Fireplace question

[Dustinl]

Sometimes I wonder about my own sanity and intellegence.

I am in the process of cutting our Christmas tree up in to tiny pieces and am burning it little by little in out fireplace. Should I not burn evergreen? The needles burn real fast and the flame gets real hot for a few seconds. I'm worried about our flue catching on fire (double walled pipe in our case). Any insight?



DL

 

[82R100]

That's pretty messy, soft wood for a fireplace.

One tree's worth probably won't leave much buildup but you wouldn't want to heat your home with the stuff.

- Chris

 

[Dennis]

I wouldn't worry about it. Pine burns fast and hot - your flue should be fine, assuming you don't have 20 years of buildup on it.

 

[Bobtrumpet]

You might want to mix it in with some hardwoods and take a few burnings to get rid of it.

 

[tlanning]

If your flue has never been cleaned it could be trouble not to mention what the tree's sap your burning is going to do to the inside. I've always stayed away from pine but it could be ok.

 

[Austin]

If your flue has never been cleaned it could be trouble not to mention what the tree's sap your burning is going to do to the inside. I've always stayed away from pine but it could be ok.

Agreed. I would not burn pine.

 

[Dustinl]

I have stopped burning it at this point. I burned about a third of it thrown on top of some live oak that I already had burning. I'll take the rest out back tomorrow and torch it.

Austin, are you guys getting snow? I have some friends in Boerne that just said it was snowing down there.


DL

 

[_JP_]

A regular feeding of pine in the fireplace can cause rapid buildup of creosote in the chimney, which is never a good thing. It's the tar in the pine that is the problem. I single Christmas tree in a chimney that gets regular cleaning won't be a problem.

 

[tclevela]

What most of us are trying to say is "When was the last time your chimney was professionally cleaned"?

There is a reason that the job category of "Chimney Sweep" still exists in this day and age. Not only can they clean you chimney but the better people can offer advice about the current physical condition of your chimney and flue.

Did the people you bought your house from every properly clean out the chimney? Just asking!

 

[SRock]

What most of us are trying to say is "When was the last time your chimney was professionally cleaned"?

This really would be the determining factor for me as well. I wouldn't burn pine on a regular basis (certainly not with all of the needles intact) but once probably won't hurt in a properly cleaned chimney.

 

[Duke of the Deck]

The tar could create a problem. It isn't worth taking a chance on a chimney fire.