Stove System Service and Maintenance
Just like a car, your flue and woodburner needs to be serviced and maintained to remain effective. That’s why Heart of the Home has introduced “ Stove servicing & flue sweeping”
introducing our Stove & Liner service
Liner sweeping and stove maintenance will ensure your whole flue system is safe and effective and continue to be in good working order. It’s also essential to prevent chimney fires and CO poisoning.
The main reason for liner sweeping is to prevent the build-up of soot and tar which are waste products from combustion, removes blockages and prevents poor draw. Your stove needs to be thoroughly cleaned and serviced to improve and maintain its longevity ensuring that it is working as well as it should be.
The service, which we recommend annually, involves safety checks to all components of the stove system including your CO alarm, and other supporting and integral parts of the installation such as supports and closure plates where applicable.
The best time of year to get this service done is from spring into the summer months.
We will provide a certificate of attendance on completion of your stove service and sweep. It is a good idea to have a small fire the night before your sweep is due, as this tends to loosen the waste products in your flue leading to a more efficient sweep.
Book appointment
Shaun and Neil will take care of your Stove Service and Maintenance. Simply email:
heartofthehome_services@hotmail.com
or call: 07773657494
We will start by offering you a choice of dates, with a morning or afternoon slot. Once we have set the time and date, we will remind you of this date prior to the appointment.
Stove service – how we do it
Your stove will be thoroughly cleaned. We will remove and clean baffle plate and ash pan so that we can access the body of your stove to clean it ensuring that there are no waste products such as creosote building up and damaging your stove. We will check all the seals and parts to ensure everything is working correctly, this enables the stove to perform at its best and air quality to be maintained – as per the Clean Air Strategy (Jan 2019).
We are aware that many companies don’t perform this part of a service, yet we believe that servicing the stove is just as crucial as sweeping the flue. The flue and stove work hand in hand and should both be serviced.
Liner sweeping - how we do it
The main reason for sweeping your liner* (see note below) is to prevent the build-up of soot and tar-like substances (such as Creosote) that are waste products from combustion. These by-products are toxic, flammable and a build up in your flue. This can cause blockages, poor draw, chimney fires and CO poisoning.
We use the traditional method of liner sweeping, as we prefer to “feel” our brushes and the obstacles we encounter. We use dustsheets so we won’t make a mess. We will inform you about your flue liner’s health” and make any recommendations.
from a legal point of view
Most household insurances will demand your flue is swept annually to honour your contract. The manufacturers of your flue and stove will request they are swept and serviced annually as part of the conditional warranties.
pricing
Heart of the Home’s Ltd. service (sweep + stove service) has a basic cost of £90*. It’s paid via BACS at the time of booking.
We offer:
Sweep and service - £90
Sweep only - £60
CCTV survey only - £60
CCTV assisted liner and chimney sweep - £120
* A service covers:
• Your flue will be swept
• Your stove will be cleaned and checked
• Your stove glass (where needed**) will be cleaned
• The flue joint on your stove will be checked and re-sealed if possible
• Your CO alarm will be checked
• The moisture content of your wood will be checked
• You will be given information on how to use your stove and what fuel to use
• Certification
* The price does NOT include the replacement of stove parts, these will be charged accordingly. Additional service costs may include: rope seals, fire-bricks, stove glass, baffle plates, cowls…
** Glass cleaning will be limited If it has been subjected to harsh burning methods or is scratched
Any rubbish such as soot and ash collected from your stove and flue will be placed in a black bin bag and placed by your rubbish bin outside.
how to maintain your stove system happy
It’s simple - it all comes down to what you burn…The basic principles taken from these sections are not to burn poorly seasoned wood and not to burn wood and multifuel at the same time as both combustion methods will form creosote.
During the service we will also check the moisture content of your wood to ensure it is fit for burning. Poorly seasoned wood will cause a built up of creosote in your flue. For an efficient and clean burn, we recommend dry hardwood with less than 20% moisture content.
We have seen shockingly bad logs over the years at some clients houses…Hence we set up our own firewood company called Sunny Logs. They sell quality kiln dried Oak logs at < 15% moisture. Guaranteed best logs to keep your house warm and chimney happy! See Stove and firewood section for more info or visit www.sunnylogs.co.uk to place an order.