Was sure those cheap creosote logs were a gimmick until I saw the difference

I've been sweeping for 8 years now and always told customers to stick with mechanical cleaning only. But last month I had a job in Springfield where the homeowner had used three of those $10 logs over the winter. When I ran my rotary brush up there, the glaze was way less than I expected for a wood stove that gets used daily. Has anyone else seen real results from these things or was it just a fluke?

2 comments

2 Comments

dixon.spencer1d ago

...wait hold on, you actually measured the residue left behind? That's wild, I just kinda look up there and go "yep that's creosote alright." But seriously, three logs over the winter and you saw a real difference? I mean I've been burning wood for like fifteen years and I always figured those things were just a marketing thing, like putting a scented candle in your chimney. The fact that you could actually see less glaze on the walls of the flue makes me wonder if I've been wasting my time with the old elbow grease approach. Maybe I should just toss one in this weekend and see if my stovepipe starts looking any different.

kaid591d ago

Has anyone tested these logs side by side with a regular chemical cleaner like a powder or spray to see which one actually cuts through more creosote? I did that last year and the log left way less residue after a burn, but the spray seemed to break down the hard stuff better on contact. Might be the heat from the log that makes the difference, not the chemicals themselves.