Now that spring has finally arrived, it’s time to get your chimney swept and your stove serviced
Now that spring has finally arrived, it’s time to get your chimney swept and to service your wood burning or multi fuel stove ready for the autumn.
At the end of each heating season, as well as having your chimney swept, your stove or fire should undergo an annual service which will include stripping, inspecting and cleaning the appliance. Although this is best carried out for you by a HETAS registered engineer, you can do it yourself by following the general guide below but specific instructions are given in your user’s manual:
Vacuum any remaining ash and debris from inside the appliance
Click here to see Stovax’s range of Care and Maintenance products designed to help you undertake the annual service. All items are available from your local Stovax retailer.
Your local Stovax retailer should also be able to arrange the annual service for you, if you prefer, or you can find details of HETAS registered engineers by visiting www.hetas.co.uk.
Posted by Dan on April 26, 2010
Sign up to our newsletter and receive the latest news and updates, including product launches, offers and promotions, exclusive giveaways and competitions, as well as seasonal tips and advice.
Subscribe Now!
Hello there is a lot of spilt candle wax on the top & front black section of my multifuel stove. Can you recommend a good cleaner & restorer ?
The candle wax will need to be heated up and removed with something similar to kitchen roll to absorb the wax. If it leaves a mark on the paint, please use WD40 spray to try and clean it.
If this cannot be removed the paint may need to be rubbed down to remove the contamination. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, please ask your local retailer or installer to complete the work.
The door latch on my stove is completely stuck with what looks like burned on soot. Any suggestions as to how to clean it ?
We would recommend using WD40 which can be sprayed on to the latch assembly. Further to this, we would also recommend using a small flat headed screw driver to remove the larger pieces of soot and then use an old toothbrush to remove the excess soot.
Hi. There is a big buildup of flaky black carbon on the lower half of my Stovax wood burner doors. Unfortunately, when we tried to remove the glass before attempting to remove it, we cracked it. We have a new sheet of glass to replace the cracked one. Ideally we would like to remove both glass sheets, give the doors a good scrub with a wire brush and re-fit the glass. Can you give me some hints and tips before I attempt it please? By the way, the single sheet of replacement glass was £35 whith I thought was a bit steep!
The glass screws are best removed by using WD40 or other good quality penetrating oil in the threads to help release them. Heat may have to be applied to any stubborn screws as well as previously applying the oil. If you are patient with the application and heat the screws should be able to be removed.
The carbon build up which is on the doors can be removed with a wire brush as you say.
The stove requires regular maintenance on all hinges and moving parts with high temperature grease to keep all the parts moving freely.
If you are unsure about any of the procedures it is worth speaking to your installers of the stove or a qualified Hetas engineer who will be capable of carrying out the above tasks.
Hello, I am looking to clean my Stovax woodburner. Do you have any tips? Thanks
Good morning Marian, If you are looking to clean the glass from your Stovax woodburner, please refer to our, “How to clean your Stovax stove glass” video. We also have a useful blog on the Top Tips on caring and maintaining your solid fuel appliance.
Alternatively, please seek further advice from your local retailer.
Hi there, our stove door has some burnt on fabric on the glass. I have tried to remove it but I am not having any luck, any ideas?
