creasote logs?

[bee_pipes]

We had to make some mods to our wood burning stove. It serves as the heat during the winter and was a little close to the wall for my liking.

We put a double elbow in the stove pipe near the ceiling, but it still has a fine upward slope. The last time we used it, the draft didn't seem very good - lots of smoke coming in the room when opening the door to tend the fire. May have been it wasn't cold enough outside to make a good draft - was working fine before that, after the new elbow. The pipe is double walled, but the elbow is not. Today is good weather, so we will have at it with the brush.

My wife was asking about those logs they sell that are supposed to clean up creosote in the chimney. I don't know anything about them and was wondering if anyone here has used them.

Do they work? Would that be corrosive to a metal stove or pipe? Is the smoke toxic?

It's not too hard to brush out the pipe, weather permitting, just wondering about the logs.

Regards,
Pat

[tonyb]

We had to make some mods to our wood burning stove. It serves as the heat during the winter and was a little close to the wall for my liking.

We put a double elbow in the stove pipe near the ceiling, but it still has a fine upward slope. The last time we used it, the draft didn't seem very good - lots of smoke coming in the room when opening the door to tend the fire. May have been it wasn't cold enough outside to make a good draft - was working fine before that, after the new elbow. The pipe is double walled, but the elbow is not. Today is good weather, so we will have at it with the brush.

My wife was asking about those logs they sell that are supposed to clean up creosote in the chimney. I don't know anything about them and was wondering if anyone here has used them.

Do they work? Would that be corrosive to a metal stove or pipe? Is the smoke toxic?

It's not too hard to brush out the pipe, weather permitting, just wondering about the logs.

Regards,
Pat
Here is the web site. Should answer you questions better than I could.
http://www.cleanyourchimney.com/

[bee_pipes]

Thanx Tonyb. Have you personally used one?

Regards,
Pat

[tonyb]

No Bee I Haven't.

I only burn hardwood, And I brush it every year. I inspected my chimney , it is clean.

[FarmerGrant]

Read this, especially chapter 6.

http://www.chimneys.com/burning_secrets/index.html

http://www.chimneys.com/burning_secrets/chapter_6.html#Creosote

[bee_pipes]

Thanks FarmerGrant. Excellent information.

Ya, I do inspect and clean stove pipe, TonyB. Was hoping one of the creosote logs might be a short cut. <...sigh> you'd think I'd been around long enough to realize that there are no free lunches in this life.

The last load of wood we got (because I wasn't pro-active enough about getting firewood in last year) is not burning as cleanly as the stuff we used last year (left by the seller of this house). About the time weather gets nice enough to stop using the stove for the year, it should be cured just about right....

Between loggers working behind our property and lumber we will be cutting this year, should be excellent gleanings for next year's supply.

Thanks again for your links and suggestions.

Regards,
Pat

[DM]

The local TV station tested some of those logs. They had folks use them as directed and then had a sweep come in and compare those houses to an equil amount that didn't use them...

End up was, they weren't worth the money and didn't hardly work at all..

DM

[docjered]

Chimney cleaning logs are a joke. Many brands work on the premise of hot fire, burn off... great way to start a chimney fire, huh? In fact, the label on a major brand, sold by Home Depot, cautions that a chimney fire is likely when using this log if there is a creosote buildup. In that case, then only use a cleaning log in a clean chimney, right LOL.

Just be careful when cleaning the old fashioned way. In Victorian London, a chimney sweep had a life expectancy of 25 to 28 years old, when the average male worker had a life expectancy of 45 to 50 years old. Yes, Virginia, it is a highly poisonous carcinogen... guess that is why you cannot buy it in liquid form any more.

It probably goes without being said, but for the sake of any neophytes and newbies out there, do not burn treated lumber, old fence posts, or old railroad ties, either.