The Log Rack Preparing Your Wood Stove for Spring and Summer

Spring is here and the weather is warmer, now is the time to inspect and clean your wood burning stove. Starting from the top inspect your chimney cap if you have a screen mesh on the cap make sure it is in tact. If you don’t have a screen on the cap you might want to consider putting one on the cap to keep birds and insects from entering your chimney. Check your chimney for creosote, after a long hard winter’s burning it is time to clean your chimney. Thoroughly clean the chimney inspecting your chimney pipe and flue tiles. Take a good look at your black pipe, after a few years of burning the pipe will need to be replaced. Black chimney pipe will start to corrode from heat and creosote build up. By squeezing the sides of the pipe if it starts to feel soft then it needs to be replaced. Remove all ash from the wood stove firebox. You can use a shop vacuum with a micro filter. Inspect any moving parts inside your stove such as dampers and inside air controls. It is a good idea to oil these parts to prevent rust during the summer months. A light coating of oil will help to keep these parts moving. If any parts need to be replaced now is the time to order them from your local stove shop. It may take a while to get these parts in and you don’t want to wait till fall to replace them. Check the fiberglass gasket around the doors and window glass. The gasket is designed to keep your wood stove air tight. Use the dollar bill test. Open the door and place a dollar bill over the gasket and close the door. If you can pull out the dollar bill then it is no longer air tight and needs to be replaced. Worn out gaskets can allow carbon monoxide to leak into your home. If your wood stove has a firebrick lining inspect them for crumbling. If they are just cracked you don’t have to replace them. The firebricks sole purpose is to retain and radiate heat. If the firebricks have crumbled you may want to replace them. If your wood stove has a catalytic combustor you will want to remove and clean it. If you notice that it is crumbling it is time to replace it. A worn out catalytic combustor decreases the efficiency of your wood stove and puts more pollutants into the air. You might want to consider putting a fresh coat of paint on your wood stove. Make sure you use high temperature stove paint. Over the years the black paint lightens and turns grey. There are many designer colors available for wood stoves to match any décor. Now that you have thoroughly cleaned and inspected your wood stove you may want to consider putting a fireplace deodorant into the firebox. During the spring rains moisture will condense in your chimney and run down the pipe. This will bring the smoke and creosote smell into your home. The fireplace deodorant lasts a few months and will eliminate the smell.