Be Aware of the Dangers of Creosote

Every year, homeowners experience chimney fires and smoke invading their homes. Sometimes, the chimney gets blamed when it probably had little or nothing to do with the problems. In many cases of chimney fires and smoke infiltration, the culprit is creosote.

Felgemacher of Rochester, NY, and Buffalo, NY, would like to tell you a little about creosote, including what it is, why it’s in your chimney, and its immediate dangers. We’ll also tell you how to reduce buildups and have them removed.

What is creosote?

It’s a puffy, flaky, sticky, or solid substance that forms in a chimney flue when wood smoke condenses. If you use a wood fireplace, you can’t keep creosote from forming, but you can reduce its level by reducing the amount of smoke your fires produce and the time it remains in the flue. Here are three tips.

• Burn only dry, seasoned wood, which creates far less smoke than damp, unseasoned wood.
• Keep your chimney flue free of excess creosote buildups and outside debris, such as leaves, twigs, and small animal nests. All this junk will narrow the flue and keep smoke in it for longer, creating more creosote.
• On particularly cold days, warm the flue air before starting a fire by holding a lit rolled-up newspaper beyond the damper. Cold air in the flue will cause smoke to stall or move sluggishly.

The trouble creosote can cause

Creosote can cause three types of trouble.

1. Chimney fire

The most serious trouble is a chimney fire. It only takes an eighth of an inch of this oily substance to ignite inside a chimney flue. Many chimneys contain a lot more than an eighth of an inch.

Not all chimney fires are large and obvious. Sometimes, they’re fairly brief and go out on their own before being noticed – but not before potentially damaging your chimney liner and other parts of the chimney system.

Little fires can deteriorate the chimney liner over time. When this happens, even a small fire can spread to parts of the home near the flue.

2. Smoke and carbon monoxide backups

As noted, excess creosote buildup can prevent smoke from drafting properly. When this happens, smoke may move into your home and cause some serious health risks. Smoke is no good, but the deadly carbon monoxide it carries is worse.

Carbon monoxide can’t be seen or smelled, but it’s a poisonous gas that can cause sickness and even death if breathed in sufficient quantities.

3. Acidic damage to the chimney

Creosote has a very high acid content that, over time, may deteriorate even the strongest chimney liner. Creosote acids can also affect the fireplace damper, parts of the smoke chamber, and the chimney cap at the top of the chimney.

How to remove creosote

You can generate less smoke and creosote by following the advice above. As to removing creosote from your flue, only a qualified chimney technician should do the job. Trained chimney professionals have the tools and experience to safely remove the majority of creosote from all types of chimney systems.

Most fire safety and hearth organizations in the U.S. recommend annual chimney sweeping for chimneys connected to active fireplaces. An inspection should be performed during chimney sweep service.

Call your New York chimney experts

If it’s time to have your chimney swept and inspected, Felgemacher is standing by to help. In the Rochester, NY, and Buffalo, NY, areas, reach us by phone or through our contact form.