So it’s that time of year again. The garden looks great, the Rhododendrons have flowered. The car is serviced and the roof box secured. Whether it’s a day at the beach or a fortnight in the sun, we don’t care because we’ve waited all year for this. This is summer!

How can I relate summer to a wood burning stove? It’s easy really. When you decide to go on a road trip with the family one of the checks we all do is to make sure the car is serviced and road worthy and all engine levels are correct. We don’t check the tyre depth when we’re half way across the country. Why? Because we want the tip to go smoothly. The very same principal applies to your stove. Checking or servicing it mid-November is too late because it’s already cold outside and you want and need your stove to be on top form. You don’t need a degree in quantum physics to prepare your stove but as always you’re much better off to leave it to the professionals.

If you do feel like a bit of DIY I’ve mapped out how to change your rope seals and what you should be getting from an annual service.

Some of the basic things to check are the rope seals on the door and glass. It’s a very simple job to do but can have disastrous consequences if not carried out. The rope seals prevent air from entering the burn area of the stove ensuring the stove is fully controllable using the levers. If this has become compressed it may not be doing its job so there is a good chance the stove may over fire and potentially damaging brick, chimney and who knows what else. It’s very easy to change the rope.

For glass rope remove the four nuts and take out the glass and follow the steps above. You do not require adhesive as the rope is pre-prepared.

Be careful not to over tighten the glass as this will cause it to crack.

It’s obviously better to get a full service on your stove. A full service should consist of the following: