Maintenance
It is important to ensure that your stove is serviced by a qualified person in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.
This will generally be at least annually but ranging up to every four months dependent upon fuel used and regularity of use. There are also things you can do yourself to maintain a healthy stove.
The key aspects of maintaining a stove
Regular cleaning
Simple jobs which can be carried out by yourself.
Chimney sweeping
Ideally by a qualified chimney sweep.
Fuel choice
Cleaner burning fuels result in less maintenance.
Regular maintinance
Although the larger jobs such as sweeping your chimney are best left to the professionals, many aspects of maintaining your stove are easily completed by yourself and are recommended to be regularly completed.
Maintaining your stove means that you will be burning more cleanly causing less damage to the environment, lower repair bills and reducing the risk of harming the health of those in your household thorough excess particulate matter, harmful gases and fire.
Why it’s so important to have your chimney swept
Protect your insurance warranty
If you don’t have a certificate to prove your chimney’s been swept, insurers may not pay out!
Registered sweeps can issue this certificate for your records.
Reduce risk of chimney fires
When a chimney is left unswept, the tar can build up inside. This tar setting alight is the cause of a chimney fire.
The build up can also stop the chimney from performing it’s function of channelling harmful gasses out of your home.
Reduce risk of Carbon Monoxide poisoning
The build up can also stop the chimney from performing it’s function of channelling harmful gasses out of your home.
One of the most harmful of these gasses is Carbon Monoxide, but the smoke will also contain other harmful articles such as small particulate matter.
Hire a chimney sweep
Prevent harmful substances from entering your home
It is incredibly important to make sure that your chimney is professionally swept. As a result of burning, creosote can build up in the chimney, this can lead to a chimney fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you were to encounter these problems and do not have a certificate to prove that your chimney has been swept then your home insurers could refuse to payout!
Why should I use a registered chimney sweep?
Ventilation requirements
Integrity of the flue—including the build up of tar.
Integrity of termination cowling
Warning : Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Open all windows,
Leave the building,
Seek medical advice.
Medical symptoms include nausea, headaches, dizziness or loss of consciousness. Many of these are easily ignored so it is important to be checked by a doctor.
Importance of a Carbon Monoxide alarm
All stoves when properly installed should have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector installed on the ceiling of the room which houses the stove and should be within 1 to 3 meters of the appliance.
If you do not have a CO detector near to your stove then we recommend retrofitting one. These detectors can be purchased from hardware stores and supermarkets and are highly affordable with the average monitor costing between £10-15.
Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, by ensuring that you have a functional CO alarm, you are safeguarding your family and hosuehold.