What is creosote?
Creosote is a buildup of the byproducts of combustion, which can lead to cause an odor that can permeate through your entire home. However, it takes only one use of your fireplace for a small amount of creosote to build up in your flue system, and when the conditions are right the smell of burned wood can enter your home. The conditions include any which cause a downdraft to occur. Creosote is from smoke that contains droplets of unburned carbon.
Stages of Creosote
There are three stages of creosote. The first stage looks and feels like dust, ash, or coffee-ground like consistency. It’s the easiest out of all the three stages to remove from the chimney. In stage two it looks like burnt cornflakes, a very crunch substance. The final stage is stage three which is candle wax, tar-like substance. It is the most difficult stage to remove.
Removal
To remove incomplete combustion there are a few products we use, one being “Cre-Way” this is a powder, which is able to modify glazed creosote. It turns to a brittle form which can be removed easier.
The second product is anti-cre-soot. Anti-cre-soot is a non-toxic chemical that comes in liquid or powder form. You use this product regularly to control the accumulation. This liquid can be sprayed on the wood and the powder you can put up the chimney.
Precautions
In conclusion, you should never burn anything else besides wood in your fireplace! There should be no plastics, garbage, furniture, or any other materials! Make sure your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are working and properly installed.
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