Getting close to burning season so make sure you.......

double check you stove pipe and flue pipe, and just as important CHECK ALL OF YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS!! Change the batteries and clean as needed. Even if you have hard-wired detectors, you need to ensure they are clean and are working properly. I consider taking these measures to be more important than anything else you can do to ensure you and your family's safety. If you do not have these devices in you home, SHAME ON YOU! Get them, especially as a woodburner! Be safe this heating season!!

Guess it goes without saying . . . but I really, really, really like this thread.

I agree 100%. You can never be to safe when you invite a fire into your house.

Jake, I am doing the job at home tonight myself (we have hard word detectors, gonna clean and do the self test, as well as a related smoke test on each one). Just felt it was worth mentioning. I figured you and tfdchief would appreciate this. I was a volunteer firefighter, and still answer the call of duty should the need for me arise.

There's a member (stoveguy2esw, I think) who has a line on his signature that says it best......"if you're going to invite fire into your home, do so with the utmost of care".......couldn't agree more with that statement.

Thanks for the reminder......I've got the stove ready.....now, to prep the house

Mine automatically alerts the fire department unless I call afterwards. Found this out the hard way...

I agree,, and I still have a fire alarm I need a battery for thanks for the reminder.

Yes, wife has those candles on our stove also......great reminder on the fire extinguishers as well, BG!

Done, done, and done.
Good pre-season thread, for those looking.

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How do you test the smoke detectors? And clean them? This is a great thread!

I always clean the detectors by blowing them out with compressed air (on a medium setting) with a small portable compressor I have. I then do the self -test mode on the detector, and also do a real smoke test (most of the time a match right below the detector will do the trick, or a smoldering piece of cardboard). Also make a habit of looking at the indicator lights on your detectors, to see if one has gone off when you weren't around.

Thanks for the reminder! I did a quick sweep on the chimney in case of a birds nest,ect, and cleaned around the stove. I will now immediately check the extinguisher and smoke alarms.

Update: smoke detectors, co, extinguishers up to par!

Yeah, those candles were just a tad warm.......almost looks like something from an old Tom and Jerry cartoon!

Very good thread.

Stoveguy2ESW is Mike Holton, Senior tech at Englander and I couldn't agree more.

Great thread Scotty....

3 Fire extinguishers in the house. One near each stove 3 C/O detectors, and 3 Fire/Smoke alarms. Can never be to safe.

I plug all my flues, pellet and wood. To keep the bee's amd any other critters out. Had a bee problem 2 yrs ago in the Quad Never again.

Great thread Scott. Something to do each fall.

You can also use the compressed air in a can like you use on your keyboard.

For myself its a general pick up time as well. I like to get kindling ready, after all it just falls from the sky. Clean out the ash can, make sure there's no holes. Clear a spot out back to eventually dispose of. I found for two years now running out in the cold night with a rake trying to get a spot cleared

Check the dates on your smoke detectors, I think they are only good for 10 years. I changed all of mine last year, they were way out of date.