A1Stoves.com is happy to help folks get their wood stove up and running. Below our trained professional, Ashley Winters, will show you how to replace the rope gasket on your wood stove. If you have any questions or need parts for your wood stove, please email us at info@A1stoves.com or call us 1-800-893-4950. We’ll be happy to help you find the right wood stove parts, pellet stove parts and gas stove parts.
Summer is winding down and now is the time to check your wood stove to make sure you aren’t caught in the cold! No matter what fuel your fireplace or stove uses, annual maintenance is necessary. When wood burning is your alternative fuel choice, there are certain common sense tasks that need to be completed. But even when burning natural gas or pellets there are necessary inspections and cleaning work that should be scheduled before the heat comes on.
The chimney on your wood stove or fireplace will need to be inspected and cleaned. Contact a certified, experienced professional to handle this for you. They will use up to date equipment and essential safety procedures to ensure a thorough job is done.
It’s important to remove the creosote build up from your chimney every year. Official stats record that there are over 25,000 chimney fires that break out annually due to creosote build up. A professional chimney sweep will have the knowledge, products and equipment to complete this job and create a safe environment in your home.
Some of the maintenance on your wood stove and fireplace can be done yourself. The more simple tasks involved are:
•vacuum ashes from the firebox
•clean the glass door using specialty fireplace glass cleaner
•check the doors for proper operation and seal
•inspect damper and ensure it is opening and closing properly
•source out a supply of clean, seasoned hardwood
•stack safely in a log rack the proper distance away from your home
Your chimney sweep may also perform the inspection on your fireplace or wood stove, including the flue, firebox and stove pipe, if applicable. If you’re in Nevada County give A1Stoves.com a call and schedule a chimney sweep, 1-800-893-4950. If you need chimney sweep tools please visit our web site by clicking HERE. If you’re looking for parts for your wood stove, please click HERE to see our full line of wood stove parts. If you have questions or need help with your wood stove, gas stove or pellet stove, email us at info@a1Stoves.com or call us, 1-800-893-4950 we’re happy to help you fix your stove!
Even though it’s summer it’s not too early to take a look at your pellet stove and make sure things are working properly. No one wants to be without heat when the cold is upon us! Take a few minutes to fire up that Pellet Stove and should you be experiencing any problems, perhaps the following pellet stove trouble shooting guide will come in handy.
WARNING: Disconnect the electrical cord prior to opening the sides of your stove or opening the exhaust system for any inspection, cleaning, maintenance or service work. NEVER perform any inspection, cleaning, maintenance or service on a HOT STOVE or when the cord is plugged in.
Check to see if the hopper is filled with pellets or if the burn pot is dirty. If one of these is not the issue, check to make sure there is a fuel feed or that the exhaust blower snap switch is working.
Use the set-up mode feature to reduce the feed rate of a stove that is overheating or starts and runs but then has unburned pellets in the burn pot.
Decrease the base feeding rate of the stove in setup mode once a stove is cool if the circulation blower seems to run on high often.
Turn off the stove if you smell smoke in the house. Check that the stove has a continuous supply of power since power loss can cause smoke in the home. Inspect the vent and clean if needed. Also check the vent system for leaks. Use high temperature sealant as recommended by the manufacturer to repair the leaks.
Increase the stove’s feed rate in the setup mode if the flame goes out at lower feed rates.
Contact the manufacturer for an air damper if you have short flame at high pellet feed rates if you have already checked that the feed rate is not too low and have high quality fuel.
Start checking the power source for the stove if there is no fuel feed. This is the simplest item to check so verify that the stove is plugged into an electrical outlet. Fill the hopper with pellets if there is still no fuel feed. If the lack of fuel feed problem persists, close the hopper lid if it is open and the burn chamber door.
Check the exhaust system and clean if you are unable to find the source of the no fuel feed problem. The exhaust blower may need lubrication and you should consult your stove’s manual on the instructions.
Test the auger motor, exhaust blower and vacuum switch for possible jams or failures. Replace these if you cannot find another reason for the fuel feed problem.
CAUTION: The electrical, auger and digital control components of your stove are not owner serviceable. Call your Authorized Dealer for proper diagnosis of problems and service for those components.
DEFINITIONS
ASH
Ash is a natural product of burning wood. As the amount of ash in the wood increases, the amount of ash left behind after burning high-ash wood pellets will increase. High quality pellets will produce less ash and fewer clinkers than lower quality pellets.
CLINKER
Clinkers are solid, glassy or porous accumulations of incombustible matter that may result from burning some types of wood pellets. Clinkers are formed at the bottom of the burn grate and, if left undisturbed, will build up and cut off combustion air. As clinkers grow, the fire becomes orange/brown and ‘lazy’. Pellets may build up in the burn grate, the firebox & window may become sooty, and exhaust gases may become smoky.
FINES
Fines are pieces of sawdust that were not properly formed or are the result of pellets breaking down during handling, transporting and storage. Fines adversely affect the operation and heat production of pellet appliances, and they greatly increase the requirements for general cleaning and maintenance. Fines cause pellets to feed more slowly, thus reducing the amount of heat produced at any given heat setting.
NOTE: It is much easier to remove fines from pellets before they are placed in the stove than it is to service your stove for a plugged hopper, jammed auger or plugged exhaust system. Pellets with excessive sawdust may be screened to remove most of the fines. Pellet screeners may be built or purchased from most pellet stove dealers.
One of the best ways to find competent Hearth Professionals is to check their credentials.
We have been in the stove, chimney and awning business for over 20 years. We are Master Hearth Professionals, certified by the National Fireplace Institute, the highest level of certification in the hearth industry. Only those who pass a rigorous examination covering important topics like safety and placement, venting requirements, and installation guidelines receive NFI Professional Certification. Only the cream of the crop become Master Hearth Professionals, specializing in all types of home heating stoves, Gas, Wood and Pellet Stoves.
Our highly trained professionals are only too happy to assist you with your Do It Yourself Stove repair, chimney installations, energy saving tips and correct part selection for your stove. That’s what we’re here for! We specialize in pellet stove parts, gas stove replacement parts and wood stove replacement parts.
We’re members of the National Chimney Sweep Guild and strictly hold to the NCSG’s Code of Ethics:
| I fully acknowledge that membership in the National Chimney Sweep Guild carries with it certain responsibilities and obligations. In this regard, I pledge: | ||
|
We take ”customer service” very seriously and invite you to examine those online who profess to have excellent customer service by checking their credentials. Don’t be fooled by a stove dealer on the internet who doesn’t have his Better Business Bureau information posted on their web site and/or in their place of business. The BBB has always encouraged companies to make advertising claims that are accurate, complete, and clear. At the same time, it is important that consumers pay attention to advertising. If something is not clear, ask questions. If you can’t get a customer service representative to answer your questions, chances are you’ll have a bad experience should you ever need to exchange the product.
Don’t be afraid to ask the dealer for customer references. Word of mouth and customer reviews are worth their weight in gold. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov .
We hope you will keep A1 Stoves and Awnings in mind for your home or business heating and awning needs. We look forward to serving you.
