We’ve talked about how important it is to choose the proper size fireplace or wood stove and why it’s essential to have that unit installed by a professional. But don’t forget the most important element of owning a fireplace or hearth product – regular maintenance.
Using a clean, properly operational fireplace, gas insert or wood stove is vital for the safety of your family. With the services of a certified chimney sweep you can ensure smoke and emissions have a clear path up and away from your living space. By having a qualified technician inspect your fireplace, you can be sure that all of the essential mechanisms and components are working well and that the hearth appliance is running at peak efficiency.
It pays to have a certified, experienced fireplace technician into your home every year. Your family will stay safe and enjoy the dependability of a wood burning insert, gas fireplace or wood stove all winter long. Fireplace Village has knowledgeable, trained and experienced staff on hand to perform fireplace maintenance. We are also professional chimney sweeps and can handle all aspects of maintenance for any of the models we sell. Trust the pros who know. Let Fireplace Village keep your family safe this heating season.
You’ve invested in an environmentally friendly pellet stove. Now keep your investment running in top shape with a scheduled annual maintenance visit, including these essential steps done by a trained professional:
• Empty ash traps
• Inspect and thoroughly clean all exhaust pipes and passages
• Clean out the hopper
• Inspect and clean out the fuel feeding system
• Reseal any leaks in the venting system
• Inspect and clean the heat exchanger
• Inspect, clean and lubricate fans and motors
• Check the setting on the pellet stove
• Inspect all mechanical and electrical components for wear
You can complete some of these steps yourself on a regular basis to cut down on dirt and ash buildup and reduce the cost of the annual maintenance visit. You can also schedule these visits more often if the stove is used frequently.
Keep your pellet stove running at peak performance and have a dependable source of eco friendly heat for your home. Be sure to schedule your annual maintenance visit.
Fireplace Village provides complete pellet stove cleaning and maintenance service and pellet venting and chimney cleaning services. Contact Fireplace Village to schedule your annual pellet stove safety cleaning. Fireplace Village is the largest and oldest full service fireplace and stove dealer in New England.
During your annual maintenance visit the technician will inspect all of the seals on your pellet stove or insert. If air is leaking into or out of the stove, it will be throwing the entire system off balance and could be ruining the high efficiency.
If the seals are faulty, they can be replaced by your technician. The door seal is also important and will need replacement over the years because of use and age of the materials.
There are even seals on your chimney that will be inspected during the maintenance to ensure that stormy weather won’t upset the air flow or introduce damage to the chimney or stove.
Fireplace Village provides pellet stove installation, repair, maintenance and cleaning service in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Pellet stoves and pellet ventilation should be inspected and cleaned annually to ensure safe and proper operation. Contact Fireplace Village today to schedule your annual pellet stove safety inspection and maintenance.
Air wash systems will keep your glass doors clear for a good length of time. While performing annual maintenance it’s important to have them cleaned thoroughly with a specially formulated cleaner to bring back an ultra clear shine.
Your pellet stove needs to be completely cooled down for this task to be done and the technician will bring the necessary tools and cleaning supplies to do so. If your pellet stove does not have an air wash system or the system is faulty, this clean up may be a little more extensive and difficult.
Viewing your fire through a clean and clear glass door is wonderful though and worth every penny that the annual maintenance costs.
Fireplace Village provides NFPA Level 1 Safety Inspection and Chimney Cleaning services for all pellet stoves and pellet fireplace inserts. Call 603-645-6263 or email us to schedule an appointment. Beat the fall rush and the fall prices.
Fireplace Village is the largest hearth retailer in New England. Fireplace Village provides installation, maintenance and repair service for most hearth appliances including complete gas appliance service. In addition, we provide safety inspection and chimney cleaning service.
Your pellet stove or insert will run efficiently and trouble-free for years with regular maintenance. Both inspections and cleaning are important. Read through the owner’s manual or ask at the retailer for a good idea of when cleaning should be done, but annually is a general guideline.
Hiring a professional to thoroughly clean your pellet stove or insert is money well spent. Their attention and care will ensure the appliance is running at peak performance.
