Tips On To Clean the Stove

It is now time to clean the electric stove. Most of the time, the stove will be in poor condition after the cooking, because of the spilled of the food which burned off on the stove. These stains sometimes are not easy to remove. Here are some tips on to clean the stove. Pilot light on automatic gas also needs to be cleaned.

BEFORE CLEANING AN ELECTRIC STOVE check to make sure that all switches are in the OFF position. The rims of the heating units should be wiped clean with a damp cloth when you have finished cooking and the stove has cooled. Food that has spilled on open units can be burned off. Put a saucepan of water on the burner and heat it until the food has been completely charred, then when the unit has been switched off and has cooled, lift the unit out and brush off the charred material. A mild scouring powder or steel wool can be used to clean the rim on which the unit rests. Wash it, after scouring, with a cloth wrung out of hot suds, rinse it, and wipe dry. Enclosed units are washed with a cloth wrung out of soapsuds. Particles that have burned on can be removed with steel wool or a mild scouring powder. It is important to keep the reflector pans under the electrical units clean and bright because they are designed to increase the heat output of the unit.

REMOVABLE DRIP PANS under the burners of kitchen ranges should be taken out and washed regularly along with other stove parts. Lining them with aluminum foil saves work here. And if you have a range without a drip pan do use aluminum foil because the area under the heating units is often very difficult to reach for cleaning.

TO CLEAN A GAS RