are for wood piles.

 

[Adabiviak]

Are these empty soup cans? If they're empty, they should amount to a tad of colored paper (probably bad, but a minute quantity) and some steel, which I don't imagine would outgas in any meaningful way, instead maybe deforming somewhat depending on how hot your stove got. To get a reaction like thermite, you would need to grind that steel into a powder with a very specific grain size and ratio to its oxide.

If they're full, I'd be concerned about them bursting, when the soup inside boils.

Even if you threw actual thermite in your stove, It seems like the most likely outcome would be damaged fire bricks (although if it was hot enough, I suppose your creosote problem would be taken care of).

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Well, the old sayings continue to live on and folks keep wanting to find "tricks" rather than doing the right thing. Simply put, burn dry wood and you won't have creosote to begin with. If you get creosote, a chimney brush is in order.

So what will dry wood do? Here's just one little example: We are starting our 5th year of burning in our present stove and the stove is our only heat source so we have to burn 24/7 during winter. So, we have cleaned our chimney exactly one time so far since installing this stove. That was after burning for 3 years. We got about a cup of soot.

So what "tricks" did we use to keep from cleaning our chimney? Most of the wood we burned had been split and stacked out in the wind for 6-7 years. At present we are burning ash that was split and stacked during April of 2009. So our "trick" is simply to burn wood AFTER it dries.

 

[firefighterjake]

Potato peelings.
Beer cans.
Old hay stuffed in the chimney.

I swear these ideas for cleaning a chimney was just one way to get rid of one's trash.

Honestly . . . my suggestion for taking care of the creosote.

1. Burn seasoned wood.
2. Operate the stove at the proper temp by utilizing thermometers.
3. Check and clean chimney when necessary with chimney brush, soot-eater, etc.

Save the cans for recycling . . . and the goats.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

I swear these ideas for cleaning a chimney was just one way to get rid of one's trash
Save the cans for recycling . . . and the goats.

Goats get creosote?

 

[Got Wood]

My brother in law shared with me his "secret" to keeping his chimney clean .... once a week he loads up his stove with kindling and card board and gets a rip roaring fire going and creates a chimney fire. Been doing it for 30 years and swears by it.

Smart? nope.... but while he has a chimney (and a house) the method works for him and there aint no telling him other wise

I prefer to burn seasoned wood

 

[firefighterjake]

I swear these ideas for cleaning a chimney was just one way to get rid of one's trash
Save the cans for recycling . . . and the goats.

Goats get creosote?

Oh yeah . . . it's from eating all that unseasoned grass and brush.

 

[Fredo]

I hear all this talk about throwing Beer Cans in the fire and it alarms me. I hope who ever is doing that first empties the sudsss into their stomach? I hate to see a good sudsss go to waste!

After the 12th beer, anything that once mattered doesn't matter....

I sound like a broken record but I absolutely love this site! It is THEE best Blogger site out there. This thread was hilarious about the "can' thing!

JFire, by no means am I making fun of your post. I found your post interesting because I too am learning the way of Wood Stove Burning. There is a ton of information out there and I am grateful to all the guys here that help me out.

What I love about this site is no matter what question or thought or information one puts on this site everyone is willing to help.


Take care all

Fredo

 

[gyrfalcon]

Well, the old sayings continue to live on and folks keep wanting to find "tricks" rather than doing the right thing. Simply put, burn dry wood and you won't have creosote to begin with. If you get creosote, a chimney brush is in order.

So what will dry wood do? Here's just one little example: We are starting our 5th year of burning in our present stove and the stove is our only heat source so we have to burn 24/7 during winter. So, we have cleaned our chimney exactly one time so far since installing this stove. That was after burning for 3 years. We got about a cup of soot.

So what "tricks" did we use to keep from cleaning our chimney? Most of the wood we burned had been split and stacked out in the wind for 6-7 years. At present we are burning ash that was split and stacked during April of 2009. So our "trick" is simply to burn wood AFTER it dries.

+1

I have my chimney cleaned once a year as sort of a religious thing. ;-) Never gotten more than a cup or two of very fine soot out of it, even my first couple of years when I was burning less than perfectly seasoned wood.