Creosote problem in stovepipe

[RetiredTech]

   We burn wood in one of those aftermarket fireplaces. What I mean is it's not built out of brick and mortar. We have an three wall vent pipe that runs from the top of the unit up through the roof. I saw a question asked earlier if the logs you you can buy that are supposed to help clean out creosote work. I'd say they might help. We've been using them at the end of the season every year for over 20 years. So far we've never had a problem with creosote, but hat doesn't mean their actually doing anything. I check the pipe every year before the first fire. There's never been much of anything in the pipe. I did run my drill powered cleaner through it last year just to be sure. It's hard to see around in there. I didn't get much out at all. Our situation is probably much different from our northern neighbors. We don't get nearly as cold here as it does up north. If we have temps below freezing for more than a couple days in a row that's a major event for us. Wood is not currently our main source of heat. We probably burned a little over a chord of wood this past year. I still have a rack from 2 years ago.
  That said we also cut wood for my mother's house and my uncle's  house. The both have wood heaters. They don't use the creosote logs and we have to clean those pipes every year. They do burn wood as their main heat source so they use way more wood than we do.
  Do the logs work? Maybe, who knows? I would never trust in them without checking the pipe visually first. Until I see what I'm doing isn't working anymore I'll keep buying them. Once a year isn't that costly. 

[Firewoodjoe]

These newer stoves just don't shut down good. There not made for that. It's a hearthstone. There meant to burn and burn clean. It only has one draft. The little flipper that allows the flame to go up the glass to stay clean. It has a ash pan and ash door with grates I use when I start the fire. Shut that. Then it's kinda on its own. I learned quick not to "load it for night" cause she gets hot! The wood is about 5 years old. Should be as dry as our annual humidity will allow. Maybe it's not a fire like said. Maybe it's just the draft of the fire warming the system up. 

[doc henderson]

If you are worried, when you hear it go outside and see if flames and black smoke are coming out the top.  if so you had a chimney fire.  the more efficiently your wood burns in your stove, the less creosote you will have.  It is basically unburned carbon and volatile chemicals that condense in the water vapor and then collect on the flue wall sides and then the water evaporates out and leaves the solid.  It is flammable.