Cold temps are here to stay

[Chas0218]

Last night I setup the stove in its final resting place before I lit her off again to not stop burn until April. Now I have been burning since the middle of October, how much creosote would a chimney have? I will admit in the beginning learning the stove I had it running a little cold so I figured I would have some build up. When I removed the chimney to move the stove around I had about 1/4" of creosote build up in the pipes. I will add that I had a less than desirable amount of elbows and longer diagonal runs that I would have liked. I cleaned the pipes then put her back together with 2 45* elbows ,a 15" horizontal run, and a 34" vertical run.

She seems to be drafting better but I'm guessing that is a lot of creosote for 2 months of burning?

 

[BIGChrisNH]

I'm no expert but that sounds like an awful lot of buildup in such a short time. I can only compare it to my chimney which I sweep at the end of burning season and I definitely don't see a 1/4" buildup all the way around. Maybe some black stuff at the very top of the chimney but not down lower.

 

[Chas0218]

I'm no expert but that sounds like an awful lot of buildup in such a short time. I can only compare it to my chimney which I sweep at the end of burning season and I definitely don't see a 1/4" buildup all the way around. Maybe some black stuff at the very top of the chimney but not down lower.

That's what I thought, I tested my wood the other day one stack was 20%-24% MC on fresh split surface and the other ranged from 14%-19%. All of it being ash, some of the wood I burnt at the first of the season wasn't seasoned long, my step dad gave it to me I thought he said it was seasoned but was not. I have no idea what the MC of that wood was but from the stove temps it wasn't very dry. Once my stove is cruising I'm getting around 500* measured 3" from the left and front edge of the stove per manufacturers recommendation. I'll throw it on the single or get another just to compare temps.

 

[Squisher]

Frequency of cleaning is completely variable. The important thing is to monitor and clean when nescessary.

A stovepipe thermometer would be a good addition. As I keep saying on here, the stovetop tells you what the stove is doing the stovepipe tells you what the pipe/chimney is doing. If you're only going to monitor one, make it the pipe.

Once you become familiar with your system. The way it runs should let you know if you're getting builduup(decrease in performance). Until then keep checking, cleaning, and monitoring temps and wood moisture. It'll all come together.

One of the most important things with creosote isn't so much how much buildup but what type of buildup. Glaze or liquid creosote gets dangerous fast. Light fluffy non-reflective creosote is what you want to see. Glassy or black or large heavy bits are less desirable. And any honeycombed/expanded chunks are sign that creosote has lit off in the pipe or chimney. Yes the dreaded chimney/pipe fire. Basically the lighter in consistency and colour the better.

 

[Woody5506]

Are you sure it's creosote and not just typical soot? I burn less than ideal seasoned wood (about 9 month seasoned maple currently) in my stove and have zero signs of creosote build up aside from some dry flaky stuff on the cap that I've only had to clean off once. I check from the top of the chimney down, monthly. Just brown ish soot on the chimney walls and barely any at that.

 

[Squisher]

Stage 1 creosote is what most people would refer to as soot. Because that's what it is, light and fluffy.

1/4" of soot is still enough to require cleaning. And while stage 1 creosote is the safest type of creosote and the best thing to have in your chimney it can build up enough to possibly light off. 3mm approx 1/8" is the trigger amount for requiring cleaning from the BC firecode.

 

[Chas0218]

Frequency of cleaning is completely variable. The important thing is to monitor and clean when nescessary.

A stovepipe thermometer would be a good addition. As I keep saying on here, the stovetop tells you what the stove is doing the stovepipe tells you what the pipe/chimney is doing. If you're only going to monitor one, make it the pipe.

Once you become familiar with your system. The way it runs should let you know if you're getting builduup(decrease in performance). Until then keep checking, cleaning, and monitoring temps and wood moisture. It'll all come together.

One of the most important things with creosote isn't so much how much buildup but what type of buildup. Glaze or liquid creosote gets dangerous fast. Light fluffy non-reflective creosote is what you want to see. Glassy or black or large heavy bits are less desirable. And any honeycombed/expanded chunks are sign that creosote has lit off in the pipe or chimney. Yes the dreaded chimney/pipe fire. Basically the lighter in consistency and colour the better.

Are you sure it's creosote and not just typical soot? I burn less than ideal seasoned wood (about 9 month seasoned maple currently) in my stove and have zero signs of creosote build up aside from some dry flaky stuff on the cap that I've only had to clean off once. I check from the top of the chimney down, monthly. Just brown ish soot on the chimney walls and barely any at that.

Pretty sure it was creosote based on the shiny almost coal like appearance. When I first started burning I looked at pictures of creosote and none really looked like what I scraped out yesterday this was grainy dark colored but floated like dust when I sweep it. I haven't had a chimney fire as there wouldn't be any buildup left. This chimney was brand new when I started to burn, not sure if that would make any difference. I haven't had any liquid in the pipes from what I could tell. I'll sweep the exterior pipe tonight and see what I get and post a picture with the results. My build up was mostly right after my elbows.

 

[Squisher]

A picture speaks a thousand words.

