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VI. STO VE AND CHIM NEY M AINTENANCE.
Creosote is one of the facts of life for wood burners. W hen
wood is burned slowly, it produces tar and other organic
vapor which com bines with expelled m oisture (even “dry”
wood contains approxim ately 20% m oisture) to form
creosote. The creosote vapors condense in the relatively
cool chim ney connectors and flue of a slow-burning fire. As
a result, creosote residue accum ulates on the flue lining.
Large am ounts of this tough, gum m y, tar-like substance
can pile up quickly and virtually choke a stove pipe. W hen
ignited, this creosote m akes an extrem ely hot and
dangerous fire.
Be sure to exam ine the chim ney connector pipe and the
chim ney above it every few weeks so you can determ ine
the rate of creosote build up.
Any excessive build up of creosote (more than 1/4")
w ill then be apparent and m ust be rem oved for
continued safe operation
.
The chim ney m ust be inspected from the top of the
chim ney. For a thorough cleaning and inspection, your
SIERRA woodstove should be rem oved from the hearth.
If creosote has accum ulated, it should be rem oved to
reduce the risk of a chim ney fire. Creosote form ations can
be chipped away from flue openings with a sturdy m etal
blade such as a heavy duty scraper.
CAUTION: The acid content can cause burns to skin
and eyes, so w ear protective glasses and gloves.
The chim ney itself is norm ally cleaned from the roof. Most
stove dealers carry stiff m etal brushes in sized and shapes
to fit standard flue liners. These are usually attached to
rods which can be extended for the length of the chim ney.
It is recom m ended that you call a professional
chim ney cleaner to do the job for you.
Provisions for outside com bustion air m ay be necessary to
ensure that fuel burning appliances do no discharge
products of com bustion into the house. Guidelines to
determ ine the need for additional com bustion air m ay not
be adequate for every situation. If in doubt, it is advisable
to provide additional air.
a. Outside com bustion air m ay be required if:
1.
The solid fuel fired appliance does not draw steadily,
sm oke rollout occurs, fuel burns poorly, or back-
drafts occur whether or not there is com bustion
present.
2.
Existing fuel fired equipm ent in the house, such as
fireplaces or other heating appliances sm ell, do no
operate properly, suffer sm oke roll-out when
opened, or back-draft whether or not there is
com bustion present.
3.
Opening a window slightly on a calm (windless) day
alleviates any of the above sym ptom s.
4.
The house is equipped with a well sealed vapor
barrier and tight fitting windows and/or has any
powered devices that exhaust house air.
5.
There is excessive condensation on windows in
winter.
6.
A ventilation system is installed in the house.
b. If these or other indications suggest that infiltration air is
inadequate, additional com bustion air should be
provided from the outdoors. Outside com bustion air can
be provided to the appliance by the following m eans.
1.
Direct connection: appliances can only use direct
connection of outside com bustion air if they are
certified for the type of installation. Installations shall
com ply with the m anufacturer’s instructions.
2.
Indirect m ethod: for an appliance not certified for
direct connection of outside com bustion air, the
outside air is ducted to a point no closer than (12 in)
300 m m from the appliance, to avoid affecting the
perform ance of the appliance.
3.
A m echanical ventilation system : if the house has a
ventilation system (air change or heat recovery):
a. The ventilation system m ay be able to provide
sufficient com bustion m ake-up air for the solid
fuel fired appliance. b.
The householder should be inform ed that the
ventilation system m ight need to be re-balanced
by a ventilation technician after installation of the
appliance.
M inim izing Creosote
1. Proper sizing of the stove to the house will help reduce
creosote problem s - too large a stove will force the
owner to burn a slow fire resulting in rapid creosote
build-up. It is recom m ended that you do not burn slow
fires for an extended period of tim e.
2. Avoid slow sm oldering fires. A better way to reduce heat
output is to have a sm all but hot fire by adding sm all
am ounts of wood at m ore frequent intervals.
3. Regularly, when loading the stove, encourage a hot, brisk
fire for 10-15 minutes. This will tend to “burn-off” any
sm all accumulations of creosote since the last hot fire.
4. If you do have a chim ney fire, call the fire departm ent
im m ediately. Only then attem pt to control the fire. Throw
soda on the logs, close the draft regulators com pletely to
shut off air to the fire. W et down your roof and adjacent
areas to keep the fire from spreading.
5. If you m ust use green wood (and we urge you to avoid
doing so), be sure to m ix with dry logs.
Care and cleaning of woodstove Glass - The window glass
on your Sierra woodstove is designed for high tem perature
