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Why Everyone Should Know What Creosote Is
Creosote is a loose term for the combination of unburned materials from burning wood. The main ingredient is tar. There's also soot, which is a more pure carbon, and finally the actual chemical creosote.
Creosote itself is the least of these ingredients. Creosote is a wood preserver, and is used to treat utility poles even today.
You can think of soot like charcoal. It's carbon without volatile ingredients, and has relatively high ignition temperature, which is not often reached in normal operation of fireplaces or heating appliances.
Tar is the most common ingredient, and is the most flammable because it vaporizes at the lowest temperature. It also cools off quickly and condenses from a liquid to a sticky stuff on the chimney walls.
Here are a few things you can do to solve the creosote problem.
· Keep flue temperatures high. Cool flue gas temperatures mean more condensation on the chimney walls.
o Burn hotter fires (Keeps flue gasses and chimney walls warm)
o Use dry wood (Helps insure more complete combustion)
· Fix the chimney so it works for you instead of against you
o Use a properly sized flue. This may require putting a new liner in the chimney. (Keeps flue gasses moving quickly)
o Insulate the flue (Keeps flue gasses and chimney walls warm)
· Use creosote modifiers.
o Never use chloride cleaners. Salts destroy both woodstoves and chimneys.
o Choose a sophisticated modifier specifically designed for use in chimneys, such as CreAwayTM or ACSTM. Both are time tested and economical.
These measures along with regular maintenance will keep your family and your home safer and warmer, with more peace of mind.
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