Apr 02, 2019

Tools That Simplify Cleaning Your Outdoor Wood Boiler

Step 2 of 10 - 2023 Ultimate Summer Shutdown Checklist

Quiz: Which Parts of Your Outdoor Wood Furnace MUST Be Cleaned With a Brush?

Do you take good care of your home? Your car?

Do you want your things to last?

Your outdoor furnace has kept you warm and toasty for the whole winter season. So, before you shut it down for the summer, make sure it's clean so you can use it again in the heating season with confidence.

We know that you put a lot of money into your outdoor wood boiler system. It can endure 30 to 40 years with proper maintenance, but only if you follow a few easy guidelines.

We make this simple for you by providing our Ultimate Summer Shutdown Checklists!

NOTE: This checklist ONLY relates to brushing the inside of your boiler, and does not replace the full instructions.

This article is about the parts of your outdoor wood stove that must be cleaned with brushes or other necessary cleaning tools.

Which parts of the outdoor boiler need to be cleaned with a brush or other cleaning tool? ALL INSIDE SURFACES!

This may sound harder than it is - but we make it even easier.

How Often Should I Clean the Inside of My Outdoor Furnace?

Cleaning the chimney is recommended every year. We suggest it be done during spring before you shut down your wood boiler. To eliminate soot, obstructions, and creosote buildup from your chimney, you'll need to clean it.

Soot and creosote buildup inside a chimney flue reduces the draw of the fireplace and increases the risk of a chimney fire if not cleaned. Creosote is highly flammable which can result in a chimney fire. In order to clean it properly, you will need proper tools for cleaning.

Cleaning Procedure:

1. First, make sure you have the necessary items required for the summer shutdown - in particular make sure you have two creosote sticks, a "D-Plate Brush", a wire brush, and a shovel.

Creosote Sticks are available HERE, and

D-Plate Brushes are available HERE

2. Three days before you shut down your boiler, put both creosote sticks in the fire.

3. On the day you shut down your boiler, allow the fire to completely burn out. This will dry out the boiler. Do not add any fresh firewood to the fire, but let it burn down to coals and let the coals burn out completely. (See Dry Burn instructions for more info.)

4. Remove all ash and coals.

5. Scrape out the inside of the boiler with your shovel or any tool that allows you to make the steel surfaces clean.

6. Remove the Chimney cap. (If you have not done this in a while, it may be difficult, but it is MANDATORY.)

7. Using a wire brush, brush out the inside of the chimney.

8. Using your D-Plate Brush, push the wooden handle end down the chimney and towards the front of the furnace until it hits the front wall. Open the firebox door and reach up and pull the handle so that you pull the D-Plate Brush through the Deflector Plate Channel. Do this three times or until the area is clean.

9. Climb on top of the furnace roof and using a shop vac vacuum cleaner, vacuum out the deflector plate area from the chimney. THIS IS AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED, yet ESSENTIAL maintenance item to clean your stove. It is FATAL to your boiler to overlook this important step.

NOTE TO HAWKEN GX Series Furnace Owners: GX furnaces do not have a deflector plate and do not need a D-Plate Brush. However, a tube cleaning brush or cleaning tool is required. For the GX10 Cleaning Brush click HERE and for GX15 click HERE.

Remember that this critical maintenance item will help you SAVE BIG MONEY for decades to come by keeping your boiler in great shape!

Coming Soon - Step 3 of 10 - 2022 Ultimate Summer Shutdown Checklist!

See below for the list of articles already published in this series: