Chimney and Stove Care
Your Norfolk County Developments home has been fitted with a wood or multifuel stove which will give years of service as long as it's correctly used and maintained.
First Use
Your stove will require a little extra care during the first few uses to avoid cracking or other damage. You must ensure that the first 2 or 3 fires in your new stove are kept small with only a limited quantity of fuel being used. This will help the metal on the stove bed in and will correctly condition the chimney. During the first fires you will notice some vapors and odors being produced by the stove. This is perfectly normal however you need to ensure that you room is well ventilated during these first burns. Please also ensure that you either leave the doors ajar or open them at least every 15 minutes during the first fires to prevent damage to the sealing ropes. On some stoves you may also see what look like blocks of wood in the stove. There are infact heat resistant linings and must be left in. If there are any pieces of wood of packaging left in the stove they will simply burn off anyway.
Lighting
To light the stove use either paper and kindling or firelighters designed for stoves. Never use liquid fuels to light a stove. Once light add fuel sparingly to avoid heating the unit too quickly. Once lit add only small amounts of fuel at a time.
Controlling the Fire
Depending on your stove type you will have 2 or more control vents and possibly a chimney dampener. The primary way to control the fire is by moderating the fuel you put on. Bear in mind that new fuel will take time to light and start producing full heat so add it in small quantities. The air vents allow air in and will increase or decrease the heat from the fire and the chimney dampener can be used to restrict the updraft in windy conditions. If leaving the stove unattended always close the vents down
Fuel Types
You can burn:
- Smokeless processed fuels such as Taybrite or Phurnacite (unless your stove is wood only).
- Good quality seasoned firelogs
- Instant light firelogs
Avoid:
- Scrap wood - This can contain chemicals which can damage the lining of the chimney.
- Unseasoned wood - The moisture in the wood causes a tar build up in the chimney which over time can lead to fires
Never Burn Household or non-smokeless coal. Regular household coal burns far too fast and hot for a stove and is likely to cause cracking in the metal and can damage the lining of the chimney. It's fine for open fires in older houses however not suitable for the lined chimneys in ours.
Ongoing Maintenance
You must have the chimney swept on a regular basis depending on usage. Your chimney sweep will be able to advise on how often this should be done depending on usage a fuel used.
You need to keep the stove cleared out and it is very important not to let the ash build up too much as this will restrict airflow and can cause hot spots which can damage it.
