A wood-burning stove is loved by many people as it’s easy to maintain and tends to be more efficient than other wood burning units in the market. While this is the case, it can be dangerous to run if you don’t take good care of it.

One of the most obvious problems that you might have is the unit putting your house at the risk of fire.  To help you out, here are tips given by chimney repair professionals on how to keep your unit in top shape:

Watch the type of wood you use

This is a no-brainer. Just like your wooden chimney, you need to be cautious of the type of wood you use. As rule of thumb, you should go for seasoned wood. This is wood that has been air dried for at least six months.

You should note that when you burn unseasoned or green wood, you put your house at the risk of fire as the huge smoke produced increases creosote deposition. In addition to only burning seasoned wood, another great way of decreasing smoke in the house is avoiding leaving the stove in slumber setting.

Undertake stove cleansing

Even if you burn seasoned wood, you will have soot accumulated in your unit. To keep your unit in top shape, you should make a habit of cleaning your unit every three months or once every six months.

If your stove is small, you can go ahead and clean it by yourself but if its large and you have never undertaken chimney cleaning before, hire a chimney sweep to help you out.

When cleaning it by yourself, you should get guidelines from the user’s manual. Here you will know the safety precautions that you need to follow and fittings to use. You should pay close attention to the catalytic combustor that is located between the fire and stovepipe.

If there are soot deposits on it, remove them with a gentle brush and vacuum.

Take care of the glass door

The glass door prevents heat embers from getting to you. The way it looks has a significant impact on the look of the house. To keep it looking great, you should make a habit of cleaning it every time you are lighting the fire. One of the best materials to use is a wad of paper that has been dampened with watered down vinegar.

It’s also common for the door to be faulty. In such a scenario, you should hire a chimney contractor to help you in repairing it.