Page 30
CLEANING AND MAINTAINANCE
The successful operation of your range cooker is entirely dependent on the
adequate performance (pull) of the chimney or flue to which it is connected. The
following maintenance guidelines will be pointless unless the flue is also
maintained and cleaned regularly. How often it needs cleaning will depend on
the quality and moisture content of the wood you burn but an annual clean is
recommended. A partially blocked or dirty flue can have disastrous implications
for an otherwise perfectly installed cooker.
A healthy flue draught should read between 12 – 25 pascals. A flue draught
reading below this value will result in poor smoky performance
Always carry out cleaning procedures when the cooker is unlit and has been
allowed to cool sufficiently to avoid burns. With time and experience you will be
able to gauge the intervals between cleaning more accurately. It will vary
depending on the quality of your firewood and performance of your flue. Take
time to get to know your cooker and inspect it at regular intervals for the first 6
months.
To clean the glass of any built up residue, special cleaning solutions can be used,
or a ball of newspaper dampened and passed through the ash can be used. Do
not use abrasive or chemically aggressive cleaning products on the glass as this
can weaken or stain it.
If any of the chromed components become blue due to excess heat they can be
restored using a chrome cleaner.
When de-ashing the cooking stove only remove small amounts of ash leaving
ideally 20mm depth of ash in the bottom for best performance.
