# Salt is said to fight Creosote - Is it true??



## chad101 (Oct 8, 2009)

*http://www.gardengrapevine.com/Creosote.html*



> Salt is said to fight Creosote.
> Spreading a Cup or so of Table Salt or Rock Salt on a bed of red-hot Coals every few days has been reported to dry out Creosote deposits, causing them to flake off, drop down, and be harmlessly consumed by the fire. How often this treatment is needed would depend on how dry your FireWood is and how hot you maintain your Wood Fire.



Has heard of this or tried it?


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## greythorn3 (Oct 8, 2009)

chad101 said:
			
		

> *http://www.gardengrapevine.com/Creosote.html*
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wow im gonna have to start takign them salt packages from mcdhonalds and burnign them on my coal bed at nite!


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## jebatty (Oct 8, 2009)

Don't know, because don't get creosote. Burn dry wood, keep the stove temps where they belong, and never have a creosote problem. We burn 24/7, 19 years now, and clean the chimney once each summer after the heating season so it's ready to go the next fall. About a 1/8" layer of dusty stuff inside the chimney which easily brushes clean.


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## 384sqft (Oct 8, 2009)

Years ago I watched my grandfather doing this and asked him.  I know my father did it and I've done it when having to tend to my parents.  Stove pipe was coated with black goo threw in a cup of rock salt that night and then swept out the dry the next afternoon.  Seemed to work for me.


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## meathead (Oct 8, 2009)

Seems to me salt would "fight" just about anything. Creosote...your chimney liner...whatever gets in its way

On the other hand, can't be any worse than the chemicals you can buy for the same purpose


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## LLigetfa (Oct 8, 2009)

In the old days, salt was used to glaze the brick inside the chimney, not to fight creosote.  Salt is also used to glaze pottery.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_glaze_pottery


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## stoveguy2esw (Oct 8, 2009)

i would think the corrosive nature of salt would make me nervous about adding it to a fire. might not react well with the stove connector pipe.


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## firefighterjake (Oct 8, 2009)

jebatty said:
			
		

> Don't know, because don't get creosote. Burn dry wood, keep the stove temps where they belong, and never have a creosote problem. We burn 24/7, 19 years now, and clean the chimney once each summer after the heating season so it's ready to go the next fall. About a 1/8" layer of dusty stuff inside the chimney which easily brushes clean.



I think this is the key . . . burn seasoned wood, keep the stove temps hot enough and check and sweep when needed and you really shouldn't have much of a problem . . . and certainly shouldn't need to add anything to fight creosote . . . plus as Mike said, adding salt to a large metal box isn't something I would want to experiment with myself.

Save the Salt . . . for the french fries.


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## Hogwildz (Oct 8, 2009)

Salt + Steel =  rust


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## GatorDL55 (Feb 23, 2010)

Every stove manufacturer will tell you to never burn driftwood in there stoves, and most stove (not all) will tell you not to burn driftwood in there manual. I would be worried about the thing you can control, and that is salt in driftwood. Its pretty common knowledge that salt is corrosive to metal. And in the presence of heat, that chemical reaction happens faster. Manufacturers are hip to what driftwood damage looks like, and good luck claiming a warranty claim on a premature rusted out stove or chimney.


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## Lumber-Jack (Feb 23, 2010)

*You could also try one of these.*


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## billb3 (Feb 23, 2010)

Carbon_Liberator said:
			
		

> *You could also try one of these.*



Do you get an overnite burn with that ?


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## Adios Pantalones (Feb 23, 2010)

Salt glazes pottery because the sodium interacts with the silica in clay.  On steel, I'd guess there's some chance of corrosion.  The "chimney sweeping powder/log/etc." use a sodium bearing compound- are they linked to corrosion?


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## Battenkiller (Feb 23, 2010)

Adios Pantalones said:
			
		

> Salt glazes pottery because the sodium interacts with the silica in clay.  On steel, I'd guess there's some chance of corrosion.  The "chimney sweeping powder/log/etc." use a sodium bearing compound- are they linked to corrosion?



Forming, I assume, sodium silicate?  Where does the chlorine ion end up?  With all the hydrogen and water vapor being produced in a hot burn, I'd be a bit concerned about forming hydrochloric acid.

I did see salt recommended in an old woodburning manual, but I'd be reluctant to be the first to try it.


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## Adkjake (Feb 23, 2010)

Isn't it Salt + Steel + Moisture = Rust?  If I recall my HS and college chemistry correctly, and that's a big IF, salt in and of 
itslelf is pretty inert.  It needs a catalyst or a stimulant to do it's work.  And water is one of the big ones.

If you put salt on steel in a very dry environment, not much would happen.

There was a thread awhile back about using TSP all purpose cleaner to clear creosote. Isn't TSP a salt of sorts, not all salt is NaCl?


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## Skyco (Feb 23, 2010)

I know the ss liner I just installed says the warranty is void if any type of salt is used.  They even say don't burn firewood thats been in saltwater!


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## Rougement (Feb 23, 2010)

I read that moth balls help? I have some but I'm loathe to try it without knowing a little more.


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## summit (Feb 23, 2010)

i would not use salt or mothballs... just stinks of corrosion in the system: especally if you have s catalyst... that being said, A.C.S. spray is about the most effective anti creo-sote stuff I have ever seen. and safe to use in all applications, even in pellet units and woodstoves w/ catalysts.


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## begreen (Feb 23, 2010)

IIRC, most chlorides are corrosive. The best solution is to burn dry wood and hot enough to not need bandaid solutions. When creosote accumulates, get out the chimney brush. 

http://www.woodheat.org/q&a/qamaintenance.htm


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## Backwoods Savage (Feb 24, 2010)

This is another case of people trying to get around what is really needed to be done. Do it right in the beginning and don't worry and you won't have to try to be "tricky" in your methods. As has been stated by several, burn good wood and you won't have to resort to tricks. Clean the chimney at least annually (for most).


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## Adios Pantalones (Feb 24, 2010)

Batten- Sodium silicate is the product.   The Cl forms HCl.  Now in pottery many use soda ash or sodium bicarb, which don't produce HCl (this is what I have used).  salt/soda glazed pottery often has a distinctive "orange peel" texture.


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## CrawfordCentury (Feb 24, 2010)

Carbon_Liberator said:
			
		

> *You could also try one of these.*



Yup. To my mind, salt, aluminium cans, store-bought products, voodoo, whatever - I just don't get the peace of mind that comes with getting up on the roof with a brush and rods. 

We burn only well-seasoned wood in a good hot stove. But this year's mild New England fall and winter got me concerned so I did a mid-season cleaning. Turned out to not be necessary, but having done it, I know with certainty we're good to go through the end of heating season in May.


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## firefighterjake (Feb 24, 2010)

CrawfordCentury said:
			
		

> Carbon_Liberator said:
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Hmmm . . . voodoo . . . now you've got me thinking . . . if I made a little voodoo mock up of my woodstove and chimney and stuck a Q-tip down the mocked-up chimney . . . .


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## CrawfordCentury (Feb 24, 2010)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> CrawfordCentury said:
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Uh-oh. Hope yer on good speaking terms with the other boys at the BFD. 

I will say that you're sure to give the ins. claims adjuster a good chuckle when he goes to review your file.


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