PELLET BURNER MAINTENANCE

Mine is free standing with external flue, so I can clean the flue from top or bottom. 

I only clean the flue, all parts, once a year when I finish using it in the spring. 

You are lucky to be able to do that.  I can't even see the flue except for the last 2ft where it comes out of the original  brick flue.

A year of winter burning does not sound too bad but it all depends on how much time you have it on.  They should include an hour meter on the stove to be sensible.

Looking at what is involved even annually sounds too often!!!

The last people I need back in the house are those that were sent to commission it.  Utterly useless, knew nothing.

An hour meter would be useful, as in many situations. 

The annual clean yields very little, much less than I thought it would, but because access is easy I don't mind doing it. 

Just a thought, do you have access to the heat exchanger tubes for routine cleaning? If so, would it be feasible to sweep from the top of the flue and remove the ash from the heat exchanger? Appreciate that this might not be an option given that it's a built in. 

Thanks for the suggestion but I can only get access to the bottom of the flue if the whole fire is pulled out from the hole in the wall.
It's an odd arrangement where the flue permanently connects to a 'junction box' attached to the mounting chassis that is screwed to the bottom of the opening. A pipe leaving the fire horizontally plugs into another slightly larger pipe attached to the front of the 'junction box' forming the exhaust.

You can see why I am reluctant to pull it out just to have a look if it needs cleaning. If someone had a suggestion that said it will need doing after say 50 bags or 'X' number of hours that would be the ideal answer.  But that's probably too straightforward for Spain.  The manufacturers are about as good as a sore head and you can forget Bricodepot where it came from.

Hi,

   try looking around for a chimney sweep, I'm sure they will exist in Spain. Generally sweeps will have come across all sorts of chimney/stove combinations and should be able to help you out. 

 Incidentally, in the UK not having a chimney swept regularly and then having a fire related to the chimney could, probaby would, invalidate house insurance. I'm not sure if this is similar in Spain but as many insurers look for ways to avoid paying a claim it probably is the same.

  In the UK a wood burner chimney/flue annual clean costs around £40-50, the sweep provides a safety certificate after the clean which covers us from a insurance perspective. I imagine a sweep will charge less in Spain. 

Rgds, 

Aitch.

Thanks, that is a good suggestion.  I can't say I have ever come across one, but I'll ask around and email a few folks.

Hi,

   good luck with your search. If you google chimney sweeps a few pop up but no idea what they are like.

Rgds,

Aitch.