Wood Stove Safety Tips For West Chester Residents
Wood-burning stoves are a great way to heat your home in the wintertime. They produce a great amount of heat and give off that sweet smell of burning wood. It’s important to make sure that you are keeping your family and home safe with these wood stove safety tips that we’ve gathered below.
- Proper Ventilation: As many as 90% of house fires caused by wood-burning stoves occur from poor ventilation. That should be reason enough to take your venting system seriously when it comes to safety precautions. In order to make sure that your wood-burning stove is properly ventilated, it should be as short as can be with no more than two right-angle elbows. The stovepipe, (which goes from the stove itself to the chimney), should never be placed in an interior area. It should go into a masonry that is lined or a UL-listed, factory-built chimney.
- Use The Right Fuel: The best types of wood for wood stoves are hardwoods such as maple, ash, hickory, and oak. Believe it or not, they should be dried out for at least a year before use. We recommend storing wood in a clean, dry shed to ensure that it’s ready to use when you want to start your fire.
- Make Sure You Have It Cleaned Regularly: Getting your wood stove cleaned on a regular basis is key. Wire brushes work great to clean the stovepipe and chimney. Once in a while, it’s good to put on a controlled fire that is at a high temperature. Cleaning your stove should be done at least once a year.
- Watch Out For Creosote Buildup: Sometimes a slow-burning fire that only reaches a temperature in the 100-200 degree Fahrenheit range can create creosote, which is a combustible gas. Signs of creosote buildup include a sticky liquid, a black deposit that is flakey, or a hard tar that is glazed. When this hard tar is created, you definitely need to hire a Chimney Cricket sweeper to professionally remove this substance from your wood stove!
Wood Stove Sweeping Services
Did you know that wood stoves need to be swept just like fireplaces? That’s correct! Similar to a flue in a fireplace, it’s important to have an annual service by Chimney Cricket to ensure that your wood stove has proper ventilation among other things. While wood stoves serve many positive purposes such as great fires and heat, they tend to be “sootier” than a regular fireplace. Annual sweeps by Chimney Cricket will ensure that your West Chester home is safe for wintertime. We’ll sweep the flue and stove smoke shelf and then perform a safety inspection of the fire bricks, baffle, damper, air flow controllers, connector pipes, and flue.
Looking For Wood Stove Services In West Chester?
If you’re searching for “wood stove services nearby”, look no further than your friends at Chimney Cricket! Our team of seasoned professionals is trained to properly service your wood stove so that you can use it for many years to come.
