Overheard an old sweeper at the diner say something about creosote that stuck with me

Ngl I was grabbing breakfast in Columbus last Tuesday and this guy two booths over was talking about how he swears by using potato skins to knock down creosote buildup. He said he tosses a few dry ones in a hot fire once a month and it makes a difference. I always figured those old tricks were just myths but now I kind of want to try it on my own flue before suggesting it to customers. Anyone else ever hear of this working or is it just folklore?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaronclark19d ago

Is creosote really that big of a problem for most people though? I mean, unless you're burning a ton of green or wet wood all winter long, it's not like you're gonna build up enough to start a chimney fire in a month. Potato skins sound like something my grandpa would have tried back in the day, but I've never seen any real proof it does anything. And honestly, if you're that worried about it, just get your flue cleaned once a year like a normal person instead of messing around with kitchen scraps. Seems like a lot of fuss over nothing unless you're running a wood furnace 24/7.

hernandez.blake19d ago

I agree with you on most of this @aaronclark. People act like every chimney is a ticking time bomb when really it just depends on your setup and how you burn. If you're running dry seasoned wood and keeping your fires hot, creosote buildup is way slower than folks make it out to be. I've gone two years without a cleaning before and had maybe a quarter inch of fluffy stuff in there. Now if you're burning pine or unseasoned junk all winter, sure, that's a different story, but most people know better by now. The potato skin thing feels like one of those old wives' tales that keeps getting passed around because it sounds like it might work, not because it actually does anything. Just keep your wood dry and get a sweep every couple of years and you're fine.

emery_young1319d ago

Honestly those potato skins just add sticky stuff to the flue, not remove creosote.