SC - possibly OOP - wood stove

[Jessica Tiffin]

Hi, the list.

Ceridwen wrote:
>An Aga can be either coal or wood fired. First things first, however...
check (or
>have someone check) the chimney and pipes through the walls for soot or
creosote
>buildup. If there is a lot of either, or an obstruction  of any kind(bird nest,
>debris, etc) you could wind up with a very nasty chimney fire. 
Yes, this makes sense, particularly given the amount of junk we found
clogging the drains when we moved in... previous owners apparently didn't
clear out anything too often...:>

>Also check the
>firebox  and ash pan to see if they ned to be cleaned/emptied. Locate and
check the
>damper mechanism to be sure it moves. This controls the air flow to/from
your fire.
>If it is stuck in a closed position you will get a smoldering, smoky fire with
>little heat, if stuck open it can creat too great a draft and you will have
a *hot*
>fire really fast.
We found an odd item lying on top of the stove when we moved in - shaped
like a large iron key, about 20cm long, with a threaded end (like a small
bolt); we can't find anything in the stove that it screws into.  Looks like
some kind of detatchable handle for some mechanical somethingorother.  Any
theories, anyone?

>    I wish you the best... these stoves are economical, practical, and
beautiful.
>It can be a frustrating thing to learn for a person who is accustomed to gas or
>electricity, but is a life-long skill well worth learning.
I'm fully intending to have lots of fun with it.  Particularly since I'm not
forced to: dealing with ashes and such is much easier if you don't *have* to
do it daily, but can retreat to a nice clean electric stove when feeling lazy!

Thanks, Ceridwen, for all your suggestions - highly condusive to making me
feel a lot more confident in battling the stove-monster.

In service, 
Melisant

Melisant de Huguenin
Minister of Arts and Sciences, Shire of Adamastor, Drachenwald (Cape Town,
South Africa)
Sable, three owls, wings elevated, argent, each maintaining a willow slip vert.
Jessica Tiffin * melisant at iafrica.com

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