End of Season Service

The weather is warming up! Even though that means we will be burning our fireplaces less and firing up the grill more, it doesn't necessarily mean we need to stop thinking about the fireplace.

Spring is here, what does that mean for my fireplace? Here are a few things to consider so that you will be ready for next winter:

• Firewood! The most important thing about firewood is not burning green wood. To season your firewood you should cut, split, and stack it so that air will flow through the wood helping it to dry. On average it will take a year to a year and a half for your firewood to dry in optimal conditions. That means what you cut today likely won't even be ready to burn by next season. (Pro Tip: Using a moisture meter, your firewood should test between 18% and 20% moisture content.)

• Electronics! If you have a gas, pellet, or wood heater with battery powered electronics, such as a remote, it is a good idea to remove all of the batteries. Battery corrosion will damage electronics requiring you to replace parts. Remotes are expensive, so simply removing batteries could save you a lot of money.

• Clean your fireplace! Now is a great time to clean your fireplace to get it ready for next season. There is nothing worse than needing to heat your house during that first cold spell and the fireplace not working because the chimney is blocked with last years soot and ash. If you have a wood stove or fireplace you can sweep your chimney or have a professional chimney sweep clean and inspect it for you. If you have a pellet stove you will need to clean the vent as well as the heat exchangers, air channels, and sawdust collection chambers.

• Yearly service! Now is a great time to perform yearly service to your fireplace. Clean any soot, carbon, or mineral deposits on the glass or door. Vacuum carbon deposits on your gas logs. Vacuum dust from your fans. Remove carbon deposits and/or dust from your pilot assembly. Clean any heat exchangers, dust collection chambers, and air channels that you can access.

If you don't feel comfortable doing routine maintenance on your fireplace, stove, or insert, call us and make sure you are on our yearly service list. Due to prioritizing repairs, we DO NOT do routine maintenance during the heating season. Call us or submit a service ticket online today so that we can check out your heater during the summer.

And that's it! Now you can celebrate by firing up the grill. If you are looking for a new grill we can help you with that too! Drop by the store and look at our American made grills from Yoder Smokers, Primo Grills, American Outdoor Grills, and Circle J Firepits. We also carry gas grills and griddles by Napoleon and Halo Grills.

Visit our website at www.gibletstovesales.com to learn more!