Tips & Tricks from Cadam

Here you will find tips & tricks from us to assist with using your wood, gas, pellet, and electric stove

Wood Stoves - Please Read Before Your First Fire!

-Read Your Owner’s Manual

Every wood stove is different and may require a wide range of operational steps

and procedures. Therefore, please read the supplied owner’s manual before

use.

-Make Your First Fires Small Ones

Every new stove needs to be properly broken in. There is usually moisture within

the stove from being stored and transported. Also, the paint on your stove will

need to be cured. This breaking in process can be accomplished by making your

first fire a small one which will allow the moisture to evaporate from within the

stove and bricks along with curing the paint to the body of the stove properly. It

is common for the glass to blacken during your first few fires due to the moisture

evaporating in the stove.

If too large and hot of a fire is created on the first light, damage may occur. This

includes broken fire bricks and paint peeling away from the stove.

-It Is Going To Smell

During the paint curing process, the paint is going to off-gas which could cause odours and smoke. This is normal. You may need to open a door or window to ventilate the room.

This off-gas smell should only last a day or two, so don’t worry.

-Do NOT Burn Wood From The Ocean!!

Salt content in your firewood will dramatically shorten the life of your wood stove and metal chimneys.

It WILL cause significant damage which may not be able to be repaired.

Any use of salt water wood in your wood stove will void the factory warranty.

Flex liner with damage from ocean water soaked wood

This is a flex liner that was used to burn wood from the ocean. It's dirty but looks fine from the outside. The image on the right is with the lights out and a flashlight inside showing the damage

Pellet Stoves

-Cleanliness is key. The number one cause of troubles with pellet stoves is dirty or plugged units and vents. The unit must be kept clean as dust and ash can block sensors and prevent operation.

-Your pellet stove will not run if parts aren't in proper position. The sensors and switches in the stove are specifically designed to prevent operation unless everything is correctly configured. This can include hopper lid open, ash pan doors not closed tight or latched, and burn pot incorrectly placed.

-Use surge protecting outlets. A power outage or surge can easily damage the control boards requiring expensive repairs.

-Often the first step to repair a malfunction is to reset the unit.

-Clean out your pellet stove after you're finished using it for the season. Moisture is bad for the equipment and when ash gets wet it becomes caustic, causing premature wear and tear.

-Keep pellets dry. Pellets will swell and break apart with moisture, these finer particles can contribute to an auger jamming.

Chimney Cleaning & Maintenance

-Have your chimney cleaned at the end of the season so creosote doesn't sit over the summer.

-Make sure you are burning hot enough. Use a stove pipe thermometer if you are unsure.

-A cleaning and inspection should be completed once a year or more, based on usage or insurance requirements.

Carbon Monoxide & Smoke Detectors

-Always ensure that your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working and replaced when expired.
-For Battery powered or battery backup detectors, make sure the batteries are functioning.
-Test your detectors monthly or as per the manufacturer guidelines.
-Follow all manufacturer guidelines for installation, maintenance, and testing.

Gas Stoves & Fireplaces

-If your gas stove is not functioning, a first step is to make sure the batteries are working. Often, replacing these batteries (normally readily available standard size) will allow the unit to function.
-It is important to have the unit serviced and glass cleaned regularly, as the white residue can build up and etch in to the glass permanently.