# Creosote Neutralizing Chemicals



## intc97 (Oct 23, 2008)

I currently add some chemical powder to my outdoor wood furnace everyday to help render the cresote less corrosive to the metal surface. My question is does anyone know what chemicals might make up the powder so I might be able to buy it cheaper in bulk?
                                  Thanks


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## herbert (Oct 23, 2008)

Don't know how scientific it is but my granddad always threw potato peelings in our (inside) wood stove and always threw a handful of salt in every day or two. Claimed it kept creosote from building up.

   Years ago i had an inside fireplace and bought some "store bought" stuff to throw in on the fire to keep chimney clean.  Ingredient said sodium chloride (salt)


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## Hansson (Oct 24, 2008)

I have heard that zinc neutralize creosote.


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## jebatty (Oct 24, 2008)

Best removal is prevention. "Burn dry, seasoned wood, avoid smoldering your fire and vent into a properly sized chimney liner."
http://chimneysweeponline.com/hoglaze.htm


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## herbert (Nov 26, 2008)

How do you avoid smoldering your fire ?   once the water temp is up on my boiler the fire goes down to a smolder until it calls for heat again, during warmer weather it will go a long time between need for the blower to kick in and get the fire kickin again


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## jebatty (Nov 27, 2008)

That's a dilemma of burning wood. The best place to start is dry wood. Wet wood always is likely to be a problem in the situations you describe. Then to eliminate the long idle, smolder, periods, what I have done is have sufficient storage so that I always burn out. Although there may be some idle periods, they will be relatively brief, as excess heat is moved off to storage. Then I draw from storage to provide needed heat, and the boiler is cold out.

The gasifying boilers are ideal to cover these kinds of situations, if storage is added. The OWB with their integral hot water jacket provide some of this, but normally you just end up with excess burning wood and no where to put the heat - result, smolder.


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## antos_ketcham (Nov 27, 2008)

North Border Homestead said:
			
		

> I currently add some chemical powder to my outdoor wood furnace everyday to help render the cresote less corrosive to the metal surface. My question is does anyone know what chemicals might make up the powder so I might be able to buy it cheaper in bulk?
> Thanks



Short of adding storage to your system - for some us that is too expensive or not logistically feasible - or in my case I bought a CB with 400 gallons of storage built in because I don't have room for external storage. Your best bet is to to try to keep the acidity levels in your firebox down chemically. I have heard that Ashtrol is lime and that you can buy lime for much less and in greater quantity. There are also some good creosote busting products out there for sale in hardware stores. I have used a product called "quick stix" because it is self contained tube of the stuff that you throw in to the fire every once and a while. No measuring, no spilling. I have also heard that the ashtrol or lime helps neutralize hydrochloric acid formation if green wood is burned. Good luck.


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## CowboyAndy (Nov 27, 2008)

Do those cresote sweeping logs work at all?


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