The heating season is nearing an end, and it’s time to put our stoves to bed for the summer. A few items should be taken care of to ensure your stove fires up the first time you need it this fall. Most people leave their stoves until fall when they need them again. In my estimation, that is a mistake.

It is very important to empty your stove of all pellets from the hopper. They can attract moisture, swell up, and jam the auger so take time to run your stove out of fuel and vacuum up any fines left over. The ash residue can also attract moisture and may have corrosive qualities –particularly from burning corn, that  could rust and deteriorate the stove’s internal components, and shorten the working life of your stove.

As you are probably aware, cleanliness is next to godliness when it comes to pellet stoves. A full 80% of all our service calls require no parts – only a thorough cleaning of the stove and vent. Most owners’ manuals have a detailed list for cleaning your stove correctly. If you are not comfortable doing it yourself, your local dealer should be happy to do so. Often dealers have off-season cleaning specials to take advantage of. Along with better rates, the service technician isn’t pushed, can be even more thorough, and has the time to explain any operational questions you may have about your unit. He or she could also know of any fuel discounts for next heating season…again, off-season savings!

Once you have thoroughly swept out and vacuumed your furnace, lubricated the blower fan, and shut it down for the season you then need to sweep the chimney and inspect it. Don’t forget to make sure you have a screen or mesh on it, as birds, bats, and other furry friends will make a home and plug it up, thus making start up impossible in the fall. If you decide to do the work yourself, then right-click to download a copy of our Pellet Stove Annual Service Checklist here to help you make sure you don’t miss anything. If you are more interested in having someone do the work for you, then click here for a detailed list of our off-season specials

Now it’s time to turn my attention to a nice pork tenderloin slow-cooked on hickory pellets on my favourite pellet barbeque – a “Traegar”.