If I have to burn pine in my insert how can I deal with the creosote buildup in the chimney? I've heard of burning an aluminum pop can. Are there other home brew solutions? I'll be back later to check for responses.

Thank you,

-- Steve (bibleout@tds.net), October 08, 1999

Answers

Burning an aluminum can? Hadn't heard that one. There are some compounds you can buy to sprinkle into a hot stove that cause creosote build-up to flake off and fall to the bottom of the chimney. I've used one called (I think) Red Devil. Found it at the local True Value hardware store. Worked well for me, but I don't burn pine. I assume that you would need to use it much more often than for hardwood fuels. Best, of course, would be frequent chimney cleanings.

-- Cash (cash@andcarry.com), October 08, 1999.

To minimize creosote buildup, build a fire with good, dry wood (other than pine, if possible) and get the chimney good and warm. Then add your pine, even somewhat green is OK. Then do not close the damper to dampen the fire too much, but let it burn good and hot. Creosote builds up mostly when a small fire is started in a cold fireplace or stove and it condenses on the relatively cool walls of the chimney or stovepipe.

I've burned quite a bit of pine over the years and have never had any problems with creosote buildup doing just what I advised above.

Gerald

-- Gerald R. Cox (grcox@internetwork.net), October 08, 1999.

You probably already know this but be careful that the wood you burn has had time to cure. I have friends who had a too-fresh log explode out of the fireplace thru the screen, ruining a rug. OK, a ruined rug is not the end of the world, but it could have been tragic if the burning log had hit a little child.

-- Peter Errington (petere@ricochet.net), October 08, 1999.

We made a habit of cleaning the chimney every 6 weeks. Take a burlap bag and toss in some old tire chains and tie the bag to a rope. Makes a great chimney sweep.

TAz

-- Taz (Taz@aol.com), October 08, 1999.

Be careful about chimney sweeping. The first recognized case of environmental cancer was among the poor lads who were chimney sweeps in London a very long time ago.

-- Peter Errington (petere@ricochet.net), October 08, 1999.

This is an addendum to what I just posted about chimney sweeping. I'm not suggesting that anyone not do their own chimney sweeping, just that they should make sure they do whatever the pros do - wear masks, whatever - to protect themselves against soot. (I shouldn't have mentioned the London chimney sweeps because those lads really had to get up in there. But soot was indeed the first carcinogen identified in the history of medical science.)

-- Peter Errington (petere@ricochet.net), October 08, 1999.

Agree with the general trend here: Pine or "wet" wood can be burned (we're talking neccessity here, not preference). Physical chimney sweeping is much better than any chemical treatment, and not all that hard. I've never had a problem with creosote - but I check the chimney (mirror from bottom at mid-day) every month and clean as neccessary. People with chimney fires often haven't checked/cleaned for YEARS.

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), October 09, 1999.

I heated with a wood stove for years, and I added a cup of zinc oxide to a good bed of coals about once per week. It makes the gunk in the chimney dry out and flake away. I suspect that this is what is in the commercial additives.

-- Thomas Miller (thomil@infocom.com), October 09, 1999.