Burn Pot
Although you may check your burn pot regularly, even daily with heavy use, a qualified technician will inspect the pot and clean it out well. Clinkers, ash and build up will be removed.
Heat Exchanger
The tubes of the heat exchanger are cleaned completely to ensure the air flow is uninterrupted. Some models use a rod to clean the inside of the tubes and others require a more extensive method. Your technician will know how to perform the maintenance on your specific model.
Vacuuming
Both the firebox and the hopper can be vacuumed out to cut down on dust and dirt going through the system. If possible, having the hopper emptied before a service call allows for a more thorough clean.
Blowers and Gaskets
The convection blower on your pellet stove will be properly cleaned and the gasket replaced during a maintenance call. The same service is applied to the combustion or exhaust blower – a cleaning and a gasket replacement.
Tempered Glass
Using the specialty high temperature glass cleaner, the glass on your pellet stone will be brought back to its original shine. You can pick up this product at fireplace retailers as well for spot cleaning and to reduce build up.
Air Intake Assembly
An inspection followed by a good cleaning will keep the system running well with adequate air intake.
Inspections and Checks
The technician will inspect your stove for proper pellet distribution and will also inspect the high and low limit switches. Maintenance includes trying the burner light and inspecting the height of the flame to ensure both are operating at safe and efficient levels. Also, the technician will note any accumulation of soot and any fly ash formation.
The exhaust housing in your fireplace insert will also be cleaned well during a complete service.
Lastly the technician will discuss how to operate your stove for peak performance and go over the maintenance requirements. You can feel free to ask any questions or discuss problems you’ve been experiencing.
The chimney and venting system of your pellet stove also needs servicing on a regular basis. Be sure to hire a qualified technician with plenty of service experience and knowledge of your stove manufacturer. Fireplace Village has professional staff on hand and offers full service to their customers, from the purchase to the install and well beyond with regular, annual inspections and cleaning.
We get it all the time at Fireplace Village: what type of pellets are the best? Hardwood? Or softwood?
When dealing with pellet fuel issues Fireplace Village consults with our friends at WoodPellets.com.
The answer is that it depends.
The debate starts with cordwood: in New England, most people prefer hardwood logs for wood stoves and fireplaces because they are denser, drier, and longer-burning. Softwood logs, on the other hand, burn hotter from the get-go, but they also burn up more quickly.
But all that changes when you turn different types of wood into wood pellets. When making a pellet, manufacturers dry sawdust or wood chips to a specific moisture level and then compress it to a certain density. In fact, across the board, regardless of the species of wood, pellets will test around 8,000 BTUs per pound at six percent moisture.
So what does that mean to you? It means that fuel quality is actually the most important thing when choosing your pellets. A consistent, well-tested, low-ash pellet will positively affect the burn of your fuel and the maintenance of your pellet stove. Wood pellets are categorized by their ash content – not by their species – from industrial grade to premium and super-premium grade.
So, when considering all the different variables that comprise an excellent wood pellet, the type of wood the manufacturers started with shouldn’t be the deciding factor! The good news is that many pellet mills send their products to independent labs for testing, and the results are often made available for your review. For example, WoodPellets.com sends all the pellets offered on their site to a third-party independent lab to be analyzed, and the results of such testing are posted on their website so consumers can compare important statistics like ash content and heat output.
To keep customers even more informed, the Pellet Fuels Institute is working with pellet mills and testing labs in its Standards and Quality Assurance Quality Control Program, helping to bring consistency to the fuel industry, according to the group’s web site.
It is certainly important to keep in mind that wood pellets come from different manufacturers, different places and different types of wood. But if you are armed with a bit of knowledge about how good wood pellets are made – and what makes it good in the first place – you and your family will be happier and warmer!
Fireplace Village performs a fully compliant National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Level 1 safety inspection and Chimney Cleaning for your wood or pellet stove, fireplace or insert and chimney.
$149 Wood; $199 Pellet
Beat the fall rush. Limited time offer.
Call our Chimney Cleaning appointment line at (603)645-6263 or email customercare@fireplacevillage.net to schedule an appointment.
*Does not include parts; surcharges apply in certain cases.
