creosote build up

[Zeus103363]

was up on my roof this evening fixing a leak on my patio and while i was up there i inspected the chimney cap as the "ber's" are right around the corner. Now i didnt pull the cap off, but i did take a couple photos of creosote build up on the wire mesh bird screen. What does yours look like after a winter? This is in north Louisiana, and i burn about 2 cord of oak and hickory.

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[kingOFgEEEks]

I don't think that looks out of line. Remember that creosote forms where the hot gasses from your fire come in contact with cold temperatures. Yours is forming on the screening, which is probably impossible to keep warm, since it's so far from the actual chimney outlet. Is there any way you could remove it for the heating months, and then put it back on in spring?

It definitely needs to be cleaned, but that's not the worst I have seen. Part of burning wood is maintaining your equipment. Inspect that cap/screen area regularly, and keep it clean, and you should be fine.

 

[Zeus103363]

i really dont want to remove it as we have some warmer days in winter and the chimney sweeps (birds that build a nest in the chimney) move in rather quickly and the kids squall when i "smoke them out" cause they say im "killing innocent birds" I just leave it on to avoid the headache!


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[Marshy]

I wouldn't bat an eye at that. Mine looks worse than that when I go up to clean the chimney. One option is to find a cap with a little larger mesh if you think it's slowing the flue gas down. I don't see that as an issues though.

 

[TimberWolf530]

I can't see it real well, but to me it looks more like gray ash than creosote. Did it come off easy as a powdery ash, or did you have to really scrub it off?

 

[tla100]

If your opening was 1/4 that size, maybe more concerned. Heat build-up would be minimal with all that area. Scrape off as much as possible and take a peak next year.

I have chicken wire on my 6" double wall chimney cap, and have not been up there since last year, I have more issues with bird nests than creosote build-up. Heck, I had a sparrow fly out of the stove 2 years ago into the house.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

I have never cleaned my chimney for more than 20 years. I burn much junk that I do not think will sell. But you need to have a pretty hot fire every few days to burn out the build up. A good soot remover works pretty well like Red Devil. If you enjoy sitting around the fire like I do then the light show is interesting to watch. Or get some strands of copper wire and add to your fire. Most soot removers act like a catalyst with the soot build up. Thanks

 

[GVS]

was up on my roof this evening fixing a leak on my patio and while i was up there i inspected the chimney cap as the "ber's" are right around the corner. Now i didnt pull the cap off, but i did take a couple photos of creosote build up on the wire mesh bird screen. What does yours look like after a winter? This is in north Louisiana, and i burn about 2 cord of oak and hickory.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

was up on my roof this evening fixing a leak on my patio and while i was up there i inspected the chimney cap as the "ber's" are right around the corner. Now i didnt pull the cap off, but i did take a couple photos of creosote build up on the wire mesh bird screen. What does yours look like after a winter? This is in north Louisiana, and i burn about 2 cord of oak and hickory.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GVS]

I wouldn't bat an eye at that. Mine looks worse than that when I go up to clean the chimney. One option is to find a cap with a little larger mesh if you think it's slowing the flue gas down. I don't see that as an issues though.

Goes along with what I've said for years:most chimney caps are not much more than creosote traps.

 

[HadleyPA]

I have never cleaned my chimney for more than 20 years. I burn much junk that I do not think will sell. But you need to have a pretty hot fire every few days to burn out the build up. A good soot remover works pretty well like Red Devil. If you enjoy sitting around the fire like I do then the light show is interesting to watch. Or get some strands of copper wire and add to your fire. Most soot removers act like a catalyst with the soot build up. Thanks

What does adding copper wire to your fire do? I've never heard of that one.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Copper wire that has been heated creates a oxide that will act like a catalyst when it comes in contact with soot in your chimney. Thus the soot will oxidize more easily. A number of years ago I sold Red Devil and gave some to regular customers. It was a nice thing to do, but many customers had their chimney cleaned anyway. I think that Red Devil has many ingrediants that I am not sure of, but just cooper wire aids the soot reduction process. After almost 60 years of fire building I still enjoy watching the spectacular light show of copper. Thanks

 

[turnkey4099]

I installed a wood stove with 6" pipe into an exissting 9" heatilator triple wall, insulated chimney. One very cold January night at zero dark 30 the carbon monoxide alarm went off. I quit feeding the fire, ventilated the house. Next morning I found that bird screen totally blocked with dry powdery stuff like in the pic. Screen disappeared immediately, no more problems. I later put a 6" sleeve into the chimney.