Keep Your Pellet Stove Operating its Best
The Right Pellets
You know the saying: “garbage in – garbage out.” The same is true with pellets. We recommend using premium-grade pellets whenever possible. They’ll burn more efficiently and produce less ash than low-grade pellets, meaning you’ll need to clean your stove less often. Before stocking up on pellets, buy a small amount (2-3 bags) and burn them through your stove. See how they perform, and then buy a larger quantity.
The Right Maintenance
During the burning season, it’s important to periodically clean ash out of the burn chamber area and the ash pan. You should also scrape the burn pot, and keep vital components free of ash, such as the airwash system (if your stove has one) and venting. Your owner’s manual will have instructions specific to your stove. Make sure your stove is completely cooled before working on it. (We also recommend wearing safety glasses.)
To see the fire better, clean the viewing glass with a soft cloth and glass cleaner specially formulated for wood or pellet stove glass. Don’t scrape it with any sharp objects, since scratches can compromise the integrity and strength of the glass.
Once a year, or each time you’ve burned a ton of pellets through it, it’s smart to perform annual maintenance. You can inspect and clean your stove yourself by carefully following the owner’s manual instructions, or you can hire a pro from your local hearth dealer. In addition to cleaning the stove, the dealer service person will inspect vital components like the auger, motor, hopper, switches, blowers, wiring, seals, sensors and exhaust pipes.
And consider this when buying a stove: some pellet stoves require less maintenance than others. We have several examples in our family of products, since Quadra-Fire pellet stoves are not only built rugged, they’re outfitted with today’s most advanced technologies for making heating with pellets as easy as possible.
So trust us. Follow these suggestions and your pellet stove will operate at its very best for many years to come. Enjoy the fire!
Acquired from:
http://www.quadrafire.com/Shopping-Tools/Blog/Keep-Your-Pellet-Stove-Operating-its-Best.aspx
