# How Much Creosote, Is  A Lot ?



## HDRock (Jan 13, 2013)

I cleaned out the chimney before I started burning in October , before that I hadn't burned anything in the stove for 2 years, I cleaned it out again today and I got , It looked like, about , almost half a gallon of crap.
I really don't know if that's a lot for a smoke dragon, or not.
Some if what I have been burning was good n dry,  and some was not.


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## Corey (Jan 13, 2013)

It's virtually impossible to say.  How long is the chimney, what is the inside diameter, what are your ambient weather conditions, how much burning did you do, how long is the season, etc - all of this will have a large effect on the amount of creosote recovered.

Two people could burn perfectly identical stoves, but one hooked to a 30' outdoor flue and one hooked to a 15' indoor flue - and they would get different amounts of creosote.  Likewise, a 12x12 clay liner has a lot more surface area than a 6" dia stainless steel liner - getting a gallon out of the clay flue might not be much, where that same amount may almost choke the 6" stainless liner completely off.

The general idea is to clean before you 'really' need it, as often the first sign the flue really needs cleaning is the crackling roar associated with a chimney fire.  I clean once around christmas/new years and once at the end of the season, so I am ready for the next.


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## BrotherBart (Jan 13, 2013)

What Corey said.


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## begreen (Jan 13, 2013)

How much wood have you burned since the cleaning in Oct.?


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## HDRock (Jan 14, 2013)

begreen said:


> How much wood have you burned since the cleaning in Oct.?


 
Sorry !   I should have included this info before.
I have burned About a cord, of mixed wood.
Flue pipe & chimney are 8" and 16ft total

 I had no sign that it needed cleaning ,I just thought I should ,check, and clean.


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## ScotO (Jan 14, 2013)

I sweep my chimney every two to three months whether it needs it or not.  Its a 'piece of mind' thing that keeps me cozy at night.  Rarely see much stuff at all (usually less than a handful, its mostly soot), but I like the piece of mind.  I'm not about to chance anything when it comes to my family.


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## thewoodlands (Jan 14, 2013)

HDRock said:


> Sorry ! I should have included this info before.
> I have burned About a cord, of mixed wood.
> Flue pipe & chimney are 8" and 16ft total
> 
> I had no sign that it needed cleaning ,I just thought I should ,check, and clean.


 Like Scotty we clean ours just for P.O.M., just did it yesterday before the rains hit, just some fluffy ash.


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## HDRock (Jan 14, 2013)

Scotty Overkill said:


> I sweep my chimney every two to three months whether it needs it or not. Its a 'piece of mind' thing that keeps me cozy at night. Rarely see much stuff at all (usually less than a handful, its mostly soot), but I like the piece of mind. I'm not about to chance anything when it comes to my family.


 


zap said:


> Like Scotty we clean ours just for P.O.M., just did it yesterday before the rains hit, just some fluffy ash.


 
What was in there was easy to sweep out , and that's exactly what I was thinking after it was clean,and I started a new fire, cozy , 'piece of mind'


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## FanMan (Jan 14, 2013)

Seems like nobody answered what I thought was the original question, i.e. how much?  How thick a buildup in a pipe is considered "bad" or dangerous?


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## milleo (Jan 14, 2013)

FanMan said:


> Seems like nobody answered what I thought was the original question, i.e. how much? How thick a buildup in a pipe is considered "bad" or dangerous?


Nothing much over 1/4 inch. But if shiney then beware, is very dangerous.


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## Heatsource (Jan 14, 2013)

FanMan said:


> Seems like nobody answered what I thought was the original question, i.e. how much? How thick a buildup in a pipe is considered "bad" or dangerous?


depends on the consistency, if it is tar like even a thin layer can result in chimney fire

edit- Milleo beat me too it


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## HDRock (Jan 14, 2013)

The only shinny, flaky ,sticky,tar like stuff was on the chimney cap


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## begreen (Jan 15, 2013)

Well, it's dirty but there have been worse cleanings. Burning drier wood in shorter hot fires will help keep that build up down.


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## HDRock (Jan 15, 2013)

begreen said:


> Well, it's dirty but there have been worse cleanings.


I think what U R saying is that amount of creosote, is a lot for that amount of wood  and the chimney size, is that correct ??

That amount seems like a lot to me ,but that's why I ask cuz ,I am still learning whats what.

I run it between 300 and 450 degrees , never less than 300, that's the temp on the single wall flue pipe,  once I get the fire box hot,  when I go look there is none, or very little smoke out the chimney.
 I also let it go out every night, and also if I'm gone for a long time during the day.
I gotta burn what I got, mixing in good n dry with not so dry,  but I will keep it cleaned out


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## corey21 (Jan 15, 2013)

HDRock said:


> I think what U R saying is that amount of creosote, is a lot for that amount of wood and the chimney size, is that correct ??
> 
> That amount seems like a lot to me ,but that's why I ask cuz ,I am still learning whats what.
> 
> ...


