I've got a Buck insert in our downstairs fireplace. Cranks out a ton of heat. A few years ago I added an external blower and ducting to bring heat upstairs. Huge difference. Used to be mostly just the upstairs floors that were warm, but we got it to where we could overheat the house in the coldest weather.
Had central HVAC installed a couple of years ago and haven't used the buck stove since except for during a long-term power outage and then I only used it a couple of days until I got a generator. Ran the buck stove blowers and a few lights off an inverter I had connected to my truck, which just stayed outside idling the whole time.
Do-it-yourself Chimney sweep. Just burn this log in your fireplace or woodburning stove. Clean your chimney or woodstove the easy way. Professional results the safe and easy way. Reduces creosote and tar. As seen on tv.
How it works
The chimney sweeping log burns for approximately 90 minutes, during which it heats the tar on your chimney wall to an ideal treatment temperature. The smoke from CSL is charged with minerals, which are deposited onto the creosote over a several hour period. During the next 15 days, the CSL treatment will continue to work and the creosote will gradually become brittle and break away from your chimney walls. The particles will either fall back into your fireplace or be lifted away during your next fire. Any deposits that remain, will be rendered less flammable.
Rick... "The cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." -Oscar Wilde,
Opp'ssss The facts about them there logs.......Chimney Sweeping Log Position Paper
CHIMNEY SAFETY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA: The National Fire Protection Association recommends that all chimneys be inspected annually with cleaning, maintenance, and repairs performed on an as needed basis. The Chimney Safety Institute of America is concerned about widespread advertising and promotional claims for the Chimney Sweeping Log™, which state or imply that this product is a safe and effective alternative to these long-established and accepted safety procedures.
As an educational organization dedicated to consumer safety and fire prevention, we provide below a list of these advertising and promotional claims, along with the facts that place them in the appropriate context:
CLAIM: Smoke from the burning Chimney Sweeping Log™ causes accumulated creosote to become brittle and flake off during subsequent fires, thereby falling harmlessly into the firebox, where it can be easily removed.
FACT: While the claimed chemical reaction and resulting flaking of the creosote may occur, the fact is that many chimneys do not provide a straight path from the flue to the firebox or from the firebox to the outside. Accordingly, falling creosote actually may land and accumulate on a curvature, smoke shelf, baffle, catalytic combustor, or offset, and, if not removed, may lead to a blockage and resulting fire and carbon monoxide hazards.
CLAIM: The Chimney Sweeping Log™ has been tested and proved effective for all types of chimneys and fireplaces.
FACT: The OMNI testing laboratory, which conducted the study of the product that is cited on the manufacturer's Web site, tested the product in a single wood stove. CSIA is not aware of any independent laboratory studies that have tested the effectiveness and/or safety of the product in the many other chimney applications, such as pre-fabricated fireplaces, pellet stoves, masonry fireplaces, wood or pellet fireplace inserts, or a combination wood/oil boiler.
FACT: OMNI measured the effect of the product only on the lowest connector/chimney pipe on the wood burning stove (i.e., the portion closest to the fire). This is the portion of the chimney that would naturally heat and dry creosote deposits during normal stove operation, thereby likely causing some portion of the creosote to flake off, even without the use of any specialized product. It is important to note that OMNI did not use a control - a similar stove burning conventional fuel -- making it impossible to compare the effectiveness of the Chimney Sweeping Log™ with the effectiveness of burning any other type of fuel.
CLAIM: The Chimney Sweeping Log™ cleans chimneys as well as, or better than, mechanical or brush sweeping.
FACT: Even if the product fully performs to the level claimed in its promotional materials, it only will reduce the thickness of the creosote deposit; it will not remove it altogether. At best, this will result in only a partial chimney cleaning. It is important to note that, in testing the product's performance, OMNI Laboratories used a wire brush to remove all of the creosote from the chimney surface so that it could be weighed and compared.
Mechanical brushes and other tools are designed to clean the entire chimney, including hard-to-reach places inside the chimney itself. During the process of mechanically removing creosote from the chimney, the professional chimney sweep is charged with the responsibility of removing as much of the creosote and other debris as possible throughout the chimney system. A professional sweep can also study both the internal and external portions of the chimney with sophisticated equipment, and diagnose any obstructions or structural problems with the chimney.
CLAIM: The Chimney Sweeping Log™ has been tested and certified by Underwriters Laboratories.
FACT: Underwriters Laboratories has neither tested, nor certified the product for its effectiveness at cleaning chimneys. Rather, UL tested and certified compliance with the existing safety standard for manufactured logs, which requires that the heat released when the product burns remain within a stated range.
At CSIA, we believe that there are three elements necessary to ensure a safe and properly functioning chimney:
1. A complete chimney inspection by a qualified professional;
2. Performance of necessary chimney repairs by a qualified professional; and
3. The mechanical sweeping of the chimney and the removal of creosote and other potentially hazardous material by a professional chimney sweep.
For more information about chimney safety or to respond to this bulletin, call Greg Williamson CSIA executive Director at (317) 837-5362 or visit www.csia.org. CSIA is a non-profit, educational organization focused on the prevention of chimney and venting hazards. http://www.csia.org/csl-position-paper.htm
Rick... "The cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." -Oscar Wilde,
Welcome to the board usuck ani knowit. Like Bob, I have a Buck insert in my fireplace downstairs. I am interested in the ' gravity vents ' that you mentioned. Is this a special product or are you referring to installing some vents from the downstairs to upstairs to allow the heat to travel?
I have a mid-entry home and I keep the ceiling fan over the entry on rev / low to help move the heat but that only helps some. Being a ranch style layout, the heat still doesn't make it down the hall to the sleeping areas.
I have tried setting the furnace to the fan only settings and that works when the wood burner is working at the max, but when it is cooling down ( over night and mid-day ) it just moves the cooler air and that setting prevents the gas furnace from kicking on.
When I built the house, I used floor trusses with a 16 inch area between the top floor and the lower ceiling. I have considered putting a duct in the ceiling of the fireplace room and running the duct to the area upstairs that need the heat. This would be a distance of about 40 feet. I don't know if the heat would naturally travel that far or not. If not I would assume there might be some sort of fan I could add inside the duct. If anybody could answer any of these questions, I would appreciate it. Also, would it be better to locate a fan near the heat source and push the air, or near the colder end , and pull the air.
Sorry for getting so windy. Again ~ Welcome to the board, have a good one ~ shao
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