Good morning Dani, Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately if material gets burnt onto the glass it is very difficult, if not impossible to remove it. Normally it goes hard onto the glass and will stick anything used to remove it may mark/scratch the glass something like a bladed paint removal tool from glass may help but there are no guarantees it will not scratch the glass. It may be a replacement glass if the mark is difficult to live with. You may find a glass replacement on our Stovax Spares website. Please visit our informative web page on how to locate your serial number in order to find the right product on the Spares website. For further recommendation, please contact your local Stovax retailer. Best Wishes, Camille
Hello, I have tried WD40 and oil in attempt to loosen the old screws in order to replace the glass which had broken, I have the Stovax authorised approved new replacement glass, new screws and clips but am finding it almost impossible to remove the old screws which simply won’t budge as the screw heads are so worn and and I’m nervous of causing damage rather than repair, Is this a lost cause and do I need to contact Stovax to request a new door. Thank you in advance Les
Good morning Les, Thank you for your comment. It is possible to drill the screws out very carefully, which would be the most cost effective solution. Another option is to gently heat the screws which will loosen the tar and soot that has built up. However, if these two solutions do not work than a new door assembly would be required. For further recommendation, please contact your local Stovax retailer. Best Wishes, Camille
Hi, we just had our gas burning Stockton stove serviced. The gas engineer cleaned the stove door with WD40, since which the burner is emitting smoke as it burns off. What should we do to address this? The door looks grey now compared to the rest of the black stove.
Good afternoon Kiran, Thank you for your recent online comment to which I have replied to you using the personal email address you have sent us. The cause maybe the type of WD40 used as some contain silicone which can react to high temperatures. If you do not mind contacting our Stovax and Gazco Technical Department and provide your product’s serial number , your preferred contact details and also the photo of your stove’s discolouration, that would be much appreciated! Once you have provided these information, our Technical Department will be able to help you resolve this and recommend the best options to resolve this. Best Wishes, Camille
Hi , We arranged to have our chimney and stove cleaned, but the guy who came to do it was unable to remove the firebricks within the stove …. so that he could get the top stove plate released in order to get to the brushes up to clean the flue and chimney , Has anyone ever come across this problem and would you have a solution in order to remove the fire bricks in the stove
What’s the best way to just clean the outside shell i.e. painted finish ?
Hello Allan,
Usually just a quick dusting is the best way so you don’t disturb the painted finish of your stove.
Thanks,
Ariana
Hi.
I have noticed some internal rust around the door glass in our woodburner, after it has been idle since the spring. A week ago I placed a container of silica in the burner and today have found a dessert spoon’s worth of water in it. Is this normal?
I intend to rub this down and use some high temp to touch this up. Should I be doing anything more than this? The burner is not quite two years old.
Your plan to rub down and repaint your stove is exactly what we would advise to refurbish your appliance however it is important that you find the source of the water to ensure that your stove does not continue to rust.
We’ve installed a new multi fuel burner within the last 7 months and I’ve noticed discolouration (rusty colour) at the external joint between the stove and the flue. What can be causing this and how can it be prevented?
Good afternoon, Thank you for your message. We recommend that you see speak to your local retailer for further advice and recommendations. Best Wishes, Stovax and Gazco Online Team
I have just had a Stovax Stockton 3 installed. I noticed as soon as the installer had left that there were stray bits of flue cement on the flue, so wiped them off before they set with a damp cloth. The cloth was wetter than I realised and some of the cement contaminated water ran onto the stove’s flue collar. I wiped that several times with fresh damp cloths and thought that would be fine. Unfortunately the next day a pale grey bloom was still there. Do you have any suggestions as to how to remove this please without damaging the paint finish. I haven’t lit the fire at all yet, as was worried it would make it worse. Also wondering if painted finish is more easily damaged before the stove has ever been lit?
How do I clean the flue
Please speak to your retailer for further advice on this matter. See URL https://www.stovax.com/information/find-a-retailer/. Best Wishes, Camille
can I use 00 wire wool to clean the glass on my multi burner
many thanks
tom
00 wire wool is not advised to be used to clean stove glass, although it is the finest grade of wire wool, it is still abrasive and will still cause abrasions on the glass.
Clean Stove Glass – The Do’s
Clean Stove Glass – The Don’ts
For further advice please speak to your local retailer.
