MAINTENANCE – FURNACE
General Maintenance:
Your WinterGreen furnace requires some periodic maintenance to keep it good working order. You
should establish a routine that would cover the following items on a regular basis. It is especially impor-
tant to maintain loading door and ash removal tray seals in good condition to prevent smoke spillage
and proper furnace operating efficiency.
Heating Season:
Check for creosote buildup in the furnace, especially around the water vessel tubes in the firebox.
Creosote buildup on the tubes will greatly affect the efficiency of the furnace.
Check for creosote buildup in the chimney. (See “Chimney Maintenance” section in this manual)
Clean out ashes from the fire box; do not allow them to block the draft tubes in back of the firebox.
(See “Furnace-Primary Fire” section in this manual for ash disposal).
Check the transfer fluid level weekly in the fluid reservoir (Open System only) to avoid oxygen
buildup in the system. Oxygen buildup promotes corrosion of system components.
Clean the damper lid frequently to avoid creosote buildup. Improper sealing of the damper will result
in poor performance and possibly cause the damper to seize.
Clean creosote from the Draft Inducer and Barometric Damper. Frequent checks and observation
will help establish the cleaning intervals that your system requires.
Check all chimney components, connections and seals to ensure there is no smoke spillage. Repair
or replace if necessary.
End of Season Shut Down Maintenance:
Check and top off transfer fluid.
Clean all ashes from firebox and empty the ash pan.
Clean chimney, flue, draft inducer, barometric damper.
Clean creosote from boiler tubes.
Inspect chimney components and replace any rusted pipes.
Cover chimney top to prevent any debris or animals from entering.
Clean furnace with soap and water.
Test safety relief valve.
Disconnect power from furnace.
Cracks in the Firebox refractory:
Small fractures, spalling and chips in the refractory are considered to be normal wear on the furnace.
These conditions do not affect the operation, safety or performance of the unit. Cracking that progresses
across the face of the refractory sides are not considered to be a structural problem and do not affect
the performance or life of the furnace. Should severe cracking occur and gaps progressively widen, con-
tact your local WinterGreen representative.
CLEANOUT OF THE HEAT EXCHANGER, FLUE PIPE, CHIMNEY, DRAFT INDUCER AND
BAROMETRIC DAMPER IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AT THE END OF THE HEATING SEASON
TO MINIMIZE CORROSION DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, CAUSED BY ACCUMULATED ASH.
NOTE: It is recommended that the chimney be cleaned and inspected by a professional Chimney
Sweep.
Flushing the System:
WinterGreen recommends that at least every year the heat transfer or fluid or water be drained and the
system flushed with a boiler treatment additive. This will remove any scale buildup and clean the sys-
tem. The boiler treatment additive can be purchased at most H.V.A.C. suppliers.
