I've been burning wood since 1999 and......

[ArmedMainer]

Umm, that's been pretty well debunked over the years. There's plenty of discussion on the interwebs as to why, so I'll spare you the chemistry lesson. (The short version being that both aluminum and the oxide it turns into when burned is pretty inert, and have no proveable effect on creosote accumulations.)

On the other hand, a chunk of Magnesium tossed into the fire...

Like I said I've never tried it so I don't know if it works. I wonder what those Chimney Cleaning Logs have in them for an active ingredient ? I've tried the chimney cleaning crystals and didn't think they worked. Like the logs but was hoping there was some truth to the can method. Now that I'm burning properly aged hardwood I don't get much of a buildup anyway.

[docone31]

Last year, my son, and I swear he is as dumb as a box of rocks, shoveled out his woodstove. He put the ashes in a plastic bucket in his living room.
He then procceeded to go out to lunch.
When he returned, the bucket had melted, he had ruined the floor, and the smell was amazing.
This year, he and his wife want to have a child.
I am speechless.
This from a person, who is 35, who melts buckets in his living room.
Yes, he is a Liberal.
I hope he has the brains to clean out his chimney before the creosote fire does.
I tried.

[405]

Reminds me of neighors about 25 years ago. Super nice young couple. He a jarhead and she a new mom with a couple of small kids. She decides to vacuum out the fireplace, then puts the vacuum back in the garage- partially burned the garage down. Lucky it didn't take the whole house with it.

[Ed Barrett]

I have heated with wood since 1976. The bigest problem I have had lately is trying to find the stuff to burn to get the creosote out of the system. The MFA used to sell some stuff that turned the creosote into black popcorn(light and fluffy). But they don't carry it anymore, the fancy fireplace stores have stuff that's 12 to 14 dollars for a little 8 OZ. bottle. I was talking to a friend who is a retired chemist and he gave me a tip I'll pass along. Get coppersulphate chrystals, they are used to kill tree roots in drain pipes and Borax thats used for laundry. Mix in equal parts and put a half a cup on a hot fire once a week. I have used it for two years and the creosote doesn't seem to build up at all. And I have more money to buy primers.

[Three44s]

Fire persuaders:

Weed burner torch

Old tires



Three 44s

[Lloyd Smale]

lots of trees here but its mostly owned by the state and the logging companys and in either instance you need permission to even take the dead falls. that and the fact that we probably have more people per capita in the us that burn wood makes it tough to just go out and get your own unless you own land. Ive got 40 acres but my dad and one brother in law take wood off of it and its not near enough for either of them. Most people up here buy it and then split it themselves to save money. But thats eithe bull work for a guy my age or you have to buy a spliter and factor that into the price along with a saw every couple years. gas for your truck, a trailer, and wear and tear on all of it. thanks but ill just turn up the thermostat.

Roger on the cans.

Lloyd, I haven't been in your area in over 25 years, but it's hard to imagine the UP without lots of trees....

I get enough firewood from the deadfall and trimming on our 2 acre lot, but then the heating days aren't that much here in Mississippi.

[Shepherd2]

Tractor Supply Co. (TSC) sells a compound for removing creosote from wood burners but I've never tried it. From reading the label I couldn't get a handle on whether it would work for an outdoor woodburner or not. I think it is for the indoor units with a smaller firebox.

[largom]

Have heated with wood for as long as I can remember. As a 10 yr. old kid it was my job during the summer to get enough wood in to last the coming winter. Never owned a chain saw then, used a Oliver 70 tractor to drag logs in to the farm. Wood was cut to length with a buzz saw powered by a flat belt from the tractor PTO. Logs too big to be lifted onto the saw had to be cut with a buck saw or a cross-cut saw and then split with wedges and a mull.
If kids worked like that today their parents would be locked up for child abuse. As a kid I learned what work was and to be resourcefull. Today I have a new home that is total electric but I also built a double chimney and installed an oil furnace and a wood burning furnace. I also have oil and wood furnaces in my shop. Have never used the electric heat in my home and have used less than 500 gal. of heating oil in the past 5 yrs. I only use the oil heat during early fall and late spring. I burn about 10-12 cords of wood a year between my home and shop. Have about 5 acres of woods which provides my firewood. At 66 yrs. old I am thankful for Chain Saws and my Wood Spliter.

