The chimney sweep just left, but not before
telling you, ‘you have a very serious third stage creosote problem’
What on earth is that? Well seeing is believing,
so first grab a flashlight, go to your fireplace or chimney top and take a look. Your flues insides probably look like a black
mirror, with shiny, slick deposits on the wall that look almost painted on, giving the appearance of black ice or black bathroom
tiles. That’s third-stage creosote
To understand why it brings a grim look
to your sweeps face, a little more explanation is in order. Creosote, as you know, is the black, sticky substance that’s
produced whenever wood is burned. It’s a natural by-product, and it’s flammable, which is why you called your
sweep to remove it in the first place.
But when it condenses on the inside of
your chimney, it can take a number of forms, most of which fall into three general categories:
First stage: The most common;
people usually call it `soot’. It’s a light powder; if you look on your chimney sweeps face, you’ll probably
see some.
Second stage: Looks like pumice
stone from a volcano or black potato chips or a burnt marshmallow; usually light and airy.
Third stage: Similar to a
black bathroom tile, black ice or an asphalted road. Glazed and the most dangerous, and the most difficult to clean.
Your chimney sweep can do an excellent
job on first and second stage creosote by using a series of wire brushes designed to fit your chimney and stove pipes. Third
stage creosote is a totally different animal. It is easiest to understand why your sweep’s wire brushes are not effective
on it, when you realise that not only does it look like a black mirror, but also it has many of the same qualities. The wire
brush rubbed across a mirror would only slightly scratch the surface; basically the mirror would be unchanged.
What makes third stage creosote so dangerous?
First when it’s heated in a chimney fire it mushrooms far beyond its original size. As it expands across your chimney
it can choke the flue, causing the fire to find a new way to exhaust its fumes. This new avenue of exhaust often is through
your attic or roof. On occasion, the tremendous pressure exerted from this expansion has blown out pieces of the chimney. And a third stage driven fire is so hot that it easily exceeds the temperature limits
for which the chimney was designed, thereby damaging the chimney. Such chimney fires routinely exceed the temperature of a
blowtorch.
So how do you get rid of it?
First don’t blame your chimney sweep
for the situation! (Yes indeed some people do.) his burning habits didn’t form the creosote that way; yours or the unique
physical characteristics of your chimney did. The sweep has more then done his or her job by informing you that you have a
serious problem and outlining the possible choices you face. He is entitled to be compensated for his time and expense, much
as a doctor is paid for a visit to the surgery wether he can cure your problem or not.
Third stage creosote can’t
be ignored. It most be removed, or the chimney must be abandoned or replaced. Once it’s removed your sweep can guide
you in keeping it from happening again.
