We have two stoves in the house – one used considerably more than the other.

Having just lit a fire I’ve noticed a build up in one of what I presume to be creosote – sticky black tacky stuff – not loads but its present.

We mainly burn a smokeless coal and the wood we use (to light and add an extra boost of heat) is seasoned.

The fires burn hot and (I thought) clean.

After most fires the firebricks are clean and not sooted up.

The glass in the stove stays pretty clear and only needs cleaning every other fire – even then its just a brief wipe over with a damp rag.

The liners are swept annually and on each occasion the sweeper (also installer of the stove) gives each a clean bill of health.

I realise that creosote build up is inevitable to a certain extent but any ideas on minimising above and beyond what we already do?

Most smokeless coal is now impregnated with nasty petroleum stuff that will kill your liner in short order. I was told this by my installer and by the stove manufacturer – neither of whom have any reason to make it up.
The stove will certainly burn hot with smokeless (hence the clean glass and bricks) but there is a price to pay.
Grade A coal and wood are OK for your liner.

So how well is the wood seasoned?

@ sharkbait – Our installers said quite the opposite! BTW we don’t get out coal from them!

@ bear – Minimum of a year ( I believe ) before it gets to us and I try to use that at least six months later if that makes sense.

We don’t burn much wood as a proportion of the fuel we use.

Could be it’s not burning efficiently, you need them to tick over at 250c for true clean burn.

I think I need a flue thermometer.

Its certainly hot enough to crack the surrounding plaster 🙄 😆

Seasoned wood is generally only “seasoned” to the humidity of the atmosphere unless it is kiln dried and hermetically sealed afterwards it will absorb moisture, Do you have a wood fuel co-operative such as this one in your area?, they are all over the country and their briquets/hotmax/hotties etc are fantastic and kick out a helluva heat and last for ages without any tar worries or need to get your flue cleaned.

I’ve got free access to as much seasoned hardwood logs as i need but i still buy stuff from my local woodfuel co-op and mix the two up when i’m burning.

I was reccomended by a chiminey sweep that burning the occasional smokeless pellet would help prevent the build up of creasote/tar. you could also try this stuff.
http://www.fireplacestoreonline.com/products/Flue-Free-Chimney-Cleaner-750g.html?gclid=COOA7uDd9LMCFXHLtAodrB0ASg

Here’s some info bout seasoned logs

They always used to say, season the wood outside for a bare minimum of a year, preferably with a good air flow around and through the stack.

Then before burning they need to be dried, again preferably with good air flow.

Then they should be suitable for burning.

Also consider what tree the logs came from – the sappier the tree the longer the seasoning should be, and try to avoid using all sourced from a tree with a high sap content.

Much will depend on your installation and the fuel you burn. E.g. flue liner or twin-wall flue? As above, type of wood, how well seasoned, hopefully not treated/tanalised…

Do you shut the stove down to ‘tick- over’ before beddy-byes? So you can re-ignite with an opening of the air control in the morning? If so, this could be a possible cause. Ideally you would open up the air control before bed-time to purge the stove and burn off the remaining fuel, reason being that as the stove cools, so does the flue temp and the previously burnt stuff cools and sticks on it’s way up and out.

The type of wood you are burning might also play a part too, and weather you split it before storing too, oak takes years and years to season, plus, lets face it there has been a fair bit of moisture in the air this year

From soma’s linky…

“Not all suppliers appear to know what constitutes a cubic metre. A cubic metre is 1,000cm x 1,000cm x 1,000cm.”

Which rather damages my confidence in their comments on technical issues.

My fire creosotes up in the main part but the chimney is as clean as a whistle!

I do have a back boiler though which draws the heat off a lot quicker than a firebrick stove .

Get a moisture meter, check the wood you burn.

tbh We buy kiln-dried wood, and its barely dearer.

What does kiln dried wood achieve that atmosphere dried wood doesnt ?

I get flue temperatures of 300-500 indicated on my flue thermometer with atmosphere dried wood . Not once hae i had to clean the glass and i get a clear secondary burn.

The only time ive had noticable suiting was before i learned how bad it was to load and shut in a wood burner before going to bed.

Now i open the air vent fairly far before bed without loading it up.