October is ideal for stove maintenance, wood stockpiling
The Northeast Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association issued a pre-winter alert urging households in the New England and New York region to prepare now for the wood-burning season.
Long-range forecasts call for a severe winter in the Northeast, with lower than average temperatures predicted as well as a potentially major blizzard in February. Over 300,000 homeowners in the Northeast use wood as their primary heating source, with countless others using it as a secondary heating source.
Pre-winter equipment maintenance and cleaning, equipment testing and safety inspections, and stockpiling adequate firewood and wood pellet fuel are critical steps in being prepared for a winter of heavy wood-burning stove or hearth use. Only licensed professionals should perform this work. A comprehensive directory of licensed and verified professionals for wood-burning appliance maintenance is available from NEHPBA.
“Our member retailers and service providers are the most experienced industry professionals in the U.S., and every one of them will say a comprehensive pre-winter routine is critical to safely and efficiently burning wood fuel,” said Joel Etter, president of NEHPBA and senior wholesale account manager for Hearth & Home Technologies. “October is an ideal time to conduct this routine, and we are advising families and households all over the Northeast how to do this effectively.”
A good checklist for pre-winter inspection and maintenance on wood-burning stoves includes steps such as:
Disassemble and closely inspect all stove pipe sections.
Empty all soot and debris from interior of pipe sections.
Inspect for creosote build-up and use wire brush tool to remove.
Clean out firebox completely.
Clean glass window on door and inspect closely for cracks.
Clean out ash drawer.
