First look up chimney ... aluminum can?

Had a look up the chimney yesterday, mostly clean but a few flaky things towards the top.
It kind of looks like paper but i haven't burned any what is it? You may have to zoom in to see the top. My phone doesn't zoom.
What do you guys think of burning aluminum cans? Is it worth it?

 

Definitly dont burn a can. Go to your local hearth, farm and home, Menards, etc that sells wood burning appliances. Look for some Creosote destroyer/remover and follow the directions on the container. Generally a powder that you sprinkle x amount on a medium hot fire.

It doesn't look too bad, may have been a little build up that got warmer and dried out and is now flaking off. How long have you been burning?

 

I wouldn't worry about that.

 

I tend to get more of that flaky fluffy stuff earlier in the season with 2 cold starts a day, or with shed crud barky wood, or surprisingly, when I've run too much air. I think it pulls ashes up and sticks to smoke condensation that hasn't left the pipe at the start of the burn. But I'll bet you a piece of poplar that everything you're looking at would brush out to bare chimney with your hand or a rag. It's fluffy light brown stuff that won't ignite with a torch held to it for 10 minutes.

 

I agree. If you are worried about the chimney, then give it a sweep.

 

Some anti-creo products may work. Dry wood and good burning habits do work. If in any doubt give it a quick brushing. Take a pic of what comes out and post here on the forum. Residue (basically ash) left after good burning is not flammable.

 

Perfect chimney for a bottom up cleaning with a Soot Eater too...poke the 1st SE pole/head through a trash bag, tape bag on the bottom of the tee, open stove door (to let the chimney "breath" well), clean chimney. The dust will be sucked up the chimney, any bigger pieces will be in the bag

 

Probably go away when it gets cold and you start burning regular.

I wouldn't burn anything but well seasoned wood.

 

the anti creosote products doesn't remove creosote in the pipe, they change the form of gooey tarry creosote to an easier to clean crunchy form, burning can's doesn't do anything at all, it's an old wivestale, like burning pine will cause chimney fires and make you go bald.

 

Thanks guys for all the suggestions. Didn't really think aluminum cans sounded a good idea but saw it all over the place and just had to ask.
Another one i keep hearing that actually makes some sense to me is a hot fire first thing in the morning. I did that the last couple of days with a couple cedar splits because the night burns have been pretty low temp not filling the stove up much.
My question is how hot is hot? What temps are we talking and for how long?

 

Billb3, i think i will really like this stove. Overnight is unreal. Filling for the night around 10 PM with only 3 med splits of moth-eaten ( bugs been into it) but dry 14 or so oak. Still had enough coals to start kindling at 8 this morning. The house was at 69 and outside about 45. As for the rest of my fire wood most of it is under 15. I'm splitting a bunch of oak rounds right now that had been stacked outside under a piece of metal. they are more like 18 in side and wetter outside. It's been raining a lot. Hopefully i won't need them until next year.

 

a lot of that is going to depend on 1: your heating needs and 2: how much wood you load in the stove. but you should always avoid a smoldering fire, this is what will give you creosote. Use the thermometer as a rough guide, keep stove top temps under 800F and flue temps under 1000F and you'll be good to go. also keep in mind that when you've hit the end of the burn cycle and its just coals in the stove you're not going to get anything that forms creosote, all the volatile stuff is burned off.

 

you all probably think i'm crazy. That last bit of advice about the hot morning burn came from a chimney sweep. However, not to clean the chimney but to keep it clean to start with.
Today it is completely wind still, drizzly weather about 50 outside but feels cold. So i put a couple of cedar pieces on the coals this morning and let them burn, all fine and then i added a couple Kentucky Coffee splits also very dry wood and they started out ok but then quit and are sitting in there very slowly being reduced to ashes no flames at all no smoke either that i can tell. That wouldn't be smoldering would it? Everything is wide open. The splits only start flames when i open the door. It's warm enough no problem, the house is a cozy 73.

 

I would call that smoldering. It also could just be not enough fuel in the box to keep the flames going.
The box may not be hot enough to sustain flames. Or there could be a issue with the wood itself as well.
Dry on the outside but the center still has too much moisture? Doesn't sound like it though from your description.
I don't burn unless I can have a full load in there burning. If the house is warm, I will wait and let it get to coals, and start a new fire.
A good burn is better for the stack than a small load barely burning. At least that is how I believe it to be.

 

That stove tends to burn front to back.
Towards the end of a burn you should be noticing there's still wood in the back, coals towards the center and ashes front and center.

Often it's possible to pull the last coals hiding in the back with a rake or shovel right up to the door, set some kindling on them, some splits on top of them, open the stove damper to the "boost" position, watch the coals light up bright and red from the burst of air and ignite the kindling. Then watching the flame heights knock the air back in increments, getting the air lever where it needs to be to have proper stove top temps.

I find "boost" works better than leaving the door open. Makes a lot less smoke. Not none. Less.

 

generally speaking these stoves burn "best" in batches, load stove full with air wide open, get load of wood burning well, turn air down in stages to its lowest point (this varies from install to install for some its full closed for others it can be less, draft and outside temps play a big part in this) repeat in ~8 hours. this burns cleaner and more efficiently than just throwing a split in every now and then.

 

I have seen that stuff in the shops...does it really work or make a difference?