Does a hot fire clean the chimney? (2023)

Can I burn something to clean my chimney?

You can burn the creosote log in your fireplace, so you don't need to get into your chimney. These logs have chemicals that loosen the creosote, but you can use them in any wood-burning fire. You do need to make sure you remove the creosote as it falls to the bottom of your fireplace.

But before you light your first fire of the season, make sure you have your chimney cleaned by a professional chimney sweep. A dirty chimney is a serious fire hazard and the number one cause of house fires. So be safe and don't light a fire without cleaning your chimney first.

Sodium chloride, also known as table salt, is a simple chemical that is easy to find. Put a little salt in the fire while it is burning. The salt combines with the water in the burning wood to create a weak acid that travels up the chimney and dissolves small amounts of creosote.

Remove the Dust and Debris

Sweep up the debris from inside the fireplace (and the smoke shelf, if accessible) with a broom and dustpan. Reattach damper as needed. Dispose of creosote appropriately according to local requirements. Use a shop vacuum to clean the fireplace and any part of the room that's sooty.

One method to loosen crusty or tarry creosote so it flakes off and falls down into the firebox or fireplace is to burn aluminum cans in a very hot fire. While this method works, it does not clean the chimney of creosote completely, and chimney brush cleaning is still necessary.

Burning Aluminum Cans To Clean Your Chimney

Many have claimed that burning aluminum cans is an effective technique to clean your chimney. Though there may have been cases where this method has worked slightly, nothing takes the place of actually cleaning out the chimney.

How often should you clean your chimney? Both the NFPA and Spisto recommend getting your chimney cleaned and inspected once a year by a qualified professional. Carli says that regardless of chimney type, you should you have your chimney swept at least one time a year.

What happens if I don't clean my chimney? If you don't have your chimney cleaned once a year, creosote builds up in your chimney, which can lead to a chimney fire. Also, a dirty chimney can cause toxic, deadly gases such as carbon monoxide to build up that are harmful to inhale.

Softwoods like fir, pine and cedar make more smoke, and therefore more creosote.

How do you get rid of thick creosote?

Try using lard, WD-40, butter, chicken fat or olive oil on a rag. The oils combine with the creosote allowing it to lift off the fabric with a clean rag. Wipe the oil in one direction with a lifting motion so as not to smear it into a larger area. Wipe it in the direction of the threads when possible.

How To Use The Duraflame Flue-Renew Creosote Remover Logs

Many homeowners wonder if the chimney sweep logs or creosote sweeping logs really work to clean out fireplace flues and get rid of creosote residue so that the fireplaces are safe to use. The short answer is no, they don't work. At least, not well enough to completely clean out the flue the way it should be cleaned.

Vinegar is a natural acid that will break down the creosote over time. All you have to do is pour vinegar onto the creosote and then wait for it to dissolve. What is this? If you want to take a more natural approach, try dissolving the creosote using salt water instead of vinegar or chemical cleaners.

Chimney sweeps use a heavy metal bristled brush to clean your chimney. These tools are long rods, with the bristles located at the very tip. Professional chimney sweeps will also be outfitted in gloves, goggles, and masks to protect themselves from the soot and ash.

Creosote can ignite at temperatures as low as 451 degrees F (for context, a fire in your fireplace can burn in excess of 450 degrees F), and even just an 1/8” buildup of creosote is considered enough to cause a chimney fire.

With repeated heating and high moisture content, the ignition temperature of creosote is generally considered to be 451 degrees, the same as paper (also why the book is called Fahrenheit 451). As little 1/8″ to 1/4″ is needed to cause a significant creosote chimney fire.

In all honesty, however, the old wise tale about burning potato peelings/skins does in fact help. You have to use fresh/uncooked potatoes. What's interesting is the byproduct of the potato peels/skins create a chemical reaction that drys out the chimney allowing any creosote buildup to dry up.

