04/06/2013:
It’s raining. It appears that we are going to have a wet spring. This can bring a unique set of situations as we have warmer outside temperatures and rain. Wood stove owners can expect trouble with the stove drafting properly and draft works due to temperature difference between the inside of the home and the outside. This kind of condition can slow down the smoke in the chimney and let it turn back into a solid (the dreaded creosote). Try burning smaller hotter fires; this should minimize the back drafting.
Pellet stove owners will find they are getting down to the bottom of the pellet bag pile in the garage or storage shed. Watch for any bags that may have gotten wet over the year. If the bag looks swollen, or the pellets are not glossy and of uniform size and shape, better to use it in the garden as mulch than to put it in the stove, it WILL jamb the feed system. Also for pellet stove owners who have stopped burning. Wet seasons like this will cause the ash in your stove to become moist and it will compact. This needs to be removed before it dries and gets real solid. We can remove it at that point, but it’s a lot more work. Call now for an end of season cleaning and ask about our summer discount for pellet stove cleanings.
Gas stove owners will find their units cycling on an off more often. This can put strain on the control valve in the unit. You may want to turn the thermostat down a couple of degrees so the unit is not coming on and off so much. Watch for times when the unit should be burning but isn’t. If you find this, first confirm the pilot is on. If it is not, wait 5 minutes before you try to relight it. If the pilot is burning cycle the thermostat all the way down then all the way up, if the unit comes on, just set the thermostat where you want it, if not, give us a call.
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