# Cardboard to burn out creosote? OWB



## warno (Jan 2, 2016)

We all know the OWB's make enough creosote to sell the stuff. But what's the best way to burn it out of the firebox? I have heard cardboard will burn really hot really fast to burn it out. But I'm a little concerned about this, so I thought I'd ask. I have been trying to let the water temps run down a bit and letting it burn flat out for add along as the aquastat will allow. It does ok but, Is there any other way to burn it out safely?


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## GENECOP (Jan 2, 2016)

Burning that hot flat out with cardboard makes me a little uneasy. Few scoops of Rutland creosote remover works for me.,


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## maple1 (Jan 2, 2016)

I think I would just let it go. It should reach a point that it burns a bit off now & again. My firebox has a steady coating of creosote on it, doesn't get any thicker. Seems to get to a certoin point, then the top layer keeps flaking off. Don't think it's a very thick layer at all.

Don't know how much you're talking about though. A hot cardboard fire would likely burn it off - but it would be a very smokey hot affair. And not the good kind of smokey hot...


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## warno (Jan 2, 2016)

Well I'm glad I asked about it before just going with what I read online and doing it.


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## adamant (Jan 5, 2016)

warno said:


> Well I'm glad I asked about it before just going with what I read online and doing it.


warno, post a picture of the accumulation please also let us know what you did about your situation please. i am with maple1


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## warno (Jan 5, 2016)

I haven't done anything about it yet but I'll try to remember to get a pic when I put in the night load. I have been trying to let it burn down a little more then let it burn hot to catch up on temp. The coating inside gets crusty and flakes off but I was just wondering if there's anyway to really get it cooking.


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## mike van (Jan 5, 2016)

Harmon stoves recommended a few batches  of coal to take it off - ?


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## warno (Jan 6, 2016)

So I got some pics but they aren't that great because I wasn't going to stick my hands in the firebox with a toasty bed of coals roasting away in there. 

So here's the pics

Top and back









Side wall. Sorry about the smoke in the way but you can see the coating I have.


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## maple1 (Jan 6, 2016)

Hard to tell from the pics, but I don't think that looks a whole lot different than mine.

You could try the cardboard thing, I don't think you'd hurt much. Especially if you do it in a cool boiler that had more room to absorb heat. The biggest risk I would anticipate is having someone call the fire department on you when they see all the smoke.


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## warno (Jan 23, 2016)

I didn't try the cardboard but I have been letting the boiler cool down about 20-30 degrees when I do my weekly cleaning,  then fire it up and let run full on to dry up the creosote in the fire box some what. I can scrap most of it off with my coal rake after that. 

I'm wondering though,  next year when I start batch burning to heat storage will it dry up the creosote that I'm building this year?


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## StihlKicking (Jan 23, 2016)

What kind of boiler do you have?


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## GENECOP (Jan 24, 2016)

StihlKicking said:


> What kind of boiler do you have?



He has a Warno Special...


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## warno (Jan 24, 2016)

Lol

Its a homemade boiler with a horizontal heat exchanger. 

Here's a link:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/im-building-a-homemade-boiler.145689/#post-1963042


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## StihlKicking (Jan 24, 2016)

I like it!


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## warno (Jan 24, 2016)

So if I'm burning batch burns with flue temps of 450 would that dry up my creosote?


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## warno (Jan 31, 2016)

This is the top and baffle in my fire box





Here's one of my sides





Another of the baffle 





This is the HX










This is after a cleaning in the heat exchanger 










Could I expect less creosote when I start batch burning next year?


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## BrotherBart (Jan 31, 2016)

This thread reminds me of a few years ago when I burned cardboard in my old stove out back to show people what happens in the pipe.


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## warno (Jan 31, 2016)

Now that's interesting. I bet it looked really nice at night.


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## mike van (Feb 1, 2016)

Bart - My masonry chimney looked like that more than once from the Harman in the basement. Cracked the top 2 ft once.  Kind of like an 8 inch diameter road flare. Smelled like one too.


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## slowzuki (Feb 1, 2016)

Its a cold water cooled wall in a smoky burn chamber, its gonna condense smoke pretty much no matter what you burn.


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