Why do I need a service?
To ensure that your stove complies with the terms of its warranty
Warranty Assurance
The first reason, but not the only one, is that your extended stove warranty (usually 5 years, but sometimes up to 10 years), will more than likely be rendered void by the manufacturer for your failure to service the stove at least annually. They'll want proof too. Not to single out any manufacturer in particular because they all say more or less the same, here's what the UK's biggest, Stovax, have to say on the matter...
'It is also a condition of the Extended Warranty that your Stovax Stove or Fireplace is regularly serviced (every 12 months) by a suitably trained and qualified individual (HETAS registered in England or equivalent qualified engineer in other countries). Records and receipts of annual services will be required in the event of a warranty claim during the period of the extended warranty.'
If your warranty has been declared void then replacement components, call outs and labour charges can often be very expensive and therefore it's best to avoid them where you can by ensuring that you comply with the terms and conditions of your stove's warranty. It's worth pointing out here that most manufacturers regard glass and glass gaskets, fire bricks, fire grates, log retainers, baffle plates, and rope seals as consumable items and in our experience these will not usually be covered under their warranty. To be fair to the manufacturers this is because all of these components come into direct contact with flames and excessive heat and their lifespan will vary depending on fuel type used, the fuel load and and how many times you fire your stove. For example some stove owners can make a baffle plate last for years whilst others may need theirs replacing very much sooner.
To ensure that your stove remains safe for you to use
Safety
A stove that has been serviced annually should continue to be safe to use and will certainly reduce the potential risk of a dangerous and invisible carbon monoxide (CO) leak. Service My Stove will make sure that your stove is as airtight as it's possible to be and will also check and clear any blockages which may exist inside the stove's flueway.
To ensure that your stove isn't wasting expensive fuel
Cost Efficiency
A stove that is regularly serviced will, under normal circumstances, remain efficient by eliminating any air leaks that make the combustion air supply, and consequently fuel consumption and flame height, difficult or impossible to control. In addition, if you're using up your fuel quickly there's always the temptation to increase the fuel load by adding more fuel than is recommended by the stove's manufacturer in an effort to extend the time before you need to reload and this can cause over-firing. Over time over-firing can very quickly shorten the lifespan of your stove's components particularly the firebricks, the fire grate and log retainers as well as the baffle plate(s) and in extreme cases can damage any flue lining or twin wall components, which again will render void any warranties on these components.
To ensure that your stove minimises harmful emissions
The Environment
Badly performing stoves are renowned for producing more emissions than they really should which is not only harmful to your local air quality (you're immediate neighbours are going to love you) but because emissions such as soot can quickly build up inside the stove's flueway and eventually cause smoke to enter the room. Such sooty deposits could also lead to dangerous blockages further on up inside the flue system or chimney thus increase the likelihood of the build-up catching fire and causing a serious chimney fire. Incidentally, whilst we're servicing your stove Service My Stove can also advise you on the correct choice of fuels and how best to burn them, especially if you're new to stoves, to help you to limit your emissions output and reduce any risk of accidental smoke spillage or chimney fires.
So that you know if any components are about to fail
Further Safety
When we service your stove we'll clean and inspect each consumable component such as the fire bricks, fire grate, log retainer, baffle plate(s), rope seals, glass and glass gaskets and rather like a car's MOT we'll provide you with a list of advisories for those components which could soon need replacing so that you can keep an eye on them.
To ensure that your stove continues to be an important, reliable and enjoyable heating asset for your home
Value for Money
There's nothing worse than a stove that's difficult to light and control with lacklustre flames you can just about see through its heavily stained window. However, when an old stove is operating efficiently and throwing out loads of heat it will once again quickly become a real pleasure for you to use, returning to its role as the heart warming focal point of a welcoming home. With its restored view of totally controllable and mesmerising flames dancing away you can safely bask in the abundant heat confident in the knowledge that your newly serviced stove is not going to let you down any time soon, all thanks to Service My Stove.