Can we talk about how much faster creosote builds up in oil burners versus wood?

I been sweeping for about 8 years now, mostly wood stoves, but took on a oil furnace job last month. The difference in the amount of soot and glazed creosote was night and day. The oil unit had maybe 6 months of use and the flue was packed with a hard, shiny layer almost a quarter inch thick. A wood stove with that same timeframe usually gives me a lot less buildup, mostly fluffy stuff. Is this just a normal thing with oil, or did this homeowner have a bad tune on their burner? I'm wondering if I need to charge more for oil jobs going forward.

3 comments

3 Comments

riley_wood841mo ago

That hard glaze is something else, man. I had a oil furnace job last month where the flue was so caked I had to go back with a second round of heavy-duty chems. The homeowner swore it was tuned up six months prior, but that buildup told a different story. @jakejones is right about it being a beast, I burnt through a brush head on that one. Question for you though - did you notice any difference in the fly ash versus the stuff that's actually stuck on the walls? Because I'm wondering if the temp of the flue gases plays a bigger role than the tune itself. I'm leaning toward bumping my oil rates by at least 20 percent, but I want to nail down the cause before I commit to it.

jakejones1mo agoMost Upvoted

Started running into the same thing when I picked up a few oil accounts last year... that hard glaze is a beast compared to wood stove fluff. Ended up charging 25 percent more for oil cleanouts because I'm burning through extra brushes and chems on every job. A bad tune can make it way worse too, so I'd check their burner settings before you settle on a price.

fiona_west211mo agoTop Commenter

“That hard glaze is a beast” is putting it lightly. I see that shiny stuff on oil jobs way more than wood, it’s like concrete. Bad burner settings definitely make it worse so you gotta charge more to cover the extra work.