End of season OWB shutdown...what do you do?

[SteveSS]

Temps are rising in Mid-MO, and I'll be letting the fire go out soon. This is my first season with the OWB, and I was just wondering what folks shut down routines were. I'll scrape the big chunks of crusty stuff off like I do periodically already, but what, if anything do folks do with the tarry, sappy soot? Burn one of the soot-buster logs, or just wait until next season and let it burn off with the first hot load out...or something else?

Just curious what everyone else does since I'll likely let it go out, scrape it, and scoop the ashes and call it good.

Thoughts?

 

[cantoo]

Well, what I do as it warms up is start burning up my crap wood to get it used up, cut up and burn any broken skids, firewood bins and scrap stuff. I flip a couple of valves in the basement to shut off water to the exchangers but leave the domestic on. Cardboard boxes flyers and crap goes in it. And all of the sudden it's winter again and I start putting the good wood in it and warming up the place. I burn year around, saves shutting things down.

 

[svk]

Guys around here also cover the stack with a 5 gallon bucket. And make sure any vents are closed off/plugged to keep the critters out.

 

[Poston5]

Just clean it out the best you can and cover up the stack. Mine has grates and I beams that keeps the ash tray separate from the firebox. I typically remove everything so I can clean it up. I keep my domestic running through it all summer to pick up the heat from the water jacket, even though I don't burn it (I have a hardy so my coil is in the water jacket at the boiler).

 

[SteveSS]

Guys around here also cover the stack with a 5 gallon bucket. And make sure any vents are closed off/plugged to keep the critters out.

Steve.....I had two blue birds and a sparrow for cremation when winter started. I'll toss up a bucket this year since the regular cap didn't do much good last year

 

[WVwoodsman]

I usually clean out all my ashes and then clean the outside with stainless steel cleaner and then repaint the door and latch, etc.

 

[lefturnfreek]

Other than a good clean out and capping the chimney, I check the water/antifreeze quality.

 

[Jose Duarte]

I burn year around, saves shutting things down.

 

[showrguy]

Power off, ashes out, cover stack, done....

 

[AIM]

Like most just a cleaning and done...

 

[JCMC]

I lightly scrape all loose material from sides and back inside firebox shovel out all then vacuum and cover pipe with bucket. I let my circulator run year round.
I have also lightly sprayed the inside with diesel fuel after cleaning.