Why does nobody talk about creosote buildup in zero-clearance fireplaces

I was at a job in Austin last Tuesday on a brand new zero-clearance unit, maybe 2 years old. Pulled the baffle and found almost a half inch of creosote crusted on the top. Owner said they burned only seasoned oak and never had issues. I had to break out the rotary tool with a wire cup to even get to the refractory panels. Has anyone else ran into this on newer prefab units?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_logan15d ago

Disagree completely since modern units are designed to burn cleaner and creosote is overblown by chimney sweeps trying to scare people.

rodriguez.diana15d ago

@the_logan must have never scraped a half inch of crud off a baffle before.

gray615d ago

Is it really that big of a deal though? I mean yeah creosote buildup is a thing but a lot of people act like one missed cleaning and your house is gonna burn down. Modern wood stoves and inserts are way better than the old leaky stoves everyone used to have. I know a few guys who burn all winter and barely clean their pipes and they're fine. Maybe it's just one of those things that gets blown out of proportion to sell services.