Skip to content

Using your stove

Stove and chimney care before winter

A practical pre-winter routine for stove owners: sweeping, seals, glass, ash and carbon monoxide alarms, and when to call a professional.

3 min read · Updated 9 October 2026

In this guide
  1. Get the chimney swept
  2. Fit and check a carbon monoxide alarm
  3. Check the stove
  4. Empty the ash pan, carefully
  5. Get your fuel ready
  6. Know the rules
  7. When to call a professional
  8. Your first fire of the season

Before the first cold evening, spend an hour looking after your stove and chimney. A little maintenance keeps the fire safer, makes it burn better and helps your appliance last. This is general advice: follow your appliance maker's instructions, and use a qualified professional for anything you are not sure about.

Get the chimney swept

A chimney or flue builds up soot and tar, especially if you have burned damp wood or run the stove cool. Left alone, it can restrict the flue and, in the worst case, cause a chimney fire.

  • Have your chimney swept at least once a year, and more often if you burn a lot. A sweep will tell you what is right for your set-up.
  • Choose a qualified sweep, for example one registered with a recognised trade body, and ask for a certificate or record of the sweep.
  • Have it done before the heating season, not in the middle of it.

Fit and check a carbon monoxide alarm

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas you cannot see, smell or taste. A blocked flue or a faulty appliance can allow it into the room.

  • Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in the room with the appliance. Look for one that meets the current British standard (BS EN 50291) and has a mark from a recognised testing body.
  • Test it monthly and replace batteries, or the whole unit, as the maker says.
  • Also have working smoke alarms.

If an alarm sounds, open doors and windows, let the fire die down, leave the room and get advice.

Check the stove

  • Door seals (rope). Look at the rope seal round the door. If it is flattened, frayed or no longer holds a piece of paper tightly when the door is shut on it, it needs replacing. A leaky seal lets in extra air and makes the fire hard to control.
  • Glass. Check the glass for cracks. Clean it when the stove is cold; the manufacturer may recommend a specific cleaner, or a damp cloth dipped in cold ash.
  • Firebricks and baffle. Look for cracked or crumbling firebricks and for a baffle plate that has slipped or warped. Damaged parts should be replaced.
  • Air vents and controls. Make sure they move freely and are not clogged.
  • Flue pipe and connections. Check for gaps, rust and loose joints.

Empty the ash pan, carefully

Ash helps insulate a fire bed, so leaving a thin layer is fine, but do not let the pan overflow. Let ash cool completely, emptying it into a metal container with a lid and keeping it away from anything flammable. Embers can stay hot for many hours.

Get your fuel ready

  • Check stock. Is there enough dry fuel for the first weeks? See how much firewood do I need.
  • Check dryness. Measure a few logs; see Ready to Burn explained.
  • Stock the essentials: firelighters, kindling, matches, a stove glove and a metal ash container.

Know the rules

  • If you live in a smoke control area, make sure your appliance and your fuel are allowed; see smoke control areas and what you can burn.
  • If you are having work done on a stove or flue, use a competent, qualified installer.

When to call a professional

  • A chimney that is blocked, smoking back or has a damaged liner.
  • A stove with cracked glass, damaged bricks or a faulty seal that you cannot fix.
  • Any smell of fumes, or a CO alarm sounding.
  • Any change in how the appliance behaves that you cannot explain.

Your first fire of the season

Light it when you are at home, and keep an eye on it. Some new smells are normal after a summer's rest, but anything odd, or smoke coming into the room, is a reason to put the fire out and check. Then follow how to light a fire in a stove.

More guides