Wood heat season reminder

[PineRidge]

If anyone here is getting ready to fire their woodstove up for the first time this season, I have a friendly "public service announcement" and reminder for you.

We started up our little stove in the basement last night, just to take the chill off. Things were great until the smell that we assumed was the dust burning off got worse. When we checked it out, we realized the basement was a little smoky.... Long story short, one of the kids had put a crayon in the air vent on top of the stove.

After airing the house out, and letting the fire burn out, dh had to take the top of the stove off to get down in there and clean up the melted wax, along with some fuzz that was stuck in it.

So everyone keep in mind that getting the stove ready is more than cleaning the chimney (today I'm checking out the big stove in the living room, lol)

[mwhit]

I've had that happen too. I always check everything now before I light the stove.

Michelle

[wendys_goats]

Got my cookstove cleaned and ready to burn last week. It finally decided to be fall instead of summer this week so I got a nice toasty fire going in it. Just gotta get the one in the livingroom cleaned before the big cold hits.

[booklover]

The chimney sweep will be here next week.

[Rae Jean]

It's a good idea. My unfortunate neighbors house burn down to the ground the other day.

[nehimama]

Thanks for the heads up. Had the stove & stovepipes cleaned out in August, well ahead of the heating season. Lit the first fire of the season last night, and it was lovely.

NeHi

[fordson major]

birds nests in the chimney is another over looked hazard!! been 37 years but still remember the smokey house and clambering up the roof too unplug the cap and clean the flue!! better to sweep too much than not enough.

[Peacock]

OH gosh, that's another thing to add to my long to-do list...the chimney sweep. I'd meant to do it last spring and forgot. I know it needs doing because of the way the stove was behaving toward the end of woodburning season. Thanks for the reminder.

[anniew]

I always clean the chimney at the beginning of the season, not the end, because between the end and the beginning of the next one, birds always find their way in and die in the chimney...yuk...plus you don't know what else you'll find in there...
But I also have to clean it every 3 weeks during burning season, as there are 2 90-degree turns, plus most of it is outside, and it cools fast, creating additional creosote.