Tried a new creosote log and ended up with smoke everywhere

Picked up one of those Anti-Creo logs from the hardware store last week to clean out my chimney before the busy season hits. Lit it up and smoke started pouring back into the living room instead of going up the flue like normal. Did I just get a bad log or is there something wrong with my draft?

3 comments

3 Comments

james_kim24d ago

Lit one up at my buddy Dave's place last fall. Same thing happened smoke just rolled back into his living room like a fog machine. Turned out his flue was partially blocked by a bird nest that fell down during a storm. Had to get a chimney sweep out to clear it all out. The log itself worked fine after that but man that was a mess.

stella_baker24d ago

Read an article saying creosote buildup can cause that too.

amy15424d ago

See it a little different on this one. I've burned those cleaning logs for years and creosote buildup is usually more of a slow thing, not an instant smoke bomb. Could be a draft issue or something blocking the flue like James mentioned. Just my two cents, but I'd check for obstructions before blaming the log itself.