The number of cold starts don't help ether.


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## lukem (Jan 15, 2013)

I can't say how much you can expect, but I can tell you what I get from mine.

I have a 1984 (Pre-EPA) Blaze King King.  It has about 36" of DSP connected to an outside CLASS A (exposed to the elements) with about 13' to daylight. I burn wood that has been c/s/s for at least 24 months.

After about 6 weeks of hard burning 24x7 heating this shack I burned about 2 cord of wood.  The last cleaning yielded about 1 cup of brown powdery soot from the DSP, about 1-2 cups of ash and some flaky creosote from the 24" horizontal run of CLASS A through the wall, and about 4-6 cups of flaky creosote from the vertical portion of the chimney (most of which came from the top 24").  The cap had quite a bit of shiny black tar.

This is more than I would like to see, but I run it hot and burn dry wood.  My stove is less than ideal as is my chimney (outside and a long-ish horizontal run).  I just have to keep on top of cleaning.  I usually do it every 4-6 weeks...it takes about 20 minutes start to finish.

Your mileage will surely vary, but hopefully this gives you some idea.


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## begreen (Jan 15, 2013)

It's not great, but passable if you sweep after every cord burned. With good wood you could probably cut that in half or better. Switch to an EPA stove with good wood and you would be cleaning once a year.


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## HDRock (Jan 16, 2013)

begreen said:


> Switch to an EPA stove with good wood and you would be cleaning once a year.


 
Well ! That's the plan, when I am able to make it happen, cuz what I,m doing now is a real PITA, but for now,  I'm warm and as long as I keep on top of things, I think I will be safe, and have peace of mind


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## begreen (Jan 16, 2013)

For now keep cleaning after every cord burned and try to minimize the less seasoned wood usage.


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## tfdchief (Jan 17, 2013)

All good advice.  Use it and you will be fine.  There is no question an EPA stove is easier, but the old ones can be safely burned too.  Just takes a little more diligence and work....See my Avatar.


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## HDRock (Jan 18, 2013)

This should help with creosote , and the single digit temps coming my way .
Picked Up a half a cord of good dry wood, Mixed-Oak, Hickory, Cherry, Black Locust, Maple, Ash, paid $75 , stored inside.

Hay what does Black Locust,look like ???


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## Bret Chase (Jan 18, 2013)

if there's bark on it... black locust has this insanely deep grooved bark that kinda/sorta has the pattern of expanded metal...  the wood itself is fairly dark color with an insanely twisted grain...

in your picture, in the bottom third, towards the center there are two pieces of wood that are darker... to my eye, those look like locust.


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## tfdchief (Jan 18, 2013)

Wow, that looks like more than 1/2 a cord!


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## HDRock (Jan 18, 2013)

Some of the splits I looked at , that I didn't know what it was, were brown to reddish brown in color with big pores in the wood ,I'll put up pics later


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## HDRock (Jan 18, 2013)

tfdchief said:


> Wow, that looks like more than 1/2 a cord!


 
That looks like more than 75 bucks


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## tfdchief (Jan 18, 2013)

HDRock said:


> That looks like more than 75 bucks


That's for sure!  Is it really only a 1/2 cord.  It looks like way more than that.


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## HDRock (Jan 18, 2013)

tfdchief said:


> That's for sure! Is it really only a 1/2 cord. It looks like way more than that.


That's a pic of the sellers ,wood in his barn
 .
I have not stacked it yet but , he dumped in a bucket full for a face cord ,then for the other half of a face cord they counted splits, any way,    I think the bucket full was more than a face cord, we will see.
I was going to get 2 face cords but was afraid I might over load my trailer, and it was 37 mi back home loaded, then  I get home and find right trailer tire half flat, leaking valve stem Wheew


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## tfdchief (Jan 18, 2013)

HDRock said:


> That's a pic of the sellers ,wood in his barn
> .
> I have not stacked it yet but , he dumped in a bucket full for a face cord ,then for the other half of a face cord they counted splits, any way, I think the bucket full was more than a face cord, we will see.
> I was going to get 2 face cords but was afraid I might over load my trailer, and it was 37 mi back home loaded, then  I get home and find right trailer tire half flat, leaking valve stem Wheew


OK, that makes more sense.  Looks like some good stuff.


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## HDRock (Jan 18, 2013)

Yeah Daves got the good stuff 
Split some ,tested 15 to 18 % MC
No more stacking wood on the stove to dry  JK


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## begreen (Jan 18, 2013)

At that price I would have picked up at least a couple cords. Heck, if I could get hardwood for that price I would have taken the whole lot. Might have to build another shed though.


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