Thin Tar!!!

[AppalachianStan]

I just looked in stove and up pipe, There is a thin layer of tar on stove walls and up chimney Is it safe to burn with this in the stove? I got some fire wood from Food Lion about 3 weeks go and that was the last wood that I burn in the stove. The cats look fine and have no tar on them.

 

[CHeath]

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/creosote-check-this-weekend.107635/

 

[AppalachianStan]

I am going to try Rutland Creosote remover. Let you know how it works.

 

[Woody Stover]

I am going to try Rutland Creosote remover. Let you know how it works.

I don't know if that stuff is safe for use with a catalytic combustor. Yes, you would be bypassing the combustor when using it, but I'm still not sure...some would still go through the cat. The Rutland product contains trisodium phosphate. I'm trying to find out if it's OK to use with a cat, but I'm busy until later... Will let you know what I find.
Is this a new development, since you installed the cat? Could that tar have been in the pipe before, you just didn't see it? You are probably burning a lower fire with the cat in there, so that may explain the layer on the stove walls. If you cat is clean, I'm assuming that it has been lighting off and burning the gunk, so the cat is clean like you said. Your wood isn't real dry either, is it? If the cat is indeed burning, I wouldn't think you would have the tar in the pipe. Do you have any way of confirming that the cat is burning? Can you see it glow? Is the stove putting out a lot of heat on a low burn?

 

[Jags]

From the technical data sheet for the Rutland:

"Bypass the catalytic converter until the flue temperature is approximately 300F"

 

[AppalachianStan]

Here what the Technical Data Sheet says "Catalytic Converter: Bypass the catalytic converter
until the flue temperature is approximately 300°F.
The use of a stove thermometer is recommended."

 

[mellow]

With brand new cats and your luck Stan, I wouldn't use that stuff, stick a brush down it.

 

[Woody Stover]

From the technical data sheet for the Rutland:

"Bypass the catalytic converter until the flue temperature is approximately 300F"

Ah. I pulled that up but didn't read that far. Thanks. I'm trying to get back outside to stack some soft Maple.

I'd still like some answers, though. Stan has been pretty quiet since putting the cat in, and I'd be interested in an update.

 

[Heatsource]

With brand new cats and your luck Stan, I wouldn't use that stuff, stick a brush down it.

Its very hard to sweep tar like soot, you just wipe it around
apply Cre-Away, then sweep in a week or so
(broken link removed to http://chimneysaver.com/item/4-creosote-removal-products/19-cre-away-creosote-modifer.html)

 

[AppalachianStan]

300* at 12" on pipe 275* at 18" on pipe stove top at 450* but by pass still open

 

[AppalachianStan]

2 to 3 Days after I put the cats I fire up the stove. the wood I was burn was from Food Lion.

 

[AppalachianStan]

try to typing in one room and watch the wood stove in another

 

[AppalachianStan]

A1 I need the stove tonight. Can not wait on delivery of an online order.

 

[AppalachianStan]

Do you have any way of confirming that the cat is burning? Can you see it glow?

No and no. Got to order a 71/4" probe for the cats. When I said clean I am say it dose not have tar creosote on them just looks like soot.

 

[AppalachianStan]

Stan has been pretty quiet since putting the cat in, and I'd be interested in an update

Will it really has not been that cold since I put the cats in. So I may have only burn 3 or 4 days when the temp got under 55* last week.

 

[Woody Stover]

Got to order a 71/4" probe for the cats. When I said clean I am say it dose not have tar creosote on them just looks like soot.

Good deal; The probe will give you a good idea what's going on. The Fv probe doesn't reach all the way back to the cat, so it's not giving me a true cat temp reading. I can see the cat through the front glass though so if it's glowing, I know it's lit. It doesn't always glow when it's burning smoke, but the stove top will get hotter over the cat so that's a good indicator, too.
When I take the cat out, all it has on it is ash which I can blow out with lung power.

 

[AppalachianStan]

I am at 400* stove top right now 250* pipe on 5 splits. Putting off good for 45* outside temp inside 79*. by pass still open and fan is on mid. It looks like that stuff has done something the the creosote on the back wall of the stove. When should I close the by pass?

 

[pen]

I am at 400* stove top right now 250* pipe on 5 splits. Putting off good for 45* outside temp inside 79*. by pass still open and fan is on mid. It looks like that stuff has done something the the creosote on the back wall of the stove. When should I close the by pass?

Those temps sound too low yet to me to engage considering your weather / possible draft. I'm thinking with the warm (yes I know it's relative, but with wood burning, the outside temps you are describing are warm) temps outside, you are suffering from low draft that may be keeping your fire from taking off like it should.

Also, since I'm assuming the food lion wood is well dried (it should be for the price) you may find trying to load the wood into the stove in a different pattern / way may help it burn as hot as it should.

pen

 

[AppalachianStan]

Pen, the more I think about I should have whet with a 6" set up instead of the 8"setup I have at 15'. it burn better N/S then E/W but N/S and E/W on top burn good to.

 

[pen]

Pen, the more I think about I should have whet with a 6" set up instead of the 8"setup I have at 15'. it burn better N/S then E/W but N/S and E/W on top burn good to.

Yea

With that short a chimney, in your climate, I think you nailed it.

pen

 

[DexterDay]

Are you using a blower? A blower will cause a build up of black on the back wall.

I just took the bricks out of my 30 last weekend (small cleaning, did flue, cap, etc) and WOW I never had anything like that last year. But I didn't have the blower last year.

The blower cools the stoves back wall to much, and top if it has a convection deck? Your stove looks like an insert? So the blower, may be cooling to much of the body, causing it to cool in certain spots??

 

[AppalachianStan]

Dexter the 52 Bay insert and the freestanding stove look the same. Now my stove is an old 52 Bay

 

[AppalachianStan]

I hope someone will see this...... How dose pipe look, how dose my cats look? Need to start a fire tonight its going to be 28* .... Now this is after the 2 scoop of Rutland Creosote remover..

 

[Dairyman]

Looks like the chimney needs a brush Stan. Stove and cats look ok to me. Did you get the cat chamber sealed up good?

 

[AppalachianStan]

Did you get the cat chamber sealed up good?

yes