Creosote reducing logs in a wood stove

[mapper]

In our old house we had a stove with a catalytic converter, it worked very well. I would get a little bit of hard creosote build up at the very top few inches of the chimney. It was amazing how much heat you could get out of resinous wood like Douglas fir, in a regular stove it was a recipe for a lot of tarry sticky and dangerous creosote.
Around here it is sometimes very difficult to get good hardwood and fir was about the only thing available, that catalytic stove was the only way to go.
The stove was designed to use the catalytic element, with air supplied directly in front of the converter. We could stuff the stove for an overnight burn and as long as the catalytic element was brought up to heat before damping the fire back it would glow red all night long.

 

[Diggin It]

I don't date my wood or ask it for ID, so I have no idea how old it is. It falls, I cut it, pile and leave it. Some time later, I cut it more, split it and burn it. Most of it is probably old enough to smoke.

The little old cast iron Vogelzang thing will put out some major heat though. Smokes like crazy getting it started or when I add chunks, but once it gets going there is little or no smoke out the stack. I stuff it full, adjust the dampers and wander off. It usually lasts at least a couple of hours between loads.

I have the flue set up where I can take sections out fairly easily to allow cleaning. I get mostly ash out of it when I do, very little black or sticky stuff. I can get on the roof and get the cap off to run a brush down inside. Some stuff up there, but not a lot. Using one of those HF Infrared thermometers on the flue, I can get readings of 200 degrees or more near the stove and less than 100 at the ceiling.

I tried a small tub of creosote cleaning granules from a big box store. Lasted about two years I think. Can't say as I noticed a lot of difference.

 

[oosik]

When I burned wood it was pine. Always seasoned two years & really dry. I had a stove pipe brush & used it every year. I choked the stove like a back street cat every evening before bed. Never had much creosote buildup. I would let the fire get really hot for a short spell, every day.

I tried those creosote logs twice. However, when you don't have much - the results are difficult to see.

Using the stove pipe brush was very positive. No question - when I finished, the stove pipe was absolutely clean.

 

[Bocephous]

I was told by a chimney sweep once that adding a scoop or two of coal a couple of times a week to the fire will dry up any creosote and cause it to flake off and fall to the bottom of the chimney. I've done that for a few years and can attest that my chimney is always clear (I use a mirror to look up the chimney) at the end of the burn season, and I do have a pile of what looks like crumbled black pork rinds at the bottom of the chimney clean-out. And, like oosik, I'd fire it up good and hot (500F+ on the flue at the level of the mpd) for a spell every day

 

[Egon]

I have been using crystals on a regular basis for some years now. My observation is that they do work. They seem to eliminate the wet sticky creosote and create a scallywag deposit that flakes off on its own.

The wood varies from good to poor as to quality. The stove always has the inlet air wide open so there are some regular hot burns.

 

[cqaigy2]

Burn dry hardwood.
Do not fill the firebox and then cut the air supply off trying to reduce the number of times the stove much be stoked. Less wood and open the air inlet for a bright clear flame without smoke.

That's how i do it.

Also found out i didn't know how long oak took to dry, used to burning fir and pine. Had buildup problems, and someone here on TBN told me it wasn't dry if it was doing that, and sure enough, another year of drying and voilà, nice smokeless fire and no creosote.

Like oosik, i also use a wire stove pipe brush and the chimney looks nice n cleen.

 

[CobyRupert]

I was told by a chimney sweep once that adding a scoop or two of coal a couple of times a week to the fire will dry up any creosote and cause it to flake off and fall to the bottom of the chimney. I've done that for a few years and can attest that my chimney is always clear (I use a mirror to look up the chimney) at the end of the burn season, and I do have a pile of what looks like crumbled black pork rinds at the bottom of the chimney clean-out. And, like oosik, I'd fire it up good and hot (500F+ on the flue at the level of the mpd) for a spell every day

Which begs the question: Does the coal (or a "reducing log") do anything if you're getting a good hot fire everyday that likely dries/flakes the creosote? ....but if that what works, I won't knock it.

(IMHO) Dry wood and hot fires are key to reducing creosote buildup. Just don't get a hot fire if you haven't had a hot fire in a while and have too much creosote build up. You want to dry it out so it flakes off, not catch it on fire and over heat the chimney. It's a fine balance. And one doesn't always know what's going on in there.

Instead of an air-tight stove to extend burn times, I like my soap stone stove that extends "heat time" instead. That is you can load it and keep a good draft (a relatively hot fire), and it will heat for hours after the wood is gone. Then the problem becomes remembering to put wood in before the coals expire. Granted, it also takes a while for the soap stone to come up to temp. It's the woodstove equivalent of a giant flywheel.

I was really impressed with a wood stove /boiler that was all essentially a catalytic converter (called a wood gasification stove?). It had chambers of tile that burnt the gas coming off the wood. There was a small fire in the fire box at the bottom of the logs. You cold actually reach in with your hand and remove a burning stick. it was that cool in there. But the small fire released the wood gases where they were sucked off by a fan and burnt very efficiently in the tile chambers/tubes. The exhaust temperature was <200F (probably <140F), you could put you hand on the exhaust pipe and leave it there. And the exhaust pipe/chimney was clean as a whistle. Zero creosote. The stove cut my relative's wood use by 2/3. Impressive.

 

[FTG-05]

Don't rely on band aids.

Burn dry well seasoned firewood, make sure your wood stove system is well designed which includes an EPA-rated wood stove and burn hot (not smoldering) fires. If you do this, your chimney system should only need to be cleaned once per year and yield only dry flaky material.

Discussion on the chimney band aids and their usability and effectiveness: Sweep's Library - Does The Chimney Sweeping Log work?

 

[Ford850]

Ive never used the logs. But this stuff seems to make the chimney easier to clean....maybe a bit less sticky. Does it replace cleaning or extend cleaning intervals? Not in my mind. But it is worth the $16 a year.

Rutland Products 2 lb Creosote Remover https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00120NNCY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ocQpCbWGZCV0J

I've used the Red Devil Meeco's creosote destroyer for years. It looks similar to the Rutland brand you posted, and I get the same results. Less sticky tar creosote, and what's there seems to flake off easier when cleaning. I don't use it to remove creosote, but to slow the development of it and make it easier to clean.

 

[Oldpath05]

17 years ago had SS liner put in my tile lined cement block chimney, first 5 years never had to clean the chimney then the following year I noticed a slight build-up of creosote so I ran my wire brush down it on a 20' two piece stick, and ever since then my chimney needs to be cleaned 1-2 times a year. 8 years ago I wanted a cleaning pole kit that snap together, so I go online at a wood stove accessory place and bought 25'+ of snap together fiberglass poles and they showed option of steel brush for tile and plastic for SS, I didn't know I was suppose to use plastic for SS chimney liner, but now I do.

This past Sunday I went up on the roof and ran the brush down through about 16', seems like the first 6' feet is always the most creosoted up part.