4 Ways To Get Your Pellet Stove Ready For Winter

Fall is in the air, which means it is time to get your pellet stove ready for winter. You want to have your pellet stove ready so when the first really cold morning or night rolls around, you can easily start a fire and get all toasty and warm.

#1 Remove & Clean The Exhaust Piping

At the top of your pellet stove is an exhaust pipe and venting system where the smoke from your pellet stove is pushed outside. This pipe should be cleaned before you light a new stove this year. To clean it, just remove the vent cap. A lot of ash tends to build up around the area where the venting makes a T-shape, so make sure that you clean that area really well.

A shop vacuum is a great way to clean the vent cap and piping, although you may want to remove any items you don't want to get dusty before you remove the exhaust pipe and turn on the shop vacuum.

#2 Remove & Clean The Fans

Second, you need to remove and clean the fans. Your pellet stove should have two different fans, the combustion fan and the distribution fan. When you remove the fans, use your vacuum cleaner to clean up any ash or soot that is stuck around them. Then, brush away any soot that has built up and is not easily removed by your vacuum cleaner.

Check and see if the gasket seals around your fans are still in good shape. They may need a little oil in order to continue to operate effectively. If they are cracked or look worn out, you'll want to remove and replace them before putting the fans back in place. Use a damp rag to wipe off the blades on each fan before putting it back in place.

#3 Clean All The Panels

Third, you need to clean all of the panels on your pellet stove. First, take out the inner firebox, and clean and wipe it down. Then, remove the panels that cover up the top heat exchange and move onto the firewall panels. Finally, if your pellet stove has any ash traps, you'll want to remove and clean those as well.

All panels should be removed, vacuumed, and wiped off. They should be clean of soot and dust when they are put back on your pellet stove.

#4 Vacuum The Hopper

Finally, vacuum up and get rid of any old pellets that are hanging around from last year inside of your hopper. You don't want a bunch of old pellet dust inside of the hopper. It can damage your stove's motor. It is a good idea to periodically dust the inside of your hopper throughout the winter to keep the dust to a minimum. 


Share