How to Clean my Stove ready for winter

The cold winter weather draws ever closer, perfect time to give your wood-burning stove a quick clean so that you are ready for the cold nights ahead. With this years amazing summer you probably haven’t been thinking about your stove but now the cold nights are here you will be ready to light it again. We have been told that its going to be a very cold winter which means that your little stove will be working hard to keep you warm. Before you have your stove working around the clock why not give it some TLC!

At Auldton Stoves we always recommend that our customers look after their stoves and get their chimney swept every year so that they can continue to enjoy them for many more winter seasons.
If this is your first winter using a wood-burning stove or you need a reminder on how to care for them, here are some quick tips on how to make sure your stove is ready for winter.

Clean your stove inside and out

The first thing to do is to clean up your stove. Cleaning the inside of the stove is easy, using a vacuum cleaner it is quick to get the soot or dust up and away. This means that your stove is starting the season empty allowing it to create a new bed of fresh ash. You can also use a small brush to reach all of the spaces the vacuum cleaner cant get, this is helpful as it makes sure all of the air controls are free allowing it to run efficiently. We would also recommend cleaning the stove’s glass. This is only to make your stove look tidy and presentable, nothing worse than a roaring fire at night with a black glass preventing you from seeing the flame! Once you have done this stand back and look at your stove, does it need a tart up with paint? After many hard working winters some customers want their stove to look new again so they respray their units with manufacturing paint. This really does give your stove a new lease of life. All paint and glass cleaner is available to buy in our showroom Call: 01560480002 for more information

Sweep your Chimney
This is incredibly important as if it is not cleaned it can increase the risk of chimney fires and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. We would recommend sweeping your chimney at least once a year, especially before the start of the winter season because you will start to us your stove more regularly. The warranty of our chimney liners are only valid if your get your chimney swept once a year. If you leave it to long then you could destroy your liner with build up of soot which is a costly replacement. It really is worth keeping on top of your sweeps. At Auldton Stoves we offer a Stove ‘Sweep & Service’ to our customers making sure that we are all safe and ready to go. Call: 01560480002 for more information.

Check the Moisture content of your firewood
Checking the condition of your wood is an important part of a pre-season clean as damp wood causes a greater build-up of soot in the chimney. This will make your stove’s glass dirty and also give you less heat output into the room so it is essential that you use well-seasoned logs to make sure you are getting the best from your stove. If you are concerned about your wood not being dry enough then buying a moisture meter would be the solution. This gives you a digital reading of how dry your wood is and if its ready to burn. Ideal if your not quite sure if the wood is ready. Wood should be below 20% moisture before being ready to burn. At Auldton Stoves we offer a wide range of kiln dried logs that can come in handy bags or bulk crates. This is fantastic hardwood that is ready to burn straight away. We also offer Moisture Meters that give accurate results every time Call: 01560480002 for more information. 

Check Everything is Working Correctly

Think of this like a stove MOT as it is important to check that your stove is functioning correctly, if this is not done then you could have trouble on first light up and do damage to your stove. Check to make sure your internal bricks and baffle are still in good condition. Remember to look at all the hinges and seals to ensure there isn’t any damage within the stove. If your seals are not tight then the stove will be sucking air through the seals which in turn will make it extremely difficult to control and you will find that you use a lot of fuel. One final check before your ready to go is to make sure that your Carbon Monoxide alarm is working, might even be worth fitting new battery’s to make sure they last the full winter, this is an important check as Carbon monoxide is a harmful gas that can lead to death. If you do not have a Carbon Monoxide Detector in the room then please contact us as its a legal requirement. If you notice anything wrong and you are not sure what to do then please do not hesitate to call for Office Support.

For any help or support please get in contact we are happy to help! Drop us a Line.