Preparing for the 2022 Burn Season
Burn Season? What is that?
The annual Burn season is what we like to call the cold months of the year from October-February.
These are the most popular time during the year to have a fireplace burning, whether its a gas, wood, pellet or electric fireplace!
It is also one of the busiest seasons for local chimney sweepers and fireplace servicers! Preparing for the burn season can be a crucial step to take each coming winter, and planning ahead can save you a lot of heartache.
How should I prepare for the burn season?
One of the first things you should to prepare is to schedule a service and maintenance request with us. This should be done at least once a year, to ensure your fireplace is running properly. This will ensure that our technicians can catch any sort of problem that can arise during the off season, so that you can burn your fireplace safely and have the life of the unit extended.
Throughout the year, your chimney can be exposed to all sorts of different outside elements. Changing Weather Patterns such as rain, hail, snow, or even wind can affect the life of your chimney without proper care throughout its life. Scheduling with your local chimney sweepers so that they can inspect your chimney, and clear it out of any obstructions that can harm the fireplace unit, or worse, yourself.
Keeping your fireplace clean is crucial to preparing for the burn season. There is nothing worse then turning on your fireplace after the first cold day of the season, and your fireplace unit is not performing to max potential.
Should I still prepare for the burn season if my unit is new?
Prep work can vary in different ways. Even though you may have just had your fireplace unit just recently installed, there still can be a little prep work before you start using it ever single day during the cold winter months.
If your unit is freshly installed, and your not sure if you should prep this winter, click on the fuel type that your unit has to see what you should look out for!
Natural Gas / Propane
If you have a fireplace that runs off of gas, or liquid propane, you should check on your fuel levels diligently during the winter months to make sure you have plenty of fuel, also making sure that the connections to the propane tank are secure and adequately fastened. A gas leak from one of those connections could be dangerous, even deadly. In a lot of homes, the gas tank can sometimes be a separate tank from the other appliances within the home. If thats the case for your residence, be diligent on checking your meter throughout the winter months, you definitely don't want to be left cold!
Wood stove / Fireplace
If you have a wood stove or fireplace, consider the type of fuel that you have bundled up. To burn your wood inside your unit, be sure that your wood is seasoned. Seasoned wood has already been cut, split, and left out to dry for a few months to a few years. It has a moisture content of 20 percent or less, where as unseasoned wood is freshly cut wood that isn't dry enough to burn effectively or even sometimes cut, and split. The more moisture in your wood, the dirtier it burns. That means the more smoke you’ll have in your chimney, the more smoke you have in your chimney, the more creosote will be deposited on the walls of the chimney.
If you notice creosote inside of your chimney, get in contact with your local chimney sweeper to inspect the build up and conduct a thorough clean!
Seasoned Vs. Unseasoned wood
Pellet
Owning a pellet stove can help homeowners get closer to “living off the grid” and produce less greenhouse gasses than fossil fuel systems. Having pellets stored for uncertain conditions can save you for the long run. Did you know a 40 pound bag of pellets can last you around 24 hours of steady heat? That being said, you will need a great stock pile of pellets before the winter season comes if you plan on heating your entire home with your stove. Be sure to check your fuel stockpile throughout the burn season, be sure to also check your hopper bin to be sure there is no obstructions in the way for the pellets to move freely through the system. If you notice your fan not working correctly or your hopper is not feeding the pellets at a rate you would like it to, give us a call for a service and maintenance request, we will come out and clean your stove so that its working just like the day you bought it.
