Save Yourself Time, Money And Unnecessary Inconvenience. Brrrrilliant!
Allow us to set the scene: It's November in the UK, the sun has decided its only showing up to do a measly part-time shift... and the temperature has suddenly plummeted. Shorts & sandals have been exchanged for thermal underwear & extra fluffy socks. Your online shopping cart is piled high with soup and now you long for nothing more than to spend your evening curled up in front of the fire.
You blow the dust off the top of your poor, neglected heating appliance; you can't even remember the last time it felt a human touch. 5 months? 6? ...8?! You shrug off the thought as you ready yourself for the comforting warmth of the flame. But it never comes. "Typical." You mutter." Just when I really needed you."
If this sounds familiar to you, you're not alone. Many wait until the colder months to use their fire or stove for first time after a prolonged period of no usage. Which is understandable. Unfortunately this then means that our industry receives a huge influx of people with maintenance related queries all at the same time: a time of year when we also experience our busiest season.
Therefore to avoid extended waiting periods, additional call-out charges & not being able to use your fire or stove at the time of year when you need it most, we recommend to our customers to do two things:
Use Your Stove Or Fire Once Between September - October
It doesn't have to be for very long, just enough time to let you know whether your heating appliance is performing the way it should. That way if you do encounter any problems, then you're able to deal with it sooner and your fire or stove isn't out of action while its really cold.Â
Also... An Annual Service Doesn't Hurt
Make sure your appliance is serviced annually & is up-to-date, and your chimney swept. Appliances still within their warranty period should be receiving an annual service regardless. A service with an approved engineer will ensure your fire or stove is in proper operation and also helps with longevity & safety.
And that's it! Easy, non-time consuming & your future self will thank you for it.
That way you've got more time to worry about the really important things, such as: when is it too early to start listening to Michael Bublés Christmas Album?