Getting back to the question of “do those chimney sweeping logs really work?” the first part of the answer is yes, they do work – to some extent. These types of logs contain a chemical catalyst with can reduce the early stages of creosote buildup up to 60% with repeated use.

Creosote Sweeping Logs are compatible with fireplaces, wood stoves, fireplace inserts, gas starter fireplaces, wood/coal stoves, wood/oil mixed boilers, and wood furnaces. They should never be used with BBQs, gas logs, electrical appliances, oil stoves, or pellet stoves.

How long can you go without cleaning a chimney?

It simply depends on the creosote buildup. However, it is recommended that a chimney is cleaned after ever face cord of word, or every two years.

In many cases, you can clean the chimney yourself and save a few hundred dollars. Removing ordinary chimney soot is pretty simple. But if you have heavy creosote buildup, you'll have to call in a pro.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends that open masonry fireplaces should be swept once they have ⅛” of sooty buildup or sooner if there is glaze in the system. Another theory is to clean your chimney after every two cords of wood. We at Valley Chimney like to recommend annually.

Cleaning a metal chimney from a fireplace or woodstove is a necessity to ensure it is in good working order as well as to avoid fires from the build-up of creosote or ash. The task is not for anyone in poor health or physical shape, as it is labor-intensive and requires getting on a ladder.

Every flue is different, but on average a thorough cleaning should take about 45 minutes to an hour. This time can increase substantially if there is creosote present in your flue, if the flue is damaged in any way, or if there are blockages such as birds' nests.

They also produce a large amount of smoke, which floods your chimney with creosote. Evergreen trees are softwoods, so avoid buying firewood that comes from pines, firs or cypress trees. Freshly cut or unseasoned wood. Wood that has just been cut from the tree is still loaded with natural moisture.

Don't burn treated, painted, or sealed wood in your fireplace. Treated/painted/sealed wood will release chemicals during burning, many of which are cancer-causing chemicals. Don't burn green/wet wood in your fireplace.

What firewood pops the most?

Seasoned softwood logs have the potential to produce more pops compared to kiln dried hardwood logs because of higher moisture and sap levels. Wood with higher sap content, such as softwood logs, can act much like trapped moisture escaping the wood and making the traditional fireplace sounds.

Third degree creosote looks like tar coating or running down the inside of the chimney. It is extremely concentrated fuel. It can get very thick as it hardens and is recoated over and over. An inch thick would be unusual, but it's not unheard of.

Make the Cleaning Solution

Be sure that you use enough salt and dish liquid to make your cleaning solution more like a paste than a liquid. Finely granulated salt works best as it is slightly abrasive and will help loosen the creosote in your fireplace.

Creosote Removal and Prevention Series Part 3 - Stage 3 ... - YouTube

The Creosote Log is great for removing creosote buildup while also preventing it from getting too thick over time. We recommend using one every time you have a fire in your fireplace, or at least once a month if you use it more often. Just make sure to keep an eye on the build-up and clean it as needed.

Burns Cleaner Than Wood

Compared to a similar duration wood fire, a duraflame firelog emits: 80% less fine particles. 75% less carbon monoxide. 90% less hazardous air pollutants.

1. The Creosote Sweeping Log burns for approximately 90 minutes. Making a wood fire prior to using CSL will heat the tar on your chimney wall, while it improves your draft.

Second, avoid breathing in the smoke from burning Fire Starter logs, as it may contain harmful chemicals. Finally, if you are pregnant or have young children, you may want to avoid using logs altogether. Otherwise, they can be a safe and convenient way to start a fire in your fireplace or wood stove.

The dangers of creosote build-up

“Creosote build-up, by itself or in combination with other factors, was involved in 92% of chimney fires reported in a study commissioned by the Wood Heating Alliance. A build-up of as little as 1/8 to 1/4 inch of creosote is sufficient to create a fire hazard.”

Use a vacuum to clean up the debris that has fallen during the chimney cleaning. If the vacuum has a bag, dispose of it after use. In the case of a wood stove, clean out the top of the wood stove and reattach the pipe.

