[TheForge] Chimney creosote

[Jerry Frost]

Chimney Sweeping Logs, Red Devil, etc. work to a limited extent. What they 
do is send mineral smoke up the stack that binds with the creosote and dry 
it out. This does two things: first it makes it brittle and subject to 
crumbling in the heat/cool cycle and second it makes it less flamible.

They're no substitute for sweeping but they work sort of.

Building a small roaring fire every morning to burn out the creosote in a 
controlled manner works better than the mineral anti-creosote treatments.

You MUST start doing this with a clean stack. If you try this with a dirty 
stack you're likely to start an uncontrolled creosote fire.

Sweeping stacks with turns is a pain but needs to be done.

Our stack is tall access is via a 4 1/2:12 steel (slick) on 2 1/2 stories. 
(scarey) It's an easy sweep though, I filled a 2 lb. coffee can about 2/3 
full of lead so the brush goes down with authority. I think this summer I'm 
going to make a widows walk so it isn't so scarey getting to the stack.

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.

http://www.artmetalradio.com/

From: "Walter Mullett" <wmullett at bright.net>


> Have any of you used those "Chimney Sweeping Logs" that are supposed to
> remove creosote from your wood burning chimney's?
>
> I've been running the wood burner in my un-heated "old kitchen" wing at a
> really low rate.  Consequently, I am getting more creosote than when it 
> runs
> at higher temperatures.  I have an air-tight unit with 5' of metal that
> turns into a thimble near the ceiling and into the original masonry 
> chimney.
> A couple of weeks ago, my wife turned the unit way up.  When I checked it,
> several places on the metal chimney were glowing red from the creosote
> burning off in it.
>
> I always inspect the metal and the masonry at least twice in the season.
> The last two times I've removed the 5' metal sections, I've found about 
> 1/2"
> of creosote in them and this time, I see some in the masonry.  I clean the
> metal by banging on the side but I don't have brushes for the chimney.
>
> Do these logs work?