Wood Stoves and Alaskan Chimney Sweeps

[GHarman]

Here is a innovative way to clean yer chimney and not even get your hands cold!!! If you burn wood, you need to brush the chimney regularly to remove the creosote build up and prevent chimney fires. Requirements; #1. Your chimney needs to be straight. This wont work around elbows.



This is simply a wire rope, chimney brush and double pully arrangement, INSIDE the flue. Tension is applied to the upper pully with a coil spring at the top that keeps the wire rope tight against the pullys as it heats up and lengthens. The bottom pully is inside the flue pipe directly above the stove, after the damper. This pully shaft has a crank as part of the shaft or removeable. The wire rope is preferably stainless steel, 5/64"-3/32" with cable clamps for ease of tension adjustment. The brush is an interference fit into the flue pipe with the wire rope attached to the top and bottom of the brush. The wind proof chimney cap is modified with a top hat shaped piece that allows room for the pully and shaft with room for movement and storage of the brush when it is not being used (above the smoke vents). The shaft penetrates the top and has a coil spring with flat washer and retaining nut screwed onto the shaft. Each unit is custom made for its application. The pullys are garage door pullys. The bottom pully must be secured to its shaft but allow for assembly and dissassembly. The top pully is in a stirrup affair, attached to the tensioning shaft. The tensioning spring MUST be away (outside) from the heat so it wont loose its temper. If you dont like climbing ladders in bad weather to clean yer chimney. This is the way to go. A little sheet metal work and some tinkering and you stay warm and dry with a safe chimney for your wood stove! Have a Safe and Prosperous New YearOo. ! GregH



A critical calculation for your wire rope. Carbon Steel lengthens 0. 00075 In. /In. / 100*F. Stainless Steel lengthens about 0. 001125 In. /In. /100*F.

 

[PToombs]

Greg, sounds like a PITA to set up, but works good when it's done.

 

[GHarman]

:-laf

Greg, sounds like a PITA to set up, but works good when it's done.

Your right about that! Two sets of hands are a real help setting it up. :-laf. The main thing is; you dont need to be on the roof when the snow is deep and the wind is howling! Fer us old folks. Summer maintainence is alot easier:-laf. Next time I get down to my Friends Mom's house I'll get a picture of the cap.

 

[2-ND TIME]

Wood stoves and chimney Sweeps

I liked the method that a nobour imployed years ago. The wood stove was 45 Gal drum and had it full of wood ( dry) and through in a gal on used diesel oil and some gas. It roared for about 10 mins and then calmed down. Not to good for the enviroment but cleaned out the flu. Ahhh George,what a charactor miss that guy.....

 

[fluemasterjr]

"I liked the method that a nobour imployed years ago. The wood stove was 45 Gal drum and had it full of wood ( dry) and through in a gal on used diesel oil and some gas. It roared for about 10 mins and then calmed down. Not to good for the enviroment but cleaned out the flu. Ahhh George,what a charactor miss that guy..... "

one thing to remember here it that chimneys are designed to convey flue gases to the out side environment and are NOT designed to contain combustion. If the stove is burning properly there should not be any creosote buildup in the chimney.

 

[GHarman]

"I liked the method that a nobour imployed years ago. The wood stove was 45 Gal drum and had it full of wood ( dry) and through in a gal on used diesel oil and some gas. It roared for about 10 mins and then calmed down. Not to good for the enviroment but cleaned out the flu. Ahhh George,what a charactor miss that guy..... "

one thing to remember here it that chimneys are designed to convey flue gases to the out side environment and are NOT designed to contain combustion. If the stove is burning properly there should not be any creosote buildup in the chimney.

Ya'll are burning hardwood and not dampering down(banking the fire). Here, we burn pine and Aspen, lots more creosote. In Alaska the normal process is to burn green Burch, which produces alot of creosote even when not banked. GregH

 

[fluemasterjr]

"Back in the early 1980's, tests were conducted to discover which kind of wood created the most creosote in a regular "open" fireplace. The results were surprising. Contrary to popular opinion, the hardwood's, like oak and madrone, created MORE creosote than the softwoods, like fir and pine. The reason for this, is that if the softwoods are dry, they create a hotter, more intense fire. The draft created by the hotter fire moves the air up the chimney faster! Because it is moving faster, the flue gas does not have as much time to condense as creosote inside the chimney. Also, because the flue gas is hotter: it does not cool down to the condensation point as quickly. On the contrary, the dense hardwood's tend to smolder more, so their flue gas temperature is cooler. Thus, more creosote is able to condense on the surface of the flue. So, saying that "fir builds up more creosote than oak" just isn't true! It is a misunderstanding to think that it's the pitch in wood which causes creosote. It's not the pitch that is the problem, it's the water IN the pitch. Once the water in the wood has evaporated, that pitch becomes high octane fuel! When dry, softwoods burn extremely hot!"
Best burning wood firewood
I rather burn pine i feel that I get more even heat with it over hardwood. I burn 1-2 cords of pine and 1-2 of hardwood a year. I have been in the stove and chimney bizness now for 8 years when I got my certification through the chimney safety institute of america I thought the instructor was crazy when he said that "pound for pound dry pine and dry oak produce the same amount of creosote. " I left there to prove him wrong but never could!! I do have to agree with burning green wood if you don't burn it hot and choke it down before the water has evaporated you will have creosote running everywhere i have seen chimneys plugged in a week from burning green wood.

 

[GHarman]

I dont know anyone that runs a wood stove full out. A Banked fire is where the creosote builds up. I agree with your description of the heat capacity of dry wood and the ability of a very hot fire to move flue gasses up the chimney, to quick to condense in the flue. your descriptions are accurate. The assumption that everyone burns their stove like a Russian Fireplace, however, is not reality. Shutting down dampers and combustion air vents (banking) has been the rule of thumb for many of my decades of burning wood, with few exceptions, such as a country style cooking stove. I have been burning wood or been benefited by a wood or coal stove, off and on since the 1948. I dont claim to be an expert, nor do I have one of the new style stoves with the catalitic converter or a Russian Fireplace, which I would love to have in my houseOo. . , that requires a full out burn to operate efficiently. GregH

 

[fluemasterjr]

Gharman i would love to see a pic of this setup when you get them

 

[GHarman]

Gharman i would love to see a pic of this setup when you get them

I'll try as soon as my Friend gets back from Alaska. GregH