PSA: Clean your stove pipe

"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot) 10/15/2015 at 16:30 • Filed to: Houselopnik

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Seriously, it’s in your best interest. Unless you enjoy chimney fires, then don’t bother. But since my pipe is at a really awkward angle, as in horizontal, creosote apparently just sits there.

When I popped off the stove pipe to clean it, I found about a inch or two of free space, the rest was covered by a mound of creosote. I’m glad I had half a mind to clean it today. All this is from one winter of burning wood, daily.

I stuck a shopvac in there, and just sucked it all out. Now it’s ready for emergency use (we heat by natural gas now). And before you ask, there is not a door to open to clean out the chimney. I have to get once installed, but it’s not high on the “need” list.

shop-teacher > zeontestpilot 10/15/2015 at 16:35

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Good job! Chimney fires suck!

zeontestpilot > shop-teacher 10/15/2015 at 16:41

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Thanks! I think I got some creosote in my hair too, :/

Berang > zeontestpilot 10/15/2015 at 16:57

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The rest of the pipe wasn’t that dirty was it?

itschrome > zeontestpilot 10/15/2015 at 16:57

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eh, just stoke up a nice big fire in your stove, it’ll burn it out, no problem. you can get a leaf blower and pump some air on that fire to really stoke it up good too.

But really, good PSA. A friends dad nearly burned their house down by not cleaning their fireplace flume for over 10 years. one day we get back to his place from a night on the town to find flames shooting out of the chimney. luckily the fire department came and saved the day.

to add to your post, while some what useful those “chimney cleaning” logs and stuff don’t really do much, they help a little but still need a good cleaning once a year or every other year with causal use.

zeontestpilot > Berang 10/15/2015 at 17:02

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I cleaned the chimney a few weeks ago, and realized the other day that this spot was probably in poor shape, I was right.

zeontestpilot > itschrome 10/15/2015 at 17:08

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I figured a creosote log wouldn’t do much. Sure, it’ll fall down, but if the pipe isn’t vertical, so it’s not going anymore.

itschrome > zeontestpilot 10/15/2015 at 17:12

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right. In theory it should coat the existing creosote with chemicals that will break it down and make it fall or get loose and light enough to just fly out. How ever, that just sounds like a dust explosion in the makings, if they actually did work that any way.

shop-teacher > zeontestpilot 10/15/2015 at 17:48

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Yeah, that’ll happen!

Birddog > zeontestpilot 10/15/2015 at 17:51

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That could not have been much fun at all.

Berang > zeontestpilot 10/15/2015 at 17:56

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Is the pipe there insulated from the brick in any way? Normally there would be an air space between the brick and the pipe. It is a guess but I bet that pipe is kept cold by the brick wall resulting in a heavy build up in that spot.

zeontestpilot > Berang 10/15/2015 at 18:22

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I don't think it's insulated. But if the fire is hot enough, it should still rise.

zeontestpilot > Birddog 10/15/2015 at 18:27

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Eh, it was better than painting. Which I refused to do, cuz I hate doing it.

Berang > zeontestpilot 10/15/2015 at 18:36

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The problem is that the creosote will condense out of the smoke on cool surfaces, so if the brick is acting like a heatsink there it will cause faster than usual build up when starting fires. Usually the pipe is double walled where it passes through the wall:

This keeps too much heat from transfering into the wall and keeps flue temperatures higher.

It may be that way and just covered over with brick, but from the photo it doesn’t look like it.

zeontestpilot > Berang 10/15/2015 at 19:25

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I doubt it’s there honestly. Whoever made the chimney, put a wire mesh on top to prevent animals from getting it....did nothing for rain water. I had to replace all the piping you see in the top pic, except the 6” to 8” part, I couldn’t find another one. The stove itself is useable but heavily rusted, parts have already fallen off inside it. What I’m getting at is that they didn’t have a lot of foresight for it.

I have a cover for the chimney now, first thing I did for the house.

Berang > zeontestpilot 10/15/2015 at 19:39

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It sometimes amazes me that people will be willing to put so much effort into something, but them skimp on tiny little things that make a big difference. Either that or they were just clueless putting it in.

zeontestpilot > Berang 10/15/2015 at 19:55

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When my neighbor helped me install the new pipes, he mentioned that the guy who did the chimney, did the same ordeal to other nearby houses.

Like I said before, foresight. At least I'm trying to think ahead, :).

ranwhenparked > zeontestpilot 10/15/2015 at 21:38

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That looks a lot like the corner setup in my dad’s old house. 23 years later, and every winter we have to hear about how much he misses that wood stove. During the ‘79 energy crisis, he hardly used the baseboards, that thing radiated heat throughout the whole damn house from one room.

pip bip - choose Corrour > zeontestpilot 10/16/2015 at 05:27

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easy fix , gas heater.

and gas as in log / cog / propane , not petrol.

pip bip - choose Corrour > pip bip - choose Corrour 10/16/2015 at 05:28

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f’ing auto correct!

LPG , CNG , propane , not petrol.

zeontestpilot > pip bip - choose Corrour 10/16/2015 at 09:21

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You mean like this? Lol. Our house can be separated into two separate units; the original house and the garage converted to living room. We have a gaslog for the living room part (cement slab floor).

I've heated by natural gas, wood, and propane in this house alone. I'd say the best is the wood, hands down. Once you get it started, it's amazingly warm.

zeontestpilot > ranwhenparked 10/16/2015 at 09:24

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He will be joined with his complaints. It truly is a powerful heat source. Ours heated the entire house as well, it's just difficult to get good wood when you don’t own a lot of land.