Coalpail.com Forum

I just don't understand it. I'm burning white oak, dry and 6 years in the pole barn. I'm burning my boiler, that's in my basement, hot and the creosote is so bad it's like a thick runny tar. I took my pipe apart and it's clean and cheminey is clean. Been using creosote cleaning stuff and it's keeping it out of everything but the boiler firebox. I'm thinking that even though it's hot, when the water is brought back to the boiler, it cools down the firebox and creosote forms. I can't come up with any other reason how this is happening!! I have tons of wood that is cut and split that will sit till I figure it out. Starting with coal tonight. Any ideas???

You already figured it out. The boiler operates at a temperature below the condensation temperature of the wood gasses. They are creosote monsters and there isn't much you can do about it other than burn coal every night or all the time.

From past experience, the temperature in the firebox should be 450 degrees or hotter to keep creosote from forming. Creosote usually form when the temperature is 250 degrees or below. It is possible that the water is reducing the temperature in the firebox and thus the formation of the creosote. It would be best to run the stove hotter and not let it idle down with the fire smoldering. Hope this helps.

Sorry to say but sell the wood and buy coal problem solved, hotter fire, less work, and no creosote I feel theres to much idle time with wood(IE, smoldering fire= creosote) I don't burn wood anymore but from my experience low fire= not good!!

Ok I'm a little late to the party but Ottobody said it too!

Plus 1 to all the above. Hydronics absorbers a LOT of heat. You will never attain temps to overcome creosote in that boiler. Trust me I have run a wood boiler for 40 yrs & now smartened up to coal. The ONLY time I burn wood is in spring just before shutdown in order to coat the internal guts of the boiler with creosote to act as a preservative. Hope this helps.
Jim