Basic checklist for safety?

[Stentor]

This first year with a pellet stove was good. Now I want to put together a simple safety checklist for next season. I guess these are obvious and just common sense. Anything I should add?

1. Clean stove at end of season in May
2. Check and clean chimney in May
3. Combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector - check batteries in September
4. One fire extinguisher near stove

 

[BrotherBart]

4b. Move fire extinguisher away from stove and next to nearest exit door.
5. Check flue for summer residents in September.

 

[imacman]

Well, SORT of part of the safety checklist:

6. Unplug until needed in the fall
6a. Unplug surge suppressor (or put on list to BUY one if you don't already have one)

 

[OldDedHed]

3b. Test detectors monthly, keep in place year-round. Change batteries every time you go in and out of daylight savings time.

 

[Stentor]

Thanks all. Useful suggestions, like maintaining your vehicle. Do the basics, check the owner's manual, get some opinions from people with more experience, make good habits routine. And it's the little things that trip you up - -like I would not have thought about having the extinguisher near the exit. Might be the best place in a real emergency.

 

[OldDedHed]

yeah it's not obvious--most people think the best place for an extinguisher is near where the fire is going to be. But research shows that the best place is near the exit of the space where the fire is going to be. That way, if by the time you figure out how to get the thing out of the bracket, pull the pin and are ready to do something--if the fire is too big you can just drop the extinguisher and go, closing the door behind you. I don't know how many kitchen fire extinguishers I have seen under the kitchen sink,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Czech]

You may want to plug the flue too, keeps critters and moisture out. If you do so, either taple the tstat or put a sign in the stove/hopper to remind you to unplug the flue plugged before you fire it up again.