​Creosote is a highly flammable tar-like substance that can easily start a chimney fire if it is not removed!

Creosote Removal

Creosote and soot build-up in your chimney can be a fire hazard if your flue is not properly cleaned and maintained. 
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Creosote is a natural by-product of burning wood and its associated products; it can be defined as a combustible deposit which originates from condensed wood smoke. It includes tar vapours and other organic compounds. Tar droplets make up a major component of the smoke from smouldering wood.  These compounds are always present when the combustion process of wood is incomplete.
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There are three stages or degrees of creosote.

Stage 1 creosote is a fine black powder or dust.
Stage 2 creosote becomes a more rock-like formation.
Stage 3 creosote is like tar. It is sticky and viscous before hardening and having a glaze-like appearance. It is a highly concentrated fuel which hardens and can form a thick layer. As such it can easily catch fire resulting in a potentially devastating chimney fire. 

All three stages of creosote are combustible, but the longer you wait to have it cleaned, the greater your chance of a chimney fire.

Third degree creosote cannot be removed by conventional sweeping using a brush. It must be chemically treated.
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Third degree creosote is usually the result of one or more of the following:
  • Incomplete combustion
  • The chimney is not insulated or is cold 
  • Burning unseasoned wood 
  • Insufficient ventilation for the appliance
  • An oversized flue for the appliance

How do we treat this?
We use a treatment called Cre-Away to deal with the third degree creosote.

Cre-Away is a four-component powder that safely and effectively modifies glazed or third-degree creosote.​

Once applied the Cre-Away will  react with the creosote and chemically modify it, changing it to a substance that can more easily be removed.

So how does this treatment work?
First, a reactive agent neutralizes the slightly acidic creosote making it less corrosive to metal components and less flammable.
Second, a dehydrator absorbs the oils and moisture contained in some forms of creosote. A combustion inhibitor helps to reduce the chance of a chimney fire.
Finally, a magnesium catalyst helps break down the third degree creosote when the flue is heated during normal use.

The net effect is that the creosote is converted to a more brittle state that has different expansion and contraction rates than the flue to which it is attached, as a result of the heating and cooling cycles it becomes loose and begins to detach from the flue at which point and can be removed.