Larry

[SPRINGFIELDM141972]

Umm, that's been pretty well debunked over the years. There's plenty of discussion on the interwebs as to why, so I'll spare you the chemistry lesson. (The short version being that both aluminum and the oxide it turns into when burned is pretty inert, and have no proveable effect on creosote accumulations.)

On the other hand, a chunk of Magnesium tossed into the fire...

I guess someone forgot to tell my wood furnace and chimney. Debunked or not it has made a big difference in my annual cleaning efforts. All I can say is try it and if it works for you great, if not I'll keep on doing what works for me.

Regards,
Everett

[Storydude]

Powdered TSP thrown on a fire will scour the flue clean of creosote.

That's the main ingredient in the Chimney Sweeping Log.

[fishhawk]

ok and just what is TSP?

[docone31]

Tri sodium phosphate.
Found at Home Depot, or Ace Hardware.
Floor cleaner.

[Shepherd2]

Largom - I burn about 12 cords of wood every year. I'm 69 years old and I to am thankful for chain saws and log splitters. We should be doubly thankful that we can still do the work.

[Storydude]

MY biggest worry about burning KEro/Diesel/Non-natural chemicals to start a fire is that I don;t know what types of corrosive stuff they are making.

My Chimney is like $2.50 an INCH.....and it's 20 foot tall. I don't want to make that investment again when the thing rots from the inside out due to me using Kero to start a fire.

[ArmedMainer]

Tri sodium phosphate.
Found at Home Depot, or Ace Hardware.
Floor cleaner.

I'll give that a try. It's probably alot cheaper to use than the chimney sweeping logs too !! Thanks for the heads up.

[Ed K]

Largom - I burn about 12 cords of wood every year. I'm 69 years old and I to am thankful for chain saws and log splitters. We should be doubly thankful that we can still do the work.

I'm only 49 but also heat entirely with wood I cut and credit this thinking toward overall endurance. Almost 2 years ago I was diagnosed with a serious disease and have cut all my own wood and done whatever else I could through 18 months of chemotherapy (fortunately ending just a couple of weeks ago). Sometimes I would return home from a day in the hospital after a 6-hour infusion, get one night's rest and rise to a day of felling or splitting. Of the 40 or so patients involved in the same clinical trial over that period at least a dozen are no longer with us. One person I became close to as we started therapy the same day has not yet returned to work and likely never will.

I do try to exercise more caution than I did when felling at 16

[outdoorfan]

This is what happens when being in a hurry, combined with the occasional use of a dangerous practice, combined with some carelessness, all collide. I won't be doing any casting for at least a couple of weeks. The pictures were taken on Day-4 (yesterday).

I'm embarassed to even comment on how this happened (gasoline). I do not expect nor do I want people's sympathy. It is one lesson learned the hard way, and I'm fortunate it wasn't worse.

[fishhawk]

oh thats got to hurt! think i will stick with my trioxane bars for fire starting. steve k

[mroliver77]

I fell asleep early last night and didnt stoke the stove. Hutch Rebal only heat since 79. It was cold this morning and dog and I hid under blanket until nature would wait no longer. I put a garbage bag og rubbish in the stove covered with some 1" pieces of elm with loose bark. Lit her up and fed it all the air I could. Stove was very hot in 10 min followed by a good stoking after 30 min and we are fine. Stove rarely goes out after lit in the fall. I have lined masonry chimney we built 20 year ago. It never needs cleaned if fire is burnt right. Trap needs cleaned every year. I try to burn a hot fire at least once a day with newsprint or toys that were laying around etc. Works for me.
Jay

[Superfly]

Hey Jay Call me you old CooT .

Happy New year.

Oh Yeah i heat with wood i have 11 cord of tamarack here 9 to cut up and then 16 more chord coming

What do u all use for saws I use a 266husky XP
Jaime