Creosote from Burning Wood – Causes and Solutions Ambience Online, 25 January 202528 January 2025 Burning Wood Creosote from burning wood is a problem One of the main problems of wood burning is the excessive build-up of creosote in chimneys and stove pipes. It is a fact that operating a wood stove is a combination of science and art, a large part of which is dealing with creosote. Burning wood, no matter how you do it, releases pollutants, mainly in the form of gases and particulate matter. There is no avoiding it, but how you control it within your wood burning appliance can vary greatly – not only in the type of stove you choose, but in how you operate it as well. What is creosote? Creosote forming in a flue Creosote is the sticky, foul-smelling substance that coats the insides of everything it passes through if no precautions are taken. It is formed when the smoke gases given off in the burning process condense and combine with soot on their way out of the chimney. It is corrosive and extremely combustible and can even cause chimney fires. You may not notice creosote build-up at first, but it tends to feed on itself. As it builds up, it restricts the flow in the chimney or flue pipes. The build-up slows down the smoke gases even more. This allows more time for the smoke to cool and condense, therefore causing more creosote to deposit itself, and further restrict the flow. My wood stove creates creosote! A correctly installed modern wood burning stove does not create creosote. It is caused by you not using the stove correctly, and especially when you burn damp un-seasoned wood. Always use clean, dry wood Seasoned Wood All firewood contains water to some extent. The water content of the wood you burn is critical to the burning process and the amount of creosote produced. The lower the moisture content, the better and hotter your stove will burn. Keeping wood undercover for a year before use will drive off the excess moisture and produce the most heat, minimising the amount of creosote produced. Avoid burning fibre board, treated wood, stained wood, painted or wet wood. Hardwoods such as olive, almond, orange and lemon burn the hottest and last the longest. Softwoods such as pine are less dense so are faster burning, give off less heat and produce the most smoke. Softwoods (wood pallets, offcuts etc.) are great for kindling but should not be used as a main fuel. Temperature control Always burn a stove at the correct temperature. Never pack it full of wood and restrict the airflow to produce a long, slow burn. To burn a stove properly, a stove pipe thermometer is essential. The most common type is a magnetic clamp-on that is attached to the stove pipe above the stove. They are slower to react and not as accurate as probe types but they will tell you all you need to know to ensure the stove is operating at the correct temperature. Do not allow the wood to smoulder. If you don’t operate the stove at the correct temperature creosote will build up. Stove Pipe Thermometer For more information about wood burning stoves , please visit our main website or contact us directly. Contact Us Survey and Quotation Service TOTALLY FREE (No obligation to purchase) General Info Wood Stoves