As the seasons change and the weather gets warmer, the time comes around again to put away the heavy jackets, warm shoes and clothes, and place those heavy blankets back in storage. It is also the time when your heater is used less and less with its periods is disuse becoming longer and longer. This, however, does not mean that it is now time to turn your heater off and forget about it until winter comes around again. The springtime presents the ideal opportunity to service your heater.
Springtime service for your heater is the ideal scenario for all those who perform reoccurring maintenance tasks. Other benefits of servicing your heater in the spring are:
Having It Thoroughly Cleaned
As you continued to light fires throughout the winter, there was an accumulation of smoke and a by-product known as creosote in the chimney or flue. Cleaning the chimney clears it of all the unwanted dirt and debris so that it is safe for use at any given time.
In addition to a clean chimney, this is also the time to clean the face of the heater. While it may not be in use, the heater still remains in the room, and its presence cannot simply be ignored. Having a heater that is dirty and dusty is not an ideal look and can change the feeling of the room as a whole. To prevent this occurrence, ensure that you have cleaned the entirety of the heater. Do not neglect to sweep or vacuum away any remaining ash. You are advised against using water to mop up the inside of your heater.
Performing Safety Inspections
Your wood heater is prone to causing fires if left unmaintained and uninspected. Safety inspections entail the search for dirt and debris within the flue and chimney and clearing them away should they be present. Certify that any and all traces of creosote have been thoroughly cleared away to prevent future accidents. Check the structure of the heater as well. The seals on the door should be intact and the flue in good condition.
Routine Maintenance
Routine maintenance of your heater makes certain that it continues to run at high levels and that you do not lose any efficiency. Heaters that exhibit lower efficiency levels by producing less heat per log than normal tend to become more expensive to run which could see your utility bills rising significantly, making it more costly to run the home overall.
A part of routine maintenance is cleaning the more internal parts of the heater. These include the roofing area where people are most likely to ignore. All that must be done in this instance is to make use of a stiff wire brush, or a vacuum cleaner if you so prefer, to brush away any dust and soot.
Springtime service for your heater is vital in keeping away harmful elements like condensation, which may form in times of warmer temperatures and mix with the creosote, turning it into a corrosive substance that is able to cause extensive damage to the heater.
Consistent care and careful implementation of service requirements in the spring, especially after periods of heavy use in the winter months, is the key to keeping your heater working properly and effectively for a long time to come.
