Let’s hope its a good one…
Time to get stuff sorted for the winter- you’re going to need to get your burner lit again in a minute- or is it just me?
Things to check:
Is the flue clear? get it swept- or at least get on the roof and poke a stick down it.
Firewood? time to go wooding, although hopefully you will have cut and stacked a load of wood a couple of years ago, stored in a dry, well ventilated, space so that the moisture level is below 20%. We do have moisture meters, they are quite handy for confirming that your wood is ready to burn.
How is your door seal doing? check all the way round- if it needs replacing then we do a kit with a fire rope O seal and special glue. We will need the diagonal measurement of the door aperture to specify the correct rope kit for the stove. It’s important that your door seal is in good condition, both to prevent fumes coming into your living space, and to allow the burner to keep going all night if required. And check it’s one of our stoves- so often we get asked for bits for a Windy Smithy stove, and it turns out that its an -ahem- imitation. How flattering! If it hasn’t got our logo on the top, it’s not one of ours, but that’s OK, we can make up door rope O rings to most sizes, in 6mm or 8mm fire rope..
All these spares and more on our spares and accessories page.
Flashing doing ok? we do a full range of flashings for most spaces and roof types, along with fixing kits and instructions. If you are not sure which flashing to go for, then email us with a few details and we will do our best to help you.
And check your flue for any visible deterioration, and poorly sealing joints. You might want to consider upgrading to Twinwall flue, at least going through the roof, if you are still using old skool single wall stackpipe all the way up. See our flues page for details, and contact us.
Burner a bit small? Bit too big? Not right for you in any other respect? We welcome any feedback, and can often offer a part exchange on your old Windy Smithy burner for a new one. Someone out there will want it! We can also do any repairs that may come up. After having made Windy Smithy burners for 20 years, there are some that have been abused, or left in the wet, etc, that need a bit of TLC. Mind you, numbers 1,2 and 3 are still up and running, and in regular use.
Should you be thinking ahead, to the longest night and all that, you might know someone who could do with a fire saucer for their camping trips, garden or getting better reception. A handy portable fire pit.
Ill go and listen to some Toots now, and get off the computer for a bit…