BTW - summer is a great time to have your chimneys and vents cleaned and inspected. Summer is a relatively slow time for most chimney sweeps and this can result in better options for scheduling. Call your chimney sweep today to schedule now and be prepared come fall/winter. We hope you will use us (see contact information below), but all of the sweeps in the area are well qualified and capable of assisting you. As an added incentive, if you mention Pinecam.com when you schedule your appointment, we will give you 10% off of our regular prices.

While I've never used one of those, that attachment is intended to clean the lint trap. The majority of lint build-up is found in the venting system itself (the pipes from the back of the dryer to the outside of the home). This attachment will not clean those areas.

Thank you very much!!!!

How long does it take my wood to season before it is fit to burn?

There is no one single answer to this question. Freshly cut wood can contain 60% or more water content. To most efficiently burn, the wood should be below 20%. The amount of time required to dry the wood is based on several factors including the length of the wood, the type of the wood and the area and way in which the wood is stored. Wood does not loose much moisture through the bark. It needs to be cut to length and split to best release the water content. Also, wood should be stacked so that air can circulate around it thoroughly. The best way to determine your woods moisture content is by using a moisture meter (available at many hardware stores or online). If you do not have a moisture meter or do not wish to purchase one, a good rule of thumb for our climate is a minimum of 6 month (but 9 is better).

Burning wet wood (commonly called 'green wood') has several side effects.
1) You will expend quite a bit of the potential of the wood to get the moisture out of it when attempting to burn.
2) The moisture, which is released as steam, will reduce the effectiveness of your chimney and can result in the buildup of excess creosote. Worse, burning wet wood can result in the worst kind of creosote buildup (called glazed creosote). Glazed creosote is the most difficult to remove requiring specialized tools and chemicals and has the highest potential for chimney fires.

I know my answer is something of a non-answer. The best bet is to ensure your wood is well dried and using a moisture meter is by far the best method determining this.

Who in this area can I call to have a wood stove inspected/repaired? I need to replace the latch on the stove door because it snapped off, and I am concerned that the heat shield inside the stove has a weak spot that may affect.... Something? I am new to the use of the wood stove so I have no clue what I am talking about! Anyone with info/help with this would be greatly appreciated.

You can call Neptune Chimney Service at 303-838-0717. They do sweepings, inspections and repairs!

Is there a tag anywhere on the stove that gives the model or at least manufacturer?

Is the heat shield at the top, back or sides of he stove?

I Recently had what I thought was a minor problem with my chimney pipe .... had neptune come out for a minor inspection which turned out to be a major inspection... finds out I could of burnt my house to the ground if I used the woodstove this fall Thanks to the excellent service and strong knowledge of Neptune Chimney (Mellisa) my chimney and woodstove will heat my house again safely for hopefully another 30 years . Thank-you NEPTUNE ..... PINE CAMMERS CALL NEPTUNE SERVICE IS AWESOME 303-838-0717

Feel free to give us a call at 303-838-0717. We will check it out for you!

Thanks, TerBear for the plug. We aim to please!

This is a Sweet Home model AFX that was installed in 1988. The heat shield encompasses the entire top and portions of the two sides and back. The area I am concerned about is the seam from the back to the top of this plate.

Neptune- I will be able to call you when my finances calm down, and trust me, with my level of knowledge I will!