Safety: Stove Pipes & Chimneys

If you have a wood burner, you must keep your flue clean, as creosote build up will ignite and damage you flue and can burn your house down. During the winter, I check my flue every week.

I do clean my flue when need be, but I use a powder creosote remover. I use Rutland creosote remover, it's sold by tractor supply. The instructions say to use it twice a week, but I use it every day. One 32 ounce container lasts me 1 month and it only costs $10.00. Like I said, I use it every day during the burning season. I'd rather be safe then sorry.

The cholesterol in your stovepipe can be fatal
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/frandsen36.html

By D.B. Frandsen

   The season is arriving. The garden is ready for its final turning, the apples are picked, and it's supposed to freeze by the end of the week. So, how is your creosote level? Not your cholesterol, your creosote. It builds up on the inside of your chimney and stove pipe, not your veins, but it could cause similar problems.

Tap your stove pipe. Are you answered with a sharp ping or a thud? If it is the latter, you have a creosote problem.   ---CONTINUED---

I found this on the net about chimney myths, good article:

https://www.mychimney.com/blog/about/chimney-myths-and-misconceptions/

Here's a very easy way to help prevent the build up of creosote.

I'd would use it, but that would mean I'd have to drink more beer.

I do use this method, I burn one each day:


https://www.hunker.com/12002695/how-to-use-aluminum-cans-to-prevent-creosote

Here's another way by using a mixture of borax and salt. I've never tried this one (YET)


https://www.hunker.com/13419272/how-to-prevent-creosote-buildup-with-borax

Five ways to control creosote buildup in your chimney:

https://www.survivopedia.com/surviving-off-grid-5-ways-to-manage-chimney-creosote/

Now that the heating season is starting, here's some helpful hints on preventing a creosote buildup. I keep my wood burner between 250 and 350 degrees and once a day I see that it burns at 400 degrees or higher for 30 minutes, this almost eliminates the buildup of creosote.

There are other helpful hints at related articles:


https://homeguides.sfgate.com/temperatures-woodburning-stove-48039.html