UKC

UKC Collective - is it "safe" to burn treated wood in my logburner?

I have access to 4 used, ancient wooden electricity pylons. I'll have to chainsaw them into the correct length then split them.

As they're being used in a logburner, I'm not so worried about fumes in the house, but could the creosote in the wood cause problems in the flue, or inside the burner itself?

In reply to steve taylor:
A quick google suggest that it should not be burned in home stoves only in industrial furnaces. this could be for a couple of reasons, either that they reach higher temperatures, are better sealed from the user or are fitted with exhaust gas scrubbers.
If the stove is hot and burning fast I'd be tempted to throw the odd bit in on top of coal but I don't think I'd like to have the stuff burning slowly smoking away. Also, I don't think I'd want a pile of the stuff sat near the stove ready to go in.

In reply to steve taylor:
Aren't the old power poles usually treated with a mix of creosote and second hand engine oil? I'd have thought you want high temps and a good draft through in that case and no one down wind

In reply to steve taylor:
The problem I can see (part from the niff) is the tarry/sooty build-up that might accrue in your chimney.

Sx

In reply to Sarah G:
I base this on the experience of a childhood spent with open fires, and Dad used to chainsaw up old railway sleepers. Every few years, we would have a "chimney fire " but then, it never got swept in the meantime- the chimney fire burnt it all off. however, there is the risk that a fire within the chimney can damage the chimney itself/set fire to the house. years later, when Dad had a chimney fire, the local fireboys came and put out the fire below using garden soil. but the chimney bit was left to burn, but supervised to ensure the house was ok.

Sx

In reply to steve taylor:
apparently, the important thing to do if you have a chimney fire is not try and put it out with water. Rapid cooling of the chimney could result in cracking and the fire spreading to the roof space of the house. Not such an issue if you have a modern lined chimney but I doubt it would do it any good.

Creosote is actually derived from burning coal so should burn well enough if the stove and chimney is hot so that the smoke is moved quickly up the chimney without condensing on the chimney.
This is where a insulated lined chimney is really good.

In reply to steve taylor: burnt a telegraph pole after it blocked up the stream, no probs

In reply to dale1968:

Me too. Burned a couple, and sleepers. You will get a tarry whiff if your burner isn't 100% tight, but I quite liked it. I mixed it in with the other stuff, no problems

Could always turn them into charcoal outdoors first; that'd get rid of most of the nastiness

In reply to JohnnyW:

It's a couple of year's worth of wood, looking at it. Plus the poles are 20+ years old and only 200 metres from my house, so temptation is getting the better of me.

I might cut off a length at the weekend and see how it goes, but replace the rope around the door before I start.

In reply to steve taylor: I am burning treated telegraph poles with no problem. They are about 20- years old and the smoke is fine.

In reply to steve taylor: How many do you want? I work for the local "Leccy board" as a linesman and we struggle to get rid of them. We end up taking most of them back to the depot. Farmers have some, but then never use them, prefering to leave them where they lay, slowly rotting.

I used to burn them in our old house, even lit the fire with a Fire lighter and just pole bits. Never had a problem. One positive, not much ash in the grate. I'd say go for it.

One word of caution though. Some old poles have a silver foil wrapped around the bottom foot or so. These are "Cobrad" poles, done in the 60's Arsenic was injected into them to help stop them rotting. Don't burn this part of the pole.

In reply to steve taylor: I had a lot of decking and fencing off cuts a couple of years back. So decided after a bbq to get them on the chimnea in the garden. Me and a m8 who were sat right next to it felt funny for 3 days and the timber merchants said the stuff they were treated with contained arsenic. Probably not the case with your poles though.