Some weeping out of pipe joints?

Just noticed I have a few drops of something (creosote?) weeping out of the single wall pipe joints about 1 foot above the stove. Looks like drop or 2 dripped down a few inches, in 2 or 3 spots. I also cooked a few things on the stove the last few days, so at first I thought I had splashed sauce or something onto the pipe, before I noticed it in more than one spot, both starting at a pip seem.

Anyone else get this? I did burn some less than perfect wood last month, I wonder if that was the cause? I also had a couple of really hot fires the last few days where the pipe got hotter than I normally see it get (350-400), maybe the heat "melted" some of the normal creo?

What do you think?

 

Is it runny enough to wipe a drip off the pipe with a q-tip? Smell the q-tip, creosote has a unique smell. Does the pipe junction have the male pipe above and the female part below?
IOW for a vertical flue pipe, the smaller pipe end that fits into a regular end (inside the regular end), the smaller pipe should be above the regular end. So if any thing's dripping inside the pipe should stay inside the pipe.

 

Sounds like the pipe is installed wrong.
The creosote dripping is scary as hell to me.
Is the creosote watery or thick and gooey?

 

There is none there, just a trail where a drop slid a few inches down the pipe, so all that is left is a little trail. It all burned up/dried up off the pipe. I swiped my finger across it, and it smells very burnt.

The pipes are correct, males facing down. I only have 1 piece of straight pipe which is an adjustable lenght going into the ceiling box. What's really weird is it seems to be coming from around the OUTSIDE pipe on the box?

 

We had a TON of rain on top of 12" of snow last weekend. I wonder if I have a slight leak up top...? Could it be water?

 

I agree with Dex, but more precisely, the ceiling support box or the Class A above.
That tells me there's water coming in from the storm collar, or possibly the flashing.

 

Would the burnt water smell burnt? What does the creo smell like?

 

Its kinda different but you wont forget it once you smell it, burnt smell with a strange twist to it, hard to compare it to any thing else.

 

How about like really strong burnt wood, like condensed wood burning smell?

 

Yea that would be a good description.

 

That's definitely a leak. Concerning that it smells burnt if it should only be water. Might be snow or rain got under the storm collar and picked up something on its way through the structure to the ceiling support box. Also, look at the flue to make sure it is still straight. A lot of wind by you the past couple days.

 

Looks like a little water.
Heavy rain & wind or deep snow can cause a short lasting leak.
Just watch it for a while, if it gets worse, you may have to go up & look
around where the pipe goes thru the flashing.

 

If it smells, it could have picked up some creo from the cap or pipe up top, then slid down the pipe.
Nothing else comes to mind when I think of creo smell.......just creo. As my wife sometimes says.....eewww.

 

Update: It was a combo of both!

1. There was a slight leak up top around the flashing, chimney guy fixed it, and also indicated it's not the best setup up there (which he also let me know during install), and recommended I change it which he is quoting for me.

2. Was a bit of creo built up on the very lower end of pipe, about 1' to 2' from the stove top. That had a few small drips seeping out of the 30 deg angles I have just above the stove. Probably from some greenish wood I burned early in the season, very low (which also didn't help I'm sure). Anyway, swept stove yesterday, about 1 cup of creo out of chimney pipe, and about 1 cup down in stove (below the pipe collar). All clean, and fired up for the big freeze.

Down to 18 and dropping! Gimme da wood!