- 1). Burn brisk, hot fires using dry, well-seasoned wood. The temperature inside your flue should be at least 250 degrees to prevent creosote condensation and reduce creosote buildup.
- 2). Burn artificial "cleaner" logs in your fireplace once or twice a season. This will not eliminate creosote, but will slow the buildup.
- 3). Inspect the inside of your chimney at least once a year. Inspect more often if your fireplace or wood stove is your primary source of heat. A buildup of creosote inside the chimney can catch fire inside the chimney itself and produce an intense, hot fire, with a roaring noise and flames shooting out the top of the chimney, projecting hot sparks onto the roof. If you find obvious creosote deposits, it's time to clean the chimney. "Efficient" stoves or fireplaces designed to deliver more heat to the room and less up the chimney may lower flue temperatures, causing creosote buildup. Such chimney flues need to be inspected at least twice a season.
- 4). Remove the chimney cap and examine inside the flue with a bright flashlight. Look for cracks in the lining of the flue, broken or missing bricks, and a thick, black, slick-looking deposit -- creosote.
- 5). Cover the opening of the fireplace or stove inside the house with plastic and tape so it's sealed, and ash falling from the chimney cannot escape into the house.
- 6). Brush the creosote, soot, bird nests, and debris from the chimney with the chimney sweeper brush. Work carefully so that debris falling down the flue doesn't dislodge the plastic cover over the fireplace. Pre-treat thick creosote deposits with a creosote removal spray before brushing the chimney. Spray afterward with a creosote buildup preventative.
- 7). Fix any broken or cracked places inside the flue with chimney patch. If it is too badly damaged, you may have to replace the lining of the chimney.
- 8). Vacuum loose soot from inside the fireplace by slipping the hose of your shop vacuum under the edge of the protective sheeting. Work slowly to remove most of the soot and debris before removing the plastic. Clean the inside of the fireplace with soap and water.
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