Maintaining Your Log Burner

Throughout winter our log burners take a beating. We fire them up every day to warm up the house when it's looking a little miserable outside. So how do we keep them in their best working condition? With 25 years of supplying Hardwood, Softwood, Kindling and Kiln Dried logs under our belt, we’ve earned plenty of experience in this matter. Therefore, in our latest blog, we’re going to share our advice. 

Use The Right Fuel

Before thinking about regular maintenance, ensure that you are using the best quality fuel in your burner. Poor quality fuels, or damp woods can cause damage to your burner and will increase the downtime for either cleaning our or repairs. 

Before filling your log burner, ensure that your wood is as dry as possible. However, if you don’t have the luxury, space or time to fully dry your logs, we also offer a variety of kiln dried hardwood and softwood logs. This rule also applies to any kindling that you’re applying to increase the temperature or longevity of your fire. By using dry wood, you will minimise the amount of smoke coming out of your burner which will cause less damage to your burner and the room that it’s housed in. 

If you have a multifuel burner and use coal, you should also opt for smokeless coal to reduce the level of cleaning required. 

Regular Maintenance Is Vital

In order to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your log burner, it’s important to regularly maintain it. In order to do this, there are a number of things to look out for, especially before firing up your burner for the first time in a while. A common example of this may be before starting it up at the start of Winter. 

When performing your maintenance, the key things to look out for are as follows:

• Regular Sweeping
• Clear out excess ash safely
• Clean any glass
• Test CO2 alarms
• Clear any accessible vents
• Seek help if necessary

Regular Sweeping

Sweeping your chimney is a vital task for any log burner owner. This is because a build-up of blockages and debris can eventually lead to a chimney fire. Regular sweeping will allow you to dramatically reduce the risk associated with this. (Reference chimney sweep in experts)

Clear Out Excess Ash Safely

Another thing that will need clearing out is any ash that has built up over time. This is for similar reasons as a build-up can be dangerous to the safety of your log burner. When clearing out ash, it’s important to ensure that the ash is cold before clearing out. Otherwise, you may be putting yourself at risk of injuries. 

Clean Any Glass 

It’s really important to keep cleaning any glass on your log burner regularly. This is because smoke build-up can happen relatively quickly if any damp logs or non-smokeless coal has been used. This will then lead to the blackening of the glass on your wood burner. Another culprit can be if your fire isn’t burning at a high enough temperature, which is where heavier fumes will be created. One way to prevent this can be to invest in a stove thermometer to ensure that it’s burning at the most efficient temperature. When cleaning the glass, it’s again important to wait until the glass has cooled down. 

Test CO2 Alarms

If you have a log burner, it’s extremely important to have a Carbon Monoxide alarm. A Carbon Monoxide alarm does a vital job of alerting you if your log burner begins to give out any potentially deadly gases. For that reason, you must perform regular checks on them to make sure they’re in working order. 

Clear Any Accessible Vents

Vents are an important part of your log burner, controlling the amount of oxygen that reaches the fire. In order for the vents to continue effectively with this task, it’s important to ensure that they are cleaned out and any blockages are removed. Otherwise, you may find that they struggle to provide the amount of oxygen that your fire needs. 

Seek Professional Help

If you do get stuck, don’t worry about calling a professional to get some advice. Experts such as professional chimney sweeps may be able to help spot any potential damage that may be missed by the untrained eye. They will also be able to impart tips on how to maintain your specific log burner. 

Fuel Your Log Burner With D Price and Sons Kiln Dried Logs

Here at D Price & Sons, we stock the highest quality kiln-dried softwood logs and hardwood logs and premium coal. Our stock is carefully selected to ensure that our customers are only burning the very best in their stoves and burners, with minimum smoke. Not only that, but they’re also available to order online and can be delivered to your door with free delivery open to those within a 10-mile radius. 

If you have any questions regarding our products or delivery, please contact us. A member of our expert team will be on hand and happy to assist you.