[TheForge] Chimney creosote

[Justin Fisher]

 > Our house in Colorado was pretty scarey to sweep. There was enough
> clearance that I was able to sweep from the bottom using fiberglass
> (bendable) extensions. Messy, but easy.
>
> Steve
>
> Jerry Frost wrote:
>
>> 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 use the powder on the remains of the fire, but I don't see that it does a lot.

Last year we had a chimney fire, cleaned out the creosote and scared the heck out of me!  The fire department came in about 1 minute from the time we called 911, but the fire was already slowing down by that time thanks to a chimney fire extinguisher (like a flare, consumes the oxygen & smothers the fire).  Went to buy a replacement, and found out the product was no longer available - the one factory that made them had burned down!

We now have the chimney lined with a stainless pipe, and the phone # of a local chimney sweep.

--Justin, in Massachusetts waiting for the snow