Cosy Heating takes great pride in servicing your unit and does a thorough check on all elements of your fireplace which are documented on a check sheet after each job.

Components checked:

Rope

All fireplaces have rope which ensures a tight seal on the interface. After a number of uses, the rope weakens and degrades which affect the seal. To this point, we replace the rope with new. Rope is found on the door, glass and the ash pan in some models .

After replacing the rope, you may experience a tighter fit and closing the door may be a bit more difficult to what you have experienced in the past.  For the first hour of a new burn, please open the door every 10 to 15 mins very slowly and close again. This breaks the seal and cures the glue onto the door ensuring a firm adhesion.

Deflector Plate

There is an upper and lower plate on most units which serves the purpose of deflecting the intense heat away from the outer fireplace casing in order to protect.

Shaking Grate

There is an upper and lower shaking grate on certain models which when manipulated assists in allowing the ash to fall through into the pan below. It is advisable to have the shaking grate open when you initially start the fire to allow more air into the unit. This must then be closed after 15mins otherwise the grate will bend and will need to be replaced.

Firebricks

Also called Vermiculite panelling, serves the purpose of creating the combustion effect and protects the outer casing from intense heat. These are delicate parts and can get damaged if wood is thrown into the unit and hits the panel with force. When cleaning, it is advisable to use an ash vacuum cleaner in preference to a hard spade

Flue pipes

Flue pipes will be checked from the fireplace to the exit point for rust and corrosion as well as the joints between the pipes for sealing.

Flashing

This is the waterproofing which is applied at the junction where the flue exits through the roof. It is checked to ensure it remains waterproof and secure in place

Cowl/Weathering Collar

Both of these parts are checked to ensure that they are connected firmly and deflect the rain away from the flues and flashing.

Painting

Once all our checks and adjustments have been made, a special high heat resistant paint will be sprayed on the unit as well as all exposed flues both internally and externally. You may experience a burning smell on your first and second fire which is the paint baking into the unit. This will pass and the smell will be gone thereafter.

Chimney Sweep

There is usually a build up of soot within the flue pipe which can restrict the draw of your fireplace and affect the performance of your unit. It is advisable to perform a chimney sweep every third year if you have been using the right quality of wood. If your wood is wet and contains resins and not hard, the build up happens quicker and you will need to sweep on a more regular basis. Chimney sweeps are not part of the standard service unless requested which will be an additional cost.

Additional Helpful points:

The wood:

For best results, the wood should be dry. A perfect water content is 16 to 20%, (how to check) look for natural cracking of the wood where it has been sawn, if there is cracking then the wood is ready to burn. Moisture meters are readily available and can be purchased at Cosy Heating to check your wood is dry.

Lighting the stove:

Place two cubes of firelighters on the base of the unit in the centre and light them. Place firewood above and around the lit firelighters to fill the cavity. Leave gaps between the firewood for the flames to raise upwards to penetrate the wood.

Leave the door slightly ajar, opening both the top and lower air flow controls to fully open (both over to the right hand side).

It will take about 20 minutes for the fire to get going well enough for you to have the wood lit and a lot of flame.

Refuelling the stove

When opening the door to refuel the fire, open the door slowly to prevent creating a vacuum and pulling smoke into the room and dropping embers onto the floor.

When refuelling, it may be necessary to open the vents full (over to the right hand side) to get the new wood burning well. Once the fire is at your required temperature, you can then move the vent handle to the centre. The bottom vent can then be closed completely.

Cleaning the Door Glass

Relighting the fire and running it at normal operating temperatures, with the top vent fully open, the glass should clean itself, should there be any persistent marks, dip a moist cloth into the cold wood ash, smear the ash onto the glass and rub well. Wipe the glass clean with a clean cloth. (NEVER use any chemical cleaners, on the glass as they react with the heat and pit the glass and make it white).

Vermiculite

With the heat of the fire, hair line cracks may be expected, and they do not prevent the vermiculite from functioning and it is expected as part of the normal fire use.

Please take care not to throw wood into the cavity, as this will cause excessive damage to the vermiculite.

Services

All fireplaces should be serviced on a regular basis, please call Cosy Heating for advice and to book your service 011 789 6236. The best time to do this is not in the winter month but rather when you are not using the fireplace in the warmer seasons