What to do with my stove in the summer?

In spring and summer, we tend to forget about our stoves. The weather is warmer and so our favourite heating appliance gets abandoned. Autumn hits and we go to light the stove. The door is stiff and there are signs of rust, the bricks are cracked and crumbling. There may even be signs of mould on the bricks. The stove is not working as well as it once did, why? 

The outside temperature rises and gets higher than the temperature in the house. This causes the airflow within the chimney to reverse its normal flow. The air flows in from outside and brings moisture with it. Moisture and lack of airflow during the summer months can be the cause of this. The stove is usually left shut down and so dampness can build up and cause these and other issues. 

As usual, prevention is better than cure. Putting your stove into a Summer shutdown can massively help. These are a few things you can do in the summer months to help prevent issues while also giving your stove bricks and other parts a longer life:

• Empty all ash out of the stove at the end of a burning season.

• Leave the door slightly ajar and air controls fully open, this allows the air to circulate in the stove reducing condensation. 

• Every few weeks or months during the shutdown light a small kindling fire for 15 minutes to help dry out inside, once the ash is cool empty ash fully.

Doing these small things will help your stove when you come to use it in the autumn and winter. 

Summer shutdown does not negate the need for your yearly stove service but does help toward the general care and maintenance of your stove.