The wood stove chimney thread got me thinking about a wood stove I'm using at the moment, and a search didn't turn up the information I was really hoping for, so I thought I'd try picking your brains in person here.
This is my second winter using a wood stove. I grew up with one but it had been many years since I used one when I got a home (kind of) that came with one. My worry is that I really don't know much about how it's set up, and I tend to run long, somewhat cool fires in it (though it still runs me out from time to time). I'm worried about possible creosote and build-up, so what - if anything - should I do?
Oh, and here's some background. It's a medium-sized homemade job probably forty-plus years old. The person who previously owned the place used it steadily for four to five months each year and had the chimney cleaned every other year (supposedly including the year I moved in). It's a fairly short stack, maybe 12 feet tall, on a straight run. The bottom is single thickness and I have no idea what the top is. Last year I burned it about three months, mostly with dry, well-seasoned oak. This year I'll probably burn it four months, with a mix of about two-thirds seasoned oak and one-third mixed green hard and softwoods. I'm often gone for hours at a stretch so I tend to feed it twice a day, raking the coals, loading her up, and then shutting her down and just letting her slowly char away. That's probably about the worst thing I can do, but I can't feed it when I'm not here and, with any luck, this will be my last winter using it. Do I need to worry?
You have a valid reason for concern. Cool fires and green wood can encourage creosote buildup which is a good recipe for chimney fires. I would start by checking the pipe for buildup and running a brush through it, if you don't have one you should buy one- a cheap insurance investment.
I have a chimney brush and use it often on my chimney. I think it's the only way to go!