Hot summers are likely to become the norm in Germany in the
near future due to climate change. Despite expected record values, you should
think about heating with the fireplace already in summer or at the latest in
early autumn. Because it will definitely be cold again.
COZY, CONVENIENT, AFFORDABLE: HEATING BY THE FIREPLACE
Already in September, the temperatures at night can already
scratch on the border to the frost - and sometimes even exceed it. Even if the
values on the thermometer can climb again in the vicinity of 30 degrees during
the day, the number of hours of sunshine per day decreases rapidly, it gets
dark earlier and the heating demand starts sooner or later. Nice, if you have a
cozy fireplace or stove that you can cheer on. But it's not that easy.
A wood-burning fireplace or stove requires regular cleaning,
maintenance and care, so everything works smoothly and above all without
danger. The break in the summer you can actually use perfect for such a
cleaning - but who wants to think on a hot July day on cold winter evenings and
clean the fireplace? Nevertheless, it is high time to make the fireplace
suitable for winter.
TEST THE STOVE PIPES AND THE CHIMNEY FOR PERFECT FUNCTION
The first view should go inside the stove or the fireplace.
Occasionally existing stove pipes must be checked every now and then for
contamination. This is mainly due to soot, which can be deposited on the
furnace tubes when burning wood. In the long term, the proper functioning of a
stove or fireplace will be affected by sooty fume hoods. This not only applies
to the chimney, which is regularly cleaned by the chimney sweep, but also to
the pipes leading to the stove. This is not just a comfort issue, but can bring
real dangers, because soot deposits minimize the effect of the chimney draft,
which means that the exhaust gases can not pull off so well.
In extreme cases, they can collect in the interior and not
only smoke everything, but ultimately lead to poisoning by flue gases or carbon
monoxide. Not least, there is an increased risk of fire, because what many do
not know: soot can under certain circumstances ignite itself, if the fireplace
is still operated carefree. The thicker the soot layer becomes, the greater the
danger. Soot is not the only thing that can affect a chimney. Even if the last
cleaning by the chimney sweep is not long ago and theoretically no new soot may
have been added due to the heat break in the summer, there are other factors
that need to be checked. Damage or foreign objects in the chimney can thus prevent
effective smoke extraction.
This is most often done by bird nests or their remnants. In
extreme cases, they can even close a chimney completely, and the toxic
combustion gases may then enter the living space. If everything looks fine, the
throttle valve must finally be checked. Is their function still flawless? Is
she open? Ultimately, it is important that the air supply to the fireplace
works well.
THOROUGHLY INSPECT THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER
The fireplace or stove itself should also be cleaned from
the inside. This is useful in the months outside the heating season, because
then everything is cooled down properly and you can get anywhere easily.
Although you do not often see the interior of the stove, the careful cleaning
should not be neglected, because even here residues of soot can make
unattractive. In addition, one can perform on this occasion, a comprehensive
visual inspection of the firebricks in the combustion chamber.
These are designed to effectively shield the heat from the
rest of the structure. Missing stones or chipped off parts of the mineral
plates should be the reason for the replacement of the damaged firebricks.
However, cracks that are relatively common are not considered damage in the
sense of the word. Even if the stove is sold as maintenance-free and has a long
service life even under the strongest load, fireclay counts as wearing parts.
If you do not change them in case of damage, the oven housing may heat up more
than it should.
Warped stoves are an indication of damaged linings in the
combustion chamber - so you should not let it come to such a defect. But as
long as the cladding is not damaged as a whole and no parts are missing, the
function of the fireclay cladding inside the fireplace is usually not affected
by the cracks. You can get spare parts or other accessories in specialist
shops, such as in the online shop at
Kamdi24.de.
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE OF STOVES
In spite of the possible freedom from maintenance, it is of
course always necessary to subject the oven to cleaning. The more thorough the
cleaning before the beginning of the heating season, the longer you have your
peace. All wearing parts should be visually inspected and, if necessary,
maintained. Often forgotten here is the seal of the stove door or the
collection box for the ashes. If the seals (especially on the fireplace door)
are broken, the stove draws more oxygen than it should. This has an unfavorable
effect on the exhaust behavior of the entire furnace system. In addition, as a
result of defective seals, more ash can enter the living space. Such a seal you
get in the accessories, but the installation should be done professionally.
