Creosote "eating" logs

[Red Horse]

How about it-anyone have any experience with those logs you put in your fireplace..."every 60 burns" and they take care of creosote build up? How about anyone use them in a woodstove? I have a Vermont Castings Defiant in my basement. House has a center chimney, two story with a 10/12 pitch roof so I guess total chimney height is close to 45 ft. Had the flue professionally cleaned by same guy I have used for years.. Also, the stove is 7 years old and this fall I replaced all the gaskets in it. What a difference-I am probably burning half the wood I did last season.

HOWEVER- I've been burning for about 3 weeks and Sat night before I went to bed I opened up damper, and air control to get a "high burn" to clear out any creosote. Well I went outside to check smoke and had about an 18" flame coming from chimney. Immediately closed down air supply and it dyed down. Usually you can expect a creosote buildup by end of season but after 3 weeks?? And I'm burning good seasoned oak!

Appreciate any opinions

 

[CalG]

I used them once.

They worked from what I could tell. There are so many variables.

We need "chimney fire tolerant" chimney construction. I'm thinking 8 inch sewer pipe ;-)

 

[Deere Dude]

I don't know if you have a masonry chimney or what, but I have stainless steel insulated chimney that screws together. I can get the fireplace very hot and being insulated I believe a lot of heat goes up the chimney without cooling off from outside temperatures much. A cool chimney and damp wood seems at least to me to cause excess creosote. I would be a little nervous have fire shoot out the top of a stack that high. It must be burning stuff on the walls of the stack.

I run a brush down ours once a year even when we burn some wet wood that hardly burns along with dry wood. Even then we only get maybe a large coffee can or two full of crinkles and dust.

Are you burning oak or a soft wood that flames up more than desired. It doesn't seem to me that oak should flame up that much, seasoned or not..

I never used those logs but used a powder to sprinkle on the coals that are supposed to do the same thing, I think. But I don't get creosote much anyway so I am getting away from using anything.

 

[CalG]

Just a perspective on creosote build up.

I heat entirely with wood, and have done so for over 30 years here in Vt.
I brush out the flue several times a year.
Last winter season was a bit odd with little "cold". 'Saved a bunch of wood!
but

In brushing the flue this spring, there was no less than a bushel of creosote dislodged.
I had never seen as much. I can only attribute the collection to the frequent muffled fires in the stove due to the warm temps. Global climate change has it's down sides ;-)

 

[oosik]

I had a double wall SS chimney on our wood stove. Straight shot from the stove to the top of the stack - around 12 feet. I burned exclusively well seasoned pine. I faithfully brushed down the chimney every spring - never got more than half a coffee cup full of creosote. Once I tried one of those creosote burning logs - didn't seem to do a dam thing. Of course, since I got less than a cup per year - there wasn't much for it to do anyhow. I burned between 4-5 full chords per year.

 

[fishheadbob]

I'd think that they probably work some but I wouldn't want to have my safety depending on them.
It does not take long to sweep out a chimney. After a while you should have a good handle on when and how often your chimney needs a sweeping. If the O.P. had an 18 inch flame shooting out of the center of his house that is a cause for concern.. Either get a contract with your sweep to get cleaned on a more frequent basis, or invest $100 or so into rods and a brush.

 

[Egon]

The powdered granular seem to work for me. Seems to form a loose scale on the chimney that easily comes off with a little vibration. Keeping the air draft open and burning smaller quantities of wood at a time also seems to help.

 

[coldsteelva]

I used the creosote logs a couple times, but A - they stink to high heaven and B - since they are burning (like a Duraflame) you get as much creosote pushing up and out onto everything as you do drying and falling back into the firebox.

 

[Looking4new]

I have two chimnies. A 6 and a 7 incher. The 7" has the longest run from the basement/cellar. Both of them get swept in the summer and if we get a 'January thaw' they will get swept then, too. I have used the powdered stuff, but I can't say for certain that it does anything other than lighten my wallet.
Since I adopted the annual sweeping system and once every 5 years I get a certified sweep to come in and inspect them, I have had no problems. This year I am still burning last winters' left over wood. I have about 2 cords left from last winter. I added 6.5 cords to that for this winter. My wood room is full! There is 2.5-3 cords outside, too.

 

[Red Horse]

Thx guys for all the comments. Letting the stove cool down and then I'm pulling 3' stack that goes out from top of stove, then 90's into thimble at chimney. See what I can find. Like I said- have a professional come in every year before. I start burning. this guy does it all from basement threading rods up thropugh. only thing I can think of is he got lazy and did not add last link. Like I said this sucker is tall-45'

I also will pick up a Rutland product that Tractor Supply stocks. Unlike logs, this is a powder that you dump on coals and supposedly leaves a dep[osit on creosote that then leads to it flaking off and dropping down to cleanout door-I hope.

sty tuned.