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How to Maintain a Wood Burning Stove
Top Tips to Maintain Your Stove This Winter
A wood burning or multi fuel stove is a great investment for your home. Like anything else, for it to stand the test of time, it needs to be maintained and cleaned to work efficiently. Arada are here to share their essential tips to get the most out of your stove
Sweep the chimney
Start by ensuring your chimney and flue pipe are clear. Having your stove professionally swept and serviced is vital to ensure a safe and efficient burn throughout the winter months, as it will prevent the build-up of soot which can cause fires - so organise to have this done at least once a year.
Get cleaning
Both the interior and exterior of your stove need to be cleaned. As a stove is often the focal point of a living room, keep it looking its best by brushing it down with a shoe brush or wiping it with a lint-free cloth – and avoid using water. For the inside, clear the ash if it starts to pile up but leave a small amount to the side as this is useful for cleaning the door glass. Simply dip a damp cloth into the ash and gently clean the glass with it. For any remaining ash, it can simply be vacuumed up.
Check your stove components
From the door rope to the seals, these components can suffer wear and tear over time, so to ensure maximum performance, check each of these parts ahead and after the winter months to make sure they are working correctly. If you have a broken or split seal for example it can affect the quality of the burn, so check it with the paper test. Simply fold a sheet of A4 paper in half and close the door against the paper. If the paper falls out, your seal will potentially need replacing.
Gather and burn the right fuel
Burning the correct fuel is essential for your stove to work efficiently and safely. Burning unseasoned, wet wood can be harmful and damaging to your stove and flue, so instead, choose seasonal wood that is properly dried. You can do this by purchasing from a reputable supplier and looking out for the ‘Ready to Burn’ logo on smaller pre-packed bags of wood. Burning seasoned wood is not only safer, but it burns better meaning you will use fewer logs but get the same amount of heat.