How to Clean Wood Burning Furnaces

A wood burning furnace needs to be cleaned at least once a month during peak seasons and every two or three months other times of the year. The furnace contains soot and material that has not completely incinerated. This can cause a fire hazard as well as uneven flow of heat. It is important to maintain your wood burning furnace for optimal performance and less maintenance costs. Cleaning a furnace takes about an hour, depending on its size.

Things You'll Need

• Chimney sweeper brush Small mud bristle brush Small broom Dustpan Large yard debris garbage bag

Instructions

1. Remove all of the large debris from the furnace. Pieces of half-burned wood can be set aside to use again or thrown away. All pieces that you can physically pick up should be taken out before proceeding.

2. Use the chimney sweeper brush to clean any pipes or vents that protrude from the wood burning furnace. Sweep the vents towards the top then all the way back down. Debris should fall from the vents into the base of the furnace. Pay close attention to each side of the vent or pipe and reach the end of the vent. Continue sweeping the vent until you cannot collect any more soot.

3. Sweep the loose debris and soot into your dustpan, using a small broom. Removing the soot will make cleaning the base of the furnace easier. Sweep up all of the debris you can into your dustpan and throw it into the garbage bag. Continue sweeping until all the loose material has been removed.

4. Use the mud bristle brush to clean the base of the furnace. This type of brush is small and usually has a wooden handle. It is also rough to be able to scrape the metal of the built up ash and soot. Reach inside the furnace and scrub all the sides as well as the floor. You will need to sweep the loose soot into your dustpan frequently. This will help you see how much dirt is left inside the furnace.

5. Take a final look inside your furnace for any dirt you may have missed. Use your broom to remove the rest of the soot from the bottom of the base and throw it away.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear safety goggles, a dust mask and gloves when working with fine material and soot.