Summerizing your wood stove or insert...

[05ramctd]

We all are running our stoves and inserts now and dialing them in.

What about when the heating season is over. what do we do besides vacuuming the ash out and cleaning the chimney. What do others suggest and recommend doing to there stove to prevent rust and maintain the unit. And get ready for the summer storage season.

 

[Woody Stover]

Replace gaskets if needed. Cap the top of the liner with a plastic bag or something, so that warm, humid air can't come down and condense in the stove to rust it.

 

[NinjaTech]

I think I will clean mine out really well and put either a small model train set in it, or a fake fish tank i haven't decided which yet.

Wait.. that's not what you were asking was it..

 

[BobUrban]

Clean it out and burn a candle in there if the air gets heavy and the creosote funk lingers. beyond that - I do nothing.

 

[Hogwildz]

Nothing, it collects spiders, flys & bees during the off season. I don't even clean the ash out until I sweep it.

 

[jotul8e2]

At the end of each season I start planing to clean the glass - making this plan is not something I put off. Imagine my surprise when I load the stove for the first fire of the season and discover dirty glass.

 

[05ramctd]

Small flat screen TV would work.

 

[ArtDeco]

Put a potted plant on top and start scrounging next years wood

 

[kennyp2339]

I also kept the ashes in the old stove to absorb moisture during the summer, not sure if its right or wrong

 

[Bret Chase]

All I do is close the air on my old smoke dragon to keep it from either sucking out my AC... or sucking in hot, outside air.

... and my wife puts decorations on top of it.

I don't shovel it out, or replace any gasketing, or clean the chimney until sometime in early September.. when I may consider getting the iron hot to take the chill off. I also don't bring wood in (in any quantity) until after Halloween, which is when an evening fire becomes more regular.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It just sits there waiting for the next fire. It's a steel box. It's not going anywhere.

 

[lml999]

Full detailing every spring. Start with Clay bar (removes the impurities from the high temp paint). Then paint cleaner, swirl remover, polish, all with the random orbital polisher. Finally, carnauba wax (by hand of course) for a high shine.

Brass polish, of course, on the brightwork.

Next year I might remove and blueprint the firebricks to make sure that they're all the same size/weight.

Oh, and some RainX for the glass to keep the water beading at speed.

 

[jotul8e2]

Finally, carnauba wax (by hand of course) for a high shine.

I did that once. Two applications. The shine was great, but you haven't experienced anything until you have had your entire stove burst into flames!

 

[lml999]

I did that once. Two applications. The shine was great, but you haven't experienced anything until you have had your entire stove burst into flames!

Dude! Read the instructions. Never apply carnauba to a hot stove or in direct sunlight!

 

[firefighterjake]

Depends on how ambitious ... or lazy I am.

Most years I sweep the chimney, clean out the ashes, clean the stove ... last year I didn't even empty the ashes.

 

[Warm_in_NH]

Sweep the pipe, dump the ashes, give it a quick vac, visual inspection on inside, close door forget about it. Then, first damp day that makes that smoke stove funk smell in the house, I put a bucket of damp rid in the stove and hide it behind a couple of logs, looks good, collects moisture, keeps the stove funk smell away.
Now I've got my hopes up for spring and it's not even officially winter yet.

 

[Matt93eg]

Nothing, it collects spiders, flys & bees during the off season. I don't even clean the ash out until I sweep it.

Haha, sounds like me last year. I never cleaned the ash out of the stove from last year either until I swept it out before the cooler temps this year.