What's up with anti-creosote sticks?

[creeker]

I was down at Lowes, first year burner, looking at all the paraphenalia, and I saw these little 6-8" "anti-creosote" tubes. Apparently, you just toss one into your stove during burn and it supposedly just gobbles up your creosote. First, they're encased in some kind of plastic. It just seemed counter-intuitive to toss one of those into your stove in the first place.

Another product was a creosote fire suppressant, another stick, bit longer, that you're supposed to put into your stove to suppress the chimney fire. Again, I don't think I would even open the door if I knew I had a chimney fire. Wouldn't that just feed the fire and maybe backdraft on you.

Any tips on whether these products do any good at all, or are they what I think they are, just gimmicks.

 

[Pagey]

The majority of these products are designed to turn glaze type creosote (stage 3 creosote, I believe it is called) into some far more easily removed with a good, manual brushing. They are NOT a substitute for manual cleaning.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Some swear by them, but I don't think they solve anything a good brushing wouldn't.

I believe they chemically alter the creosote so it becomes flaky and easy to brush off.

Matt

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've heard very mixed reviews on them but have never used them nor needed them. Best creosote preventer is burning dry wood; well seasoned which means anywhere from 1-3 years depending on what type of wood you have.

 

[littlesmokey]

Calling all chemists!! I remember someone on here explaining these things and what the alternative basic chemical is. I know CornBurners use oyster shells to reduce deposits in stoves and exhaust, but that's a whole other issue.

Quite frankly, learning how to burn your stove and using dry wood is a much better investmentm than the tube of goo.

 

[regency]

I like to track the cost of heating with wood. ie: fuel, mileage, natural gas usage etc. I already bought a chimney brush so all that costs me now is a few minutes of my time on occasion. I agree that those magical sweeping devices cannot compare with shining a flashlight down your chimney ans seeing for youself!

 

[raybonz]

Calling all chemists!! I remember someone on here explaining these things and what the alternative basic chemical is. I know CornBurners use oyster shells to reduce deposits in stoves and exhaust, but that's a whole other issue.

Quite frankly, learning how to burn your stove and using dry wood is a much better investmentm than the tube of goo.

They use TriSodiumPhosphate or TSP powder in those tubes... Can buy at hardware stores...


Ray

 

[gregp553]

I looked at those today at Home Depot. They claim to break down the glaze type creosote as noted above. You still need to brush. For less than $2 a tube it seemed cheap enough. But it's for glaze. Don't know if they work though.

 

[pyro68]

I use them & love them, between burning hot & the sticks, i typically only have approx 1/8" of powder lining my chimney at the end of a full season. I agree 100% that they are not a substitute for cleaning a chimney or regular inspections. I've had some "old-timers" tell me that you can accomplish the same thing by throwing raw potato peelings into the fire, in the days of tin cans they used to throw them in as well.

 

[johnn]

At two different dealers here in the Mid-West are i have seen a spray bottle type liquid, which you spray on the woof before loading. Who i have talked to says that they will help,,most any type you use, just that some r more economically friendly than others.

 

[firefighterjake]

I've heard very mixed reviews on them but have never used them nor needed them. Best creosote preventer is burning dry wood; well seasoned which means anywhere from 1-3 years depending on what type of wood you have.

Truer words have never been spoken. . . . +1 to Backwoods Savage and burning dry wood at the proper temps.

 

[pgmr]

Those with cat stoves will want to avoid any of these types of chemicals.

 

[John the Painter]

I use them & love them, between burning hot & the sticks, i typically only have approx 1/8" of powder lining my chimney at the end of a full season. I agree 100% that they are not a substitute for cleaning a chimney or regular inspections. I've had some "old-timers" tell me that you can accomplish the same thing by throwing raw potato peelings into the fire, in the days of tin cans they used to throw them in as well.

I have heard about the peelings as well.Also have heard batteries ( AA,AAA,9v,ect.) and standing on the roof with a mist bottle full of gas spraying down with a fire going.I'm not saying any of these work or are smart though.

 

[pyro68]

roflmao, John, love the idea of spraying gas down the chimney, gotta try that one, bet the chimney gets cleaned, might get a haircut too!!

 

[fbelec]

one of the ingrediants in those powders is tsp. i tried throwing in 2 scoops of tsp to see if it wood work. the stink that followed lasted 3 hours. it's like sticking your head in a 55 gallon drum full of tsp. followed the instructions on one of the tubs of powder i was using that said throw 2 scoops on the coal of a fire that is ending or 2 scoops on a fire that has just started.
i'll never do that again.

 

[tiber]

EDIT: Decided I didn't want to give advice on voodoo wood additives.

 

[joat717]

I've experimented with a few types of these and nothin i found compares to a good ole manual brushin. much cheaper in the long run too!

 

[Rougement]

I have heard about the peelings as well.Also have heard batteries ( AA,AAA,9v,ect.) and standing on the roof with a mist bottle full of gas spraying down with a fire going.I'm not saying any of these work or are smart though.

Batteries? Holy crap!

 

[mikedengineer]

I use the liquid creosote remover from home depot. I like it alot. The next day after using you can hear the creosote falling. It definatly does not substiture a brush cleaning, but it loosens it up and drys it out without a doubt. I use about a 1/4 worth on a hot fire each time I use it.

 

[Pagey]

I clean my chimney with Tsar Bomba!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_bomba

The fireball touched the ground, reached nearly as high as the altitude of the release plane, and was seen and felt almost 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from ground zero. The heat from the explosion could have caused third degree burns 100 km (62 miles) away from ground zero. The subsequent mushroom cloud was about 64 kilometres (40 mi) high (nearly seven times higher than Mount Everest) and 40 kilometres (25 mi) wide. The explosion could be seen and felt in Finland, breaking windows there and in Sweden. Atmospheric focusing caused blast damage up to 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) away. The seismic shock created by the detonation was measurable even on its third passage around the Earth.[6] Its seismic body wave magnitude was about 5 to 5.25.[7] The energy yield was around 7.1 on the Richter scale[citation needed], but since the bomb was detonated in air rather than underground, most of the energy was not converted to seismic waves.

Since 50 Mt is 2.1×1017 joules, the average power produced during the entire fission-fusion process, lasting around 39 nanoseconds, was about 5.4×1024 watts or 5.4 yottawatts (5.4 septillion watts). This is equivalent to approximately 1.4% of the power output of the Sun.[8]

 

[jabush]

I use one scoop of Rutland Creosote Remover (powder) on a HOT bed of coals once per week and have had good results. Prior to the powder I would get that glaze on the top 2-3 feet of the liner that I couldn't brush out. Now it's just flakey buildup that brushes right out.
I did notice that Rutland makes two of these products. One for air tight (Classic) stoves and one for modern stoves called "Soot Remover".