 

[Squisher]

Elbows and horizontal sections always have the most buildup. If it all swept out easily with a brush and didn't leave a s shiny black glaze on the pipe, but cleaned right off. It's got to be decent creosote, bad creosote is hard to clean off of pipes. Sounds like a bit of stage 2 in the mix if there were black bits or any shiny reflective bits.

You are light years ahead of most just by checking and cleaning.

 

[Chas0218]

Elbows and horizontal sections always have the most buildup. If it all swept out easily with a brush and didn't leave a s shiny black glaze on the pipe, but cleaned right off. It's got to be decent creosote, bad creosote is hard to clean off of pipes. Sounds like a bit of stage 2 in the mix if there were black bits or any shiny reflective bits.

You are light years ahead of most just by checking and cleaning.

2 swipes and she was back to the pipe wall.

 

[Squisher]

That's the kind of soot I like!

 

[Chas0218]

Looks like my pipe is running about 375*-450* 6" above the stove. It doesn't stay there for the entire burn in the beginning it runs about 300*-325* then heats up and stays in the upper range for about 3 hours then back down to the 300*-325* and slowly drops from there. Judging by the stove temps I have been running it cooler than I thought which might have been why the pipes had so much build up. The stove was over the 600* mark when the pipe was 375*-450*. Not real comfortable with the stove that warm. Is that the norm for stove temps? My manual says to not have the stove over 750* so I was approaching the high limit. Guess I just need to get used to running her a little hotter.

 

[Riddlefiddle]

I can't get my stove pipe much over 275°. By then stove temp is over 500° and I'm reducing air so stove won't climb over 600°. Did a clean out of stove pipe and found some glazed creosote in wall thimble.

 

[Squisher]

Those numbers don't add up. Except for the low pipe temp and glazed creosote. How/where are you determine stovetop? Espescially at start up and on reload pipe temps should soar while the stovetop creeps up.

It might be better to start a new thread describing your setup in detail and with pictures. Stove, pipe, chimney, thermometers and their placement, etc etc.

It helps to have your stove(s) as a signature, so they show up at the bottom of every post.

 

[Riddlefiddle]

I measure stove top with ir gun in the middle of the top plate. I have a temp gauge on left hand side between top and bottom corners per manual. I use the ir gun on flue and have not seen it go much past 270°. Sometimes I can keep it at 250° while secondary burn is going but normally its around 230°.

 

[Chas0218]

I measure stove top with ir gun in the middle of the top plate. I have a temp gauge on left hand side between top and bottom corners per manual. I use the ir gun on flue and have not seen it go much past 270°. Sometimes I can keep it at 250° while secondary burn is going but normally its around 230°.

Yeah mine is similar high stove temps with low pipe temps although my pipe is a little warmer than that. If my stove is running 500* the stove pipe is around 350* with the air shut off. The pipe falls to about 300* after 30 minutes and the the air shut all the way and stays like that until I start to get mostly coals. It also depends on how I am loading the stove. If I am loading N-S I get a hotter fire and higher flue temps compared to E-W loading, but that is the norm when loading like that.

 

[Chas0218]

I haven't cleaned the stove pipe yet, I have been busy at work on our house remodel. As soon as I get a free chance I'll sweep the chimney and give you guys the results. Can I sweep while the stove is running on coals or should I wait until it is completely cool?

 

[Riddlefiddle]

I have been measuring stove temps wrong. Been measuring from middle of stove plate. This is not an accurate place to measure temps as it will always be hotter. So I have been shutting air down using center plate temps as a guide when I should be using temp gauge instead. I shut it down to soon therefore never getting flue temps where it should be.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

Im kicking myself for not thinking about cleaning my chimney out the last warm spell we had, its been running since last october. Couple days ago i was outside right after reloading it and noticed small little chunks of soot wafting down from the chimney kind of smoldering a little. Looks like i have a build up of 1/8 inch or so of creosote on the chimney cap. Need to get up there soon and pop that cap off and take a look. Last year i cleaned it once a month or so, this year it slipped my mind thus far. Its the fluffy kind of soot but i had a chimney fire with that a few years ago so i know if it builds up to much it'll ignite.

 

[Riddlefiddle]

Yes. Next warm spell you will have to get up on roof and check it. Clean it out if needed.

 

[Chas0218]

I'm lucky enough to have my clean out on the outside and no need to get on the roof unless I knock my cap off.

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[Chas0218]

A little update, I started leaving my air shut off open a little more to burn down my coals slightly more and have been seeing better pipe temps. I did the dollar bill test yesterday on a couple spots and gasket seems to be not making contact with the stove face on the hinge side.

 

[Chas0218]

Have another update, getting better burn down to ashes by just opening the air shut off all the way once the pipe temps drop way off with only coals. Also cleaned the exterior triple wall chimney, similar results as the single interior stuff. Attached is what I cleaned and this is 3 months of non-stop burning 3 loads a day. I would say if I had it all in a container about 3 cups worth. It was just a dusting on the snow, no piles worth of ash. Next time I'm wearing a mask and safety glasses that stuff was flying all over. Pretty dusty.

 

[Riddlefiddle]

Nice.