Removing That Glass like Creosote in Chimneys with Cre-Away

[JPapiPE]

I have heard from Tom the chimney sweep who does post on this forum occasionally, that the super hard glass-like creosote build up on the inside of your chimney can be loosened by adding a product called Cre-Away. I believe it is added to the fire box days before the expected cleaning, and does a fairly good job at removing the baked on glaze. Tom, I do believe it was you that gave me this tip, but if I am mistaken please forgive me. Anyone ever use Cre-Away ? If so, please lets us know how it worked.
Thanks all, Joe

 

[thechimneysweep]

JP, I don't recall if you and I have corresponded about Cre-Away in the past, but here's what I know. Cre-Away is a dry powder catalyst which, in conjunction with heat from the fire, helps break down glaze creosote OVER TIME into a dry, crunchy, form that can be swept out.

How to use it: sqeeze a few big puffs of power over the top of a briskly burning fire. The updraft carries it aloft, where it coats the glaze and begins to work. This process must be repeated several times with hot, dry-wood fires, until the glaze finally breaks down. If the buildup is thick, it can be helpful to run a chimney brush in between fires, to sweep off the broken down surface glaze and expose a fresh surface for the next treatment.

There are also two liquid glaze breakdown chemicals that we've seen work: Anti CreoSote (ACS) and Third Stage Remover (TSR).