[AT] OT - Old Chimney Question

[Rob Gray]

I apologize for the off-topic post but I figure some folks on here might 
have some good advice (and this is rural related in that it involves the 
burning of firewood and I also use my old tractor to drag the felled 
trees with)... ;)

My house has a main chimney primarily used for the first floor 
fireplace. This big old fireplace was originally used for cooking when 
the house was built. This chimney is the old, non-lined, wide-open type 
and it has a stove pipe that accesses it on the second floor. The 
chimney has a large flag stone on the top to keep rain out. The second 
floor stove pipe just sticks out a few inches into the chimney. I have a 
woodstove connected to that second floor pipe. My concern is that this 
woodstove is exhausing into a large chimney and this creates a lot of 
creosote. I have read that having woodstove smoke output into a large 
chimney can cause creosote buildup since the smoke hits the walls of the 
relatively cold chimney and leaves a lot of creosote.When I stand in the 
fireplace and shine a flashlight up the chimney I can see shiny creosote 
on the walls of the chimney starting just above the stove pipe.  How 
concerned would you be with this situation? Is this an acceptable way to 
use this stove as long as I regularly clean the chimney with  my 
extension brushes? I'm leery of a chimney fire.....

Any advice would be appreciated.

Rob
NE PA