This stove, and the chimney too, have been used all winter to provide warmth to the entire home.  It has provided dependable service and now it is time to service the stove.  Does your stove look like this?  If so, it too needs to be cleaned.

A simple chimney and stove cleaning will take about an hour.  To begin, tarps are laid to protect your home from ash and soot.  In addition, a special vacuum that is approved for live coals is used to prevent dust from spreading into the room.  A household vacuum cleaner could catch on fire!  The internal baffles and insulation are removed from the wood burning stove, allowing complete inspection and cleaning of both the stove and chimney. * (Stoves vary by manufacturer and are set up differently inside.)

Once the bottom of the chimney is clear so that debris will not be trapped inside the wood stove, the roof work can be done.  The cap is removed and creosote is scrubbed from the inside of the chimney.  Then the chimney cap is put back in place and the cap screen is cleaned.  If it is worn or too weathered, it will be replaced.

When the roof work is done, a pile of creosote (the black substance on top of the ash that looks like coal) will drop into the wood stove.  Removing the ash and soot is just a small part of the job. Creosote is scraped from the inside of the doors. Glass is cleaned.  Gaskets are inspected and replaced if they are worn.  New insulation is usually put in place and the baffles are put back into the wood stove. 

The end result of the cleaning is a wood stove and chimney that are not only clean, but are safe to use.  Call for your appointment long before the temperature drops and ensure that your wood heating system is ready for use on that first cold night of the fall.

The hearthstone stove being cleaned on this page was delivered and installed by Randy Morse of Chim-Kleen.  It was purchased from Steve Jaquet at Fackler Country Gardens 800-637-8683.  The homeowner prepared the stove site and built the hearth.