Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning and Maintenance

• How do I remove dirt from the door glass?

  The glass can be cleaned by using an approved glass cleaner. Alternatively warm soapy water and newspaper can be used but only when the stove is cold.

• How often should the stove be cleaned for soot and ashes?

  The stove needs to be cleaned and serviced fully at least once a year. But naturally depending on how much the stove is used. The baffle is removed from the stove and cleaned up . Note that the stove must be cold when cleaned.

• How do I clean the inside of the stove?

  Remove the baffle and clean it up with a nozzle or a small vacuum cleaner. Note that the stove must be cold when cleaned up. The surface will be kept well if vacuum cleaned with a soft nozzle. If necessary wipe the stove with a moist cloth, but only when the stove is completely cold. Be careful when choosing cleaning materials as the paint may be damaged by acid.

• How do I clean the surface of a painted stove?

  The surface will be kept well if vacuum cleaned with a soft nozzle. If necessary wipe the stove with a moist cloth, but only when the stove is completely cold.

  Be careful when choosing cleaning materials as the paint may be damaged by acid.

  If necessary, use mild detergent or brown soap. The painted surface may get a grey tinge over time; but the stove can easily be freshened up with a special heat-resistant Stovebright spray-paint, which can be bought from your dealer. Ensure you use the correct stove paint.

  The stove must dry 24 hours before being used again. Some fumes will be given off by the paint. These are not harmful, although they smell bad. Ventilate the room well during this phase

• Can I use stove blacking on Hobbit Stoves?

  No, do not use stove blacking on your Hobbit stove.

  The surface of painted stoves will also become discoloured and blotched if you use stove blacking. Stove blacking should only be used on old stoves that have been ground or sandblasted.

  Painted stoves must be painted with stovebright paint, and enamelled stoves only have to be washed with hot, distilled water and brown soap.

• The sealing rope in the door is loose, or come away - what can I do?

  The sealing rope in the door becomes worn after it has been in use for some time, and can start coming away. The seal is fitted using ceramic adhesive.

  When replacing the seal, the surface must be cleaned thoroughly with steel wool or a steel brush. Seal kits with adhesive can be bought from the stove spares section.

• How do I remove scratches and marks?

  If there are marks on the stove or it simply needs painting to freshen it up, you must clean the surface first.

  Rust can be removed using fine steel wool, then painted using Stovebright stove paint.

• The glass in my stove is covered in soot. What could be wrong?

  You can clean the glass using stove glass cleaner. This must be done when the stove is cold.

  If heavy soot build-ups appear, use treble ammonia water to clean the glass.

  Soot may appear on the glass if the combustion temperature is too low or if the air controls are used incorrectly. The secondary air controls must be open and the primary air controls closed. The primary air either from the riddling grate or air control are only to be used during the lighting period or when dry wood is put into the stove.

  Salamander stoves recommends a moisture content in the wood of 16-20%. If you wan to be sure that wood is dry enough, a moisture meter which can be purchased from your local stove stockist.

• Is it unusual for my stove to 'tick'?

  You can expect a slight ticking noise while the stove heats up or cools down.

• There is soot in my chimney. How did that happen?

  If the temperature is too low you might experience tarry soot in your chimney. The combustion temperature will be too low if not enough air is supplied, compared to the amount of wood. Tarry soot is easily recognised as a brown sticky coat. Supply more secondary air to increase the temperature.

  A stove flue thermometer placed on the lower part of the flue pipe will indicate if the air supply is correct. The flue gas temperature must be approx. 250°C. If the flue gas temperature is considerably lower, tarry soot may be created in the chimney. If the flue gas temperature exceeds 250 – 300°C, the inside parts might be superheated.

• Smoke is coming out into my living room when I open the stove door. How can I avoid that?

  The stove must never be operated with the door open, the door should only be fully opened during refuelling. Smoke may be emitted into the room at the time of refuelling if the stove is burning at a very low rate.

  To overcome this either turn the stove to full rate, or open the door slightly (1 or 2 cm) for a few minutes before adding any additional fuel.

  If the door is left open for too long (2 minutes or so) during the refuel procedure, a large amount of cool air will be drawn into the chimney chilling the flue gases and slowing the draft. This will result in smoke and fumes coming back in the room; the refuelling time should be kept to a minimum.

  If smoke is persistent, and the stove is difficult to light and maintain a good burn rate, there may be a problem with the chimney draught- you should consult with your installer or a qualified chimney sweep.

• There is not enough draught in the chimney. What can I do?

  If the chimney is too short, has inadequate insulation or is leaky, there may be problems; get a chimney sweep to check it and measure the flue draft.

  If the above possible problems have been eliminated, extend the lighting period, to ensure the chimney is well heated. The draw on the chimney will be greater when it is hot. This is achieved by using lots of kindling and 1-2 firelighters. After igniting the firelighters leave the stove door slightly ajar about 2 to 3cm for 5 to 10 minutes. When the majority of flame have died down and there is a good amount of glowing embers add 2-3 pieces of dry wood and keep the air supply open.

  On chimneys with slower flue drafts it may be necessary to leave the stove door slightly ajar again until the logs fully ignite. Once a good flame has been established and the door closed the air control can be set to the desired position. If you have an old brick chimney with a large inner diameter, it can be a good idea to reduce the area with a liner. Seek the help of a HETAS engineer, your Hobbit dealer/ installer or chimney sweep.

• The glass in my stove has cracked. What has happened? Can I replace it myself?

  Cracks on the glass may happen due to bumps from the wood. Besides, impurities may be found in the wood such as pebbles that may hit the glass during the combustion.

  If the glass has cracked, it naturally has to be replaced.

  Replacing the glass yourself is a fairly simple job. If you’re unsure about your ability or would prefer, talk to your Hobbit stockist. Or watch our instructional video.

• The baffle plate is burned into pieces. Why has that happened and can I replace it?

  The baffle is a consumable item that should be changed as needed.

  Hobbit cast iron stoves have very long life if wearing parts are replaced when they are worn. When letting too much primary air through the grate shaker, the temperature in the combustion chamber becomes very high, and this can shorten the life of the baffle.

  Another reason may be that there are ashes and soot on top of the baffle. Soot and ash on top of the baffle should be removed 1-2 times a year, this can be done with a brush

• Do woodburning stoves rust?

  If looked after and installed properly, the stove will not rust. If rust appears on the stove, it is usually because the stove has been exposed to moisture, possibly from the chimney. In summerhouses, the temperature is often very cold in winter and the still air in the combustion chamber can cause condensation on the stove surface.

  You should therefore leave the valves in the stove open to prevent condensation forming on the oven, which can cause rust. Another good idea is to leave the door ajar when the stove is not being used for a period of time.