Creosote
Discuss chimney sweeping, and the issue of creosote inevitably comes up. Have you ever wondered what it is exactly? How can it be prevented from being in a chimney?
Creosote is a deposit left behind by smoke. Creosote is a deposit left by the smoke as it travels down the chimney. More specifically, creosote comes from the fact that the combustion process is not complete, that some of it is not completely burned off, and so it clings to the chimney wall. Creosote takes three different forms over time. |
|
In the first stage:
Then it looks like dust, called soot. As it is not very solid yet, cleaning it this early is relatively easy.
In the second stage:
The creosote becomes more compressed and it glows. Its texture is more solid. Then it can no longer be removed with a simple brushing. The extra push of the force of a drill, equipped with a brush, becomes necessary.
In the third stage:
In the last stage, the creosote looks like glass, and then it can catch fire. Chimney fires frequently occur in this stage. For this reason, periodic chimney sweeping should be carried out. This can prevent the sometimes dramatic results.
There is no doubt that creosote poses a real risk to you and your family. Heating oil, pellets, wood... these are all products that form creosote when they burn without preventing this normal process. However, good practices can prevent many misfortunes because they reduce the accumulation of creosote.
Then it looks like dust, called soot. As it is not very solid yet, cleaning it this early is relatively easy.
In the second stage:
The creosote becomes more compressed and it glows. Its texture is more solid. Then it can no longer be removed with a simple brushing. The extra push of the force of a drill, equipped with a brush, becomes necessary.
In the third stage:
In the last stage, the creosote looks like glass, and then it can catch fire. Chimney fires frequently occur in this stage. For this reason, periodic chimney sweeping should be carried out. This can prevent the sometimes dramatic results.
There is no doubt that creosote poses a real risk to you and your family. Heating oil, pellets, wood... these are all products that form creosote when they burn without preventing this normal process. However, good practices can prevent many misfortunes because they reduce the accumulation of creosote.
Ways to mitigate creosote sediment
Use dry wood
The main risk is the moisture content of your wood. The optimum is a moisture content of no more than 20%. This is why it is a good idea to buy your wood in the spring. You can also cut smaller pieces of wood, which will make it easier to dry. An efficient furnace can easily consume wood up to 6 inches in diameter. However, you may want to ask your supplier if they can supply you with logs that are about 3 inches in diameter. Another way to dry your wood is to leave it outside on your property where the sun shines the most. Precautions should be taken: if you cover your ropes, do so only on top and leave sufficient clearance between them. For more information, visit this page.
Limit the use of softwood
Softwood forms more creosote than hardwood. However, it is not useless. Reserve it to start your fire or to give it strength at the beginning and end of winter. However, be careful not to heat with soft wood all year round.
Controlling the air
There is a way to promote full combustion as much as possible. This is to ventilate your fire sufficiently. To achieve this, open the door of your appliance slightly when you start the fire. However, as a precaution, please do not stand too close. As soon as the fire starts, keep it ventilated. This time, leave the air inlets open just a little. The clue that the fire is running out of air is simple: it's choking.
Interior chimney
Most homeowners have no control over the type of chimney they have, unless they have built their home themselves. Whenever possible, it is preferable that the chimney be installed inside the house. This will allow the chimney to heat up more quickly and reduce the production of creosote.
|
|
Heating system performance
Owning high-performance furnaces ensures a more complete combustion of gas or wood. Newer furnaces usually outperform older furnaces. As a result, their higher quality workmanship reduces the likelihood of a chimney fire.
Save money while increasing security
It is important to take some preventive measures to avoid creosote build-up in your chimney. You'll be a winner. You will feel that you have done your duty, because you will have significantly reduced the danger of a fire starting. Precautionary measures are therefore required to prevent unfortunate incidents due to creosote that has accumulated in your chimney over a long period of time. But that's not all, be aware that efficient combustion burns much less wood. This saves you money.
Insurance
Insurance
