Getting ready for the winter!

Winter is on its way I’m afraid and our wood burning stoves will soon be working again heating our homes to the maximum. The trouble is with our busy lifestyles we tend not to check what is important to us until it goes wrong or it’s too late.

Here are some extremely easy ways to ensure your stove is working too maximum efficiency.

Most important – door Seal

The stove door should fit tightly to keep the heat of the fire concentrated inside and not leaking. To check it you can lay a thin piece of paper across the door gasket lengthwise and then close the door with the paper still in it. If you can pull the paper out with a quick tug, your door is too loose, you will need to tighten the latch described in your manufacturer’s instruction manual.

If your gasket shows signs of wear or damage, you will need to replace it immediately. This one simple fix can save you a great deal of money over the winter months by reducing to amount of timber you will burn.

Check your wood supply.

Packing a wood stove fully and efficiently requires wood pieces that come in varied sizes and a minimum of two years maturity. Check your stock now to ensure it hasn’t got damp over the summer months. It is much easier to dry it now than it will be in a couple of months’ time!!

Check the Interior of the Stove for warping.

Some warping of the metal in a wood-burning unit is to be expected, and it will often have no effect on the overall operation of the stove. But if the internal steel parts of a wood stove become warped, that can cause the unit to perform below specification. If you are unsure get your stove serviced and checked professionally, engineers will soon be very busy so book an appointment sooner rather than later.

Need some help?

If you require assistance with your existing stove or thinking of installing a new appliance please do contact us. Our qualified (HETAS registered) fitters are here to help.