[TheForge] Chimney creosote

[Mike Spencer]

> Have any of you used those "Chimney Sweeping Logs" that are supposed to
> remove creosote from your wood burning chimney's?  

Not the logs, no.  I occasionally use a sprinkle-on  product that's
"supposed" to do the same.  As far as I can see, what it does is turn
glassy deposits into crumbly deposits that can then be removed by
brushing, scraping or (with luck and less well) whacking with a
poker.  Has to be used regularly, won't clean up a badly coated
stove pipe or flue.  Doesn't seem to justify the expense or bother.

> The last two times I've removed the 5' metal sections, I've found
> about 1/2" of creosote in them...

If that's 1/2" of the glassy form of creosote, that's way more than
enough to produce a spectacular fire in your flue.  When it gets hot,
the glassy form foams and expands, much like good blacksmith's coal
does when it's coking out, turning into a brittle, foamy mass which,
along whith the expelled volatiles, burns furiously.  The strong draft
created in the process has a positive feedback effect.  

To see what I'm talking about, take your 5' piece of pipe outside
away from the house.  Prop it up at 60 or 70 degrees and pour a cup of
gasoline or the like down inside the pipe.  Light it off and watch
what happens to the creosote.  Having a piece of heavy cardboard on
hand when you do this is a good idea: So you can cover the top of the
pipe and snuff the fire when you get worried about the neighbors.  An
Indian pump to put out the odd grass fire would also be an asset.

We have an airtight kitchen range with stainless stove pipe to a
Selkirk chimney.  We have to clean the stove pipes several times a
season, usually by scraping.  Occasionally I resort to burning as
described above.

The chimney flue itself seems to stay clean with occasional brushing
-- easy because I can to it outdoors and from below.

- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^