Wood Fireplace Care & Maintenance

Care And Maintenance: This unit is designed to operate for many years with minimum maintenance required. Keeping the unit in a neat and clean condition will extend the lifespan of the unit.

Ash

Ash can be cleaned by scooping up loose ash inside the unit, or by brushing ash through the grate into the ash pan.

NOTE: Always remember to replace the ash pan after cleaning. The unit should never be operated without the ash-pan in place.

For thorough cleaning from time to time, all ashes can be vacuumed out, and the inside can be wiped down with a soft, moist cloth. The inside can be touched in with heat-resistant paint.

Always ensure that the unit is dry after cleaning. Excessive moistened areas, or areas where water may have collected, must be avoided at all times to limit the possibility for corrosion. If necessary, light a fire in the unit, so that it can heat up and all moisture can be driven away.

All exposed surfaces should be inspected for corrosion at regular intervals. In coastal areas inspections should be more often. Such intervals should never be longer than one year.

All corrosion must be repaired immediately, by sanding down the corroded areas and touching up with heat-resistant paint.

NOTE: All flue pipes and components that are exposed outdoors should be painted with heat-resistant enamel paint.

The inside of the unit

It is recommended that the inside of the unit be touched up after each winter season.

Clean out all ashes using a vacuum cleaner for the finer dust. Wipe the inside using a soft, moist cloth.

Properly dry the inside completely. All exposed metal surfaces can now be touched up with heat-resistant paint.

Chimney

The amount of soot, creosote and even condensed water vapours that collect inside the flue pipe will vary depending on many factors, including weather conditions, type of wood and the method of operation.

Conditions can occur that would cause these deposits to ignite and to cause a “chimney fire”. This should be avoided so it is therefore important to maintain a clean flue pipe.

It is recommended that the chimney be checked or swept annually.