Drolet Optima Specifications download pdf (Page 26)

Optima Installation and Operation Manual

5.2 Chimney and Chimney Connector Maintenance

5.2.1 Why Chimney Cleaning is Necessary

Wood smoke can condense inside the chimney connector and chimney, forming a

combustible deposit called creosote. If creosote is allowed to build up in the venting

system it can ignite when a hot fire is burned in the stove and a very hot fire can progress

to the top of the chimney. Severe chimney fires can damage even the best chimneys.

Smouldering, smoky fires can quickly cause a thick layer of creosote to form. When you

avoid smouldering so the exhaust from the chimney is mostly clear, creosote builds up

more slowly. Your new stove has the right characteristics to help you to burn clean fires

with little or no smoke, resulting in less creosote in the chimney.

5.2.2 How Often Should You Clean the Chimney?

It is not possible to predict how much or how quickly creosote will form in your chimney. It

is important, therefore, to check the build-up in your chimney monthly when getting used to

the new stove until you determine the rate of creosote formation. Even if creosote forms

slowly in your system, the chimney should be cleaned and inspected at least once each

year.

Contact your local municipal or provincial fire authority for information on how to handle a

chimney fire. Have a clearly understood plan to handle a chimney fire.

5.2.3 Cleaning the Chimney

Chimney cleaning can be a difficult and

dangerous job. If you don’t have

experience cleaning chimneys, you might

want to hire a professional chimney

sweep to clean and inspect the system for

the first time. After having seen the

cleaning process, you can decide if it is a

job you would like to take on.

The most common equipment used are

fibreglass rods with threaded fittings and

stiff plastic brushes. The brush is forced

up and down inside the chimney flue to

scrub off the creosote.

The chimney connector assembly should

always be cleaned at the same time the

chimney is cleaned.

CAUTION: Operation of your stove without the baffle may cause unsafe and hazardous

temperature conditions and will void the warranty. NOTE: Before installing the firebrick,

check to ensure that none are broken or damaged in any way. If so, have the damaged

ones replaced. Check the firebrick for damage at least annually and replace any broken or

damaged ones with new ones. Inspection and cleaning of the chimney is facilitated by the

removable baffle.

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Drolet Optima Specifications Page 26