Hi, I’ve had a Stockton 5 installed which has only had a firelighter and a couple of kindling sticks lit to check all working properly. I wiped over the exterior top of the stove once cooled with a slightly damp cloth which has left lots of grey streaks. I’m worried I may have done something to the paintwork before it has cured. What should I clean the top with and should I do this before or after I’ve used the stove properly. Terrified I’ve ruined the look of the stove before I’ve even used it. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Solid fuel stoves, whether cast iron or steel construction, are finished with a paint that is able to accept substantial temperature changes ranging from room temperature to 500 degrees centigrade and upwards in extreme conditions.
Such appliances are expected to be warm and dry at all times, and they are not well equipped for accepting moisture in any shape or form. Even replastering or redecorating (which use large amounts of water) can cause surface rust on a stove in the room.
So the advice is not to wipe down a stove with a damp cloth at all, since it is likely to remove the paint which is also serving as a protective layer preventing the raw metal from suffering from surface rust.
The heat from the appliance when lit will rapidly dispose of any impurities on the stove body; the only other action should be dry dusting when unlit if required.
High temperature paint aerosols are available for every stove in the Stovax Group range, and a careful respray of any affected areas will restore the look of your stove. This can be carried out by the owner if desired – follow the Stovax Advisory Notice PM1188 for usage. If unsure, then ask your service engineer to carry out the task for you.
I can t lift the door pins to remove the door to clean it. Stovax 5.
What do I do to loosen the pins?
The Stockton 5 has door pins which can be sprayed with a light oil like WD40 to free the door pins or the pins can be removed by inserting an object on the bottom of the pins and knocking them upwards with a hammer. Hope this helps.
The air vent slider on my Riva vision is sticking, especially when warm. Is it possible to lubricate the slider and are there instructions for carrying this out. I really hope there is something as it becomes really difficult to adjust air flow. Thanks
Graphite grease or high temp copper grease is best if the stove is on a plinth you can get your hand under to do this but if the appliance has no plinth then you may have to remove the stove lay it flat on its back to grease it up. I hope this helps answer your question.
Can you paint the inside if a log burner door or just the outside for refurb job. Thanks Paul.
Hello, yes you can. We would need the model of the stove so we can advise on the correct paint to use. Thanks
Hello I have a squeaky door on my wood burner how do I fix this
Hello, thanks for your message. Not sure what model you have, but applying some high-temperature grease or lubricant to the door hinges should help to resolve any squeaking, if not you may be able to replace the hinges depending on the model of stove you have.
Best wishes, Chris
Thank you for explaining how to clean your wood burning stove! I’ve been wondering how to take care of ours since we got it last fall. I’m sure this will help us to be more thorough.
Thank you Olivia, glad you found it useful!
I have a stovax 5 and got a small crack in the top of the clean air burner back plate can you replace it your self of get someone to replace it they cost about £160 to replace it on eBay.
Hi Chris, thanks for your comment. In line with our warranty terms and conditions, we recommend repairs and servicing are carried out either by a competent or suitably trained person such as a qualified engineer.
Best wishes, Chris
I had the same problem with my View 5. Apparently down to ‘over-firing’ – the stove can’t cope with heat! After only ten years, I replaced it with a Morso cast-iron stove rather than a Stovax steel one, although I would prefer to buy a British stove, and the Morso dealership and customer service is appalling. If the crack is not too bad, you may get some more milage out of it by not letting it get too hot. Also, I found local Stovax dealers didn’t want to know regarding replacing the part. Good luck.
Hi Jen, thanks for your comment. Just to add to this, being exposed to such high temperatures the cleanburn chamber is considered a consumable part so will usually eventually need replacing in line with normal running. While we recommend repairs and servicing should be carried out by an engineer, any competent person can carry out this work so it can be replaced yourself if you’d prefer. The part is available as a spare part either direct through us (https://www.stovaxspares.com) or via your local Stovax retailer.
Hope this helps!
Best wishes, Chris
Someone has suggested I use graphite grease to enhance the outside of my wood burner. Can I do this? If so, how do I apply?
Hi Teresa, we’d generally advise you use the correct touch up paint for your stove model, which will be available to purchase via your local Stovax retailer.