HVAC For Beginners

Pellet Stove Maintenance

Keep it Running Efficiently

With our pellet stove maintenance guide, you can perform the routine service on your stove and make it last longer. A typical service call from a hvac service company will cost over $100 but, with this guide you can do it yourself and save that money.

**NOTE** Only you can assess your ability to perform the actions described in this guide. This is a general guide and cannot cover every possible situation. For more information, you can consult your owner's manual.

Daily inspection while operating

During normal periods of use, you should check the flames. A bright orange flame is usually a sign of a good burning fire.

You should inspect the firepot to see if there is a build-up of pellets and adjust the feed rate as required. You should also look for a clump of unburned material known as a "clinker". This is caused by improper combustion flow or poor pellet quality.

Weekly cleaning with the unit cooled down

On most units, it is necessary to let the fire go out and the unit cool down for cleaning each week. The heat exchanger/baffles should be cleaned. Most units have a built in cleaning tool to scrape the tubes and remove ash and debris. The hopper should be cleaned by vacuuming it out to allow smooth operation. The ash pan should be dumped and the glass in the window (if applicable) should be cleaned.

Yearly startup maintenance

Prior to the first fire of the year, the following things should be checked and cleaned as necessary. If the unit has a blower for circulating the warm air, then the blower ducts should be vacuumed out and the fan cleaned.

The draft (combustion) blower and vent pipes should be cleaned with a chimney brush.

It is a good idea to check the door seal by placing a dollar bill between the door and the frame with it closed. Then, pull on the dollar and if you can easily pull it out the gasket needs replaced.