When it comes to maintenance for your wood burning stove, cleaning the chimney is one of the most important tasks. This can help ensure your safety while using the stove, while also preventing a chimney fire. Spring is one of the best times of year for your chimney to be swept, but what do you need to know about spring chimney sweeping for wood burning stoves? And how can you tell if your chimney needs sweeping?
So, does my wood burning stove require chimney sweeping?
The short answer to this is yes! When burning wood in a stove, its important to have your chimney swept a couple of times a year. This can prevent serious chimney fires from starting, and spreading, and can help to protect your property and family. Anything from a birds nest to a creosote buildup on the inside of the chimney can be enough to ignite a dangerous fire.
Spring chimney sweeping for wood burning stoves
So, how frequently should your chimney be thoroughly swept? Well, in general twice a year is enough. You should opt for early autumn, before you begin using the wood burner more frequently, and sometime in early spring. However, if your chimney shows any signs that it does need to be swept during this time, please do so as soon as possible.
What are the signs my chimney needs sweeping?
We firmly believe that your chimney should be swept regularly, before it shows any signs or symptoms of needing to be swept. But these are the signs you will be looking for:
- Poor burning performance- if your wood burning stove is no longer burning logs as it used to, and this is not due to poor quality or wet wood, or changes in external temperature and pressure, then sweeping your chimney is a good idea.
- Falling soot- another indication that your chimney is in need of cleaning, is when soot falls back down into the wood burner or on the register plate.
For more information or advice, get in touch with the team today, here at JMS Wood Burning and Multi-Fuel Stoves.