However, you can lend a hand in the maintenance of the stove
door, as far as the hinges. To keep things smooth, lubricate them with a
suitable oil or copper paste. But please make sure that the oil does not get
into the combustion chamber. The cleaning of the firebox can be done with a
commercial glass cleaner and a cloth. Please note that some cleaners may damage
the delicate door seals. Therefore, it is advisable not to spray the cleaner
directly on the disc, but on the cloth. In general, do not use too much cleaner
to prevent cleaning fluid from leaking into the seals.
Wer auf Nummer sicher gehen möchte, kann auch einen speziell
auf diese Materialien abgestimmten Ofenreiniger verwenden. Die Außenseiten der
Kaminöfen lassen sich ebenfalls reinigen und pflegen. Öfen aus Stahl bekommt
man mit einem feuchten Tuch gut sauber. Aggressive Reiniger (und dazu zählen
auch Hausmittel mit Essig oder Zitrone) können den Stahl jedoch angreifen und
für Rost sorgen. Fliesen und Kacheln eines Kaminofens können ganz normal mit
entsprechendem Reinigungsmittel geputzt werden. Rückstände sollten aber so gut
wie möglich mit ausreichend Wasser entfernt werden, damit keine schädlichen
Dämpfe durch das Aufheizen in die Umgebungsluft abgegeben werden.
Damage to the paintwork may only be repaired with
heat-resistant special lacquers intended for use with stoves. Unless otherwise
noticeable damage that require further repairs and everything else is in order,
the stove can then be easily put into operation.
SHOP FIREWOOD CORRECTLY AND STORE
Of course, the right fuel is particularly important when
operating a fireplace or stove. Here you should not wait until the beginning of
the heating season, because who in time (ie especially in the summer) is
covered with sufficient fuel, usually pays much less for it. Depending on
whether you want to burn classic firewood or pellets, you have the choice of
various offers. In particular, pellet prices are heavily dependent on the
respective heating season and the associated demand. It does not matter if you
hit the firewood yourself or have it delivered to you: It has to be stored
correctly and has the right residual moisture.
The best is a residual moisture in the wood between 15 and
20 percent. If the wood is still too moist, the combustion is not in the
optimal range and produces black smoke, which can be deposited as a
particularly stubborn soot in the chimney. Conversely, firewood can also be too
dry or too old. Then the calorific value drops considerably and one does not
get as far with the same amount of wood as with an ideal moisture content.
If you have your own wood store, you should always fire the
oldest wood first, so that the logs are not superimposed. In addition, newly
added wood must get the time to dry properly. When stacking so should already
be thought of in which order you want to remove the firewood later.
SAVE HEATING COSTS IN THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD
Especially in spring and autumn - the so-called transition
period - heating with the fireplace or stove is particularly popular. In
addition, it is also a way to reduce heating costs. While the main load should
normally be provided by central heating in winter, the stove ideally
complements the heating during times when the operation of the complete heating
system is not yet worthwhile. Especially on days when it is still warm during
the day and it cools down strongly in the evening, it hardly pays to heat the
oil heating or gas heating. If you have a sluggish floor heating, it is often
too warm during the day or too cool during the day.
On the other hand, the woodburning stove can be easily added
if required and also provides an incomparable comfort. The heating costs are
also reduced - a factor that should not be ignored. In addition, one is with
good stocking with firewood independent when purchasing gas or fuel oil,
because here are the prices also according to the demand. If you can then
bridge or supplement with firewood, you have another trump in your sleeve. Last
but not least, the burning of wood is often a sensible alternative from an
ecological point of view. Especially with regard to CO2 reduction, wood has
great advantages over fossil fuels.
In contrast, however, is the increased burden of particulate
matter and soot, which can lead to a deterioration of the air quality in the
environment, especially in the corresponding inversion weather conditions. The
neighbors should therefore not completely forgotten when heating with wood.
The most important measures at a glance:
• Inspecting
combustion chamber, stovepipe and chimney
• if
necessary, cleaning of all components
• Exchange
of damaged firebricks
• Check
seals for damage
• Store
fuel in good time and store it properly
CONCLUSION
A fireplace or stove is practical, comfortable and can help
save heating costs, especially during the transition period. Important is a
proper maintenance and care, which should be done before commissioning in the
fall. The inspection of chimney, stove pipes, firebricks and gaskets should be
as natural as a thorough cleaning. The stocking with firewood should be done on
time and in sufficient quantity (observe proper storage!).
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