|
Fireplace Chimneys Every year your chimney should be checked if your burning regularly and if you use a cord of wood or more. Also
check with local fire marshal on regulations and recommendations.
How creosote forms. It
is a form of creosote. Creosote starts out as a liquid that condenses onto the inner walls of connector pipes and chimneys
as wood smoke cools. When this liquid dries, it gradually hardens, taking one of three forms:
Stage
1 (velvet soot), we clean.
Stage 2 (the porous and crunchy form, looks
like mold growth, grows at different angles and lengths) we clean or
Stage
3, the shiny stuff you found in your chimney this time, which is also known as glaze. Glaze is denser and harder than brick,
and sticks to the chimney like glue. Chimney brushes won't cut it, and any blow strong enough to break the glaze could damage
the chimney structure as well. Which we don't clean.
Chimney
fires don't have to happen. Here are some ways to avoid them : · Use
seasoned woods only (dryness is more important than hard wood versus soft wood considerations) ·
Build smaller, hotter fires that bum more completely and produce less smoke ·
Never burn cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, trash or Christmas trees; these can spark a chimney fire ·
Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures where wood stoves are in use, so you can adjust
burning practices as needed ·
Have the chimney inspected and cleaned on a regular basis Certain conditions encourage the buildup of creosote, restricted air
supply, unseasoned wood and cooler-than-normal chimney temperatures are all factors that can accelerate the buildup of creosote
on chimney flue walls. Air supply : The air supply on fireplaces may
be restricted by closed glass doors or by failure to open the damper wide enough to move heated smoke up the chimney rapidly
(the longer the smoke's "residence time" in the flue, the more likely is it that creosote will form). A wood stove's
air supply can be limited by closing down the stove damper or air inlets too soon and too much, and by improperly using the
stovepipe damper to restrict air movement. Burning unseasoned firewood
: Because so much energy is used initially just to drive off the water trapped in the cells of the logs - burning green wood
keeps the resulting smoke cooler, as it moves through the system, than if dried, seasoned wood is used. Cool flue temperatures : In the case of wood
stoves, fully-packed loads of wood (that give large cool fires and eight or 10 hour burn times) contribute to creosote buildup.
Condensation of the unburned by-products of combustion also occurs more rapidly in an exterior chimney, for example, than
in a chimney that runs through the center of a house and exposes only the upper reaches of the flue to the elements. - The damper must be fully
open before starting a fire and left open until the fire is out. If a source for outside air for combustion exists, be
sure that it is open before you light the fire. - Don’t overload the fireplace. If you
do, burning logs could roll out. Never use wet or green wood.
- Never start a fire with liquid fire starters,
i.e. gasoline, kerosene, etc. -Do not burn Christmas trees or a lot of paper in your fireplace. These types of fires,
which get very hot very quickly, are extremely dangerous to the area surrounding your fireplace and can warp the doors or
break the glass.
-Keep the base of the fireplace free of excessive ash accumulation. The are underneath the
burning logs should be free of ash. Make sure ash does not build up to a point where it hinders the air supply under the logs.
What caused this
glaze to form?
Glaze is formed when fresh layers of creosote accumulate so rapidly that the previous layers don't
dry completely. The freshly formed layers then insulate the partially-hardened previous deposits from the heat of the wood
exhaust that dries them, resulting in a heavy buildup of sticky goo, which eventually solidifies, creating the rocklike substance
known as glaze. The excessive creosote accumulation that leads to glaze formation is usually caused by the improper burning
or venting of airtight wood stoves. Specifically, glaze will often form when the chimney is larger than the vent opening on
the appliance (causing sluggish draft), when unseasoned or wet fuel wood is burned, or when the draft control on an airtight
appliance is habitually set too low, causing the fire to smolder. So how do you remove this glaze?
Prior to removal, the glaze must be broken down chemically. There are two ways to accomplish
this: The slow way: do it yourself.
There are products available to the
general public that contain a chemical catalyst that breaks down glaze creosote gradually, over time. Some, like TSR (Third
Stage Remover) and ACS (Anti Creo Soot) brands, are in liquid form and are sprayed on each load of wood as it is added to
the fire. Liquid catalysts burn up in the fire, and emit exhaust chemicals which deposit on the glaze as they travel up the
flue. Some, like Cre-Away, are in powder form, and are puffed into the firebox above the flames to be carried aloft by the
chimney updraft. Activated by the heat from hot, dry-wood fires, these catalysts gradually "etch" the creosote,
turning it into a dry, powdery form that can be swept out with a standard brush. Depending upon the thickness of the glaze,
this technique can sometimes drag out over several months.
The fast way: Hire a professional Third
Stage Build Up Chimney Sweep.
This process involves spraying a super-concentrated
chemical directly onto the glaze via a special pressure applicator that is lowered down from the chimney top. This chemical
is not available to the general public, so you're going to have to call in a professional Chimney Sweep. Most professional
glaze removal treatments require three visits over the course of two weeks. On the first visit, we score the surface of the
glaze with a chimney brush, then saturate it with the chemical catalyst. The chemical needs to be above 50 degrees to work,
so glaze removal is best accomplished during the Spring and Summer. In colder weather you must have at least 4 hot fires during
the following week, opening the draft control and damper or baffle-bypass on your stove enough to allow as much heat as possible
up the chimney (we recommend you monitor these fires in case the glaze ignites). One week later, on the second visit, we sweep
out the broken-down glaze and re-apply the chemical to any remaining glaze. On the third visit, we remove the last of the
residue and spray the flue with a chemical that neutralizes the catalyst. Occasionally, when deposits are extra dense or extra
thick, additional treatments may be needed to break down and remove all the layers.How can I
prevent the formation of glaze creosote in the future?
Burn dry, seasoned wood, avoid smoldering your fire and
vent into a properly sized chimney liner.We do not clean third stage build up. We would refer you to a suitable
company or you can find one you perfer.
|