Does burning salt clean a chimney?

Long story short, you can use burning rock salt to clean chimney creosote. By pouring a bit of salt into your fireplace while you're using it, you'll be able to dissolve small amounts of creosote buildups. This phenomenon happens because the salt combines with the water in the burning wood.

Creosote is created when wood burns and smoke moves up the chimney and out of the home. The condensation from the rising heat sticks the residue to the inside of the chimney.

The Bottom Up Brush & Rod Chimney Cleaning Method is very similar to the Top Down method just a little safer. You will not have to climb up on top of your roof, so this method is great for the homeowner who is not so fond of heights.

Welcome to one of the biggest misnomers about chimney sweeping. Sure, it can get messy, but if you pick the right firm to do it for you, it shouldn't encroach into your living space or be inconvenient. In fact, your home should be just as clean as it was before the team started the job.

Well, a chimney sweep may clean the chimney from the fireplace opening or from the roof – or they may spend time at both the fireplace and the top of the chimney. It is not always vital that the sweep go to the roof during a cleaning, so if they stay on the ground, don't assume they haven't done their job.

Chimney Creosote Removal - YouTube

Long story short, you can use burning rock salt to clean chimney creosote. By pouring a bit of salt into your fireplace while you're using it, you'll be able to dissolve small amounts of creosote buildups. This phenomenon happens because the salt combines with the water in the burning wood.

How often should you clean your chimney? Both the NFPA and Spisto recommend getting your chimney cleaned and inspected once a year by a qualified professional. Carli says that regardless of chimney type, you should you have your chimney swept at least one time a year.

What wood causes the most creosote?

Softwoods like fir, pine and cedar make more smoke, and therefore more creosote.

In all honesty, however, the old wise tale about burning potato peelings/skins does in fact help. You have to use fresh/uncooked potatoes. What's interesting is the byproduct of the potato peels/skins create a chemical reaction that drys out the chimney allowing any creosote buildup to dry up.

Many homeowners wonder if the chimney sweep logs or creosote sweeping logs really work to clean out fireplace flues and get rid of creosote residue so that the fireplaces are safe to use. The short answer is no, they don't work. At least, not well enough to completely clean out the flue the way it should be cleaned.

Creosote can ignite at temperatures as low as 451 degrees F (for context, a fire in your fireplace can burn in excess of 450 degrees F), and even just an 1/8” buildup of creosote is considered enough to cause a chimney fire.

Spray short bursts into the firebox so that you don't throw embers into the air. If you don't have a fire extinguisher on hand, use sand, salt (any salt will work, including standard table salt and rock salt), or baking soda, which will deprive the flames of oxygen.

The best way to control creosote is to prevent its buildup by maintaining a briskly burning fire with dry, well-seasoned wood. Maintain a flue temperature exceeding 250 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent creosote condensation. Some new, more efficient stoves deliver more heat to the room than an open stove or fireplace.

If you don't have your chimney cleaned once a year, creosote builds up in your chimney, which can lead to a chimney fire. Also, a dirty chimney can cause toxic, deadly gases such as carbon monoxide to build up that are harmful to inhale.

In many cases, you can clean the chimney yourself and save a few hundred dollars. Removing ordinary chimney soot is pretty simple. But if you have heavy creosote buildup, you'll have to call in a pro.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends that open masonry fireplaces should be swept once they have ⅛” of sooty buildup or sooner if there is glaze in the system. Another theory is to clean your chimney after every two cords of wood. We at Valley Chimney like to recommend annually.

Why does smoke come back down the chimney?

When the air inside your flue is too cold, it forces smoke back down into your home because colder air is more dense. Many times, this is the case when you haven't started a fire in a while and it's been very cold during that period.

A fireplace damper should always be open all of the way when starting a fire, and usually always open throughout the length of the fire. A flue damper should be opened all of the way when opening a stove door to add further fuel to the fire, to help prevent any smoke from pouring out of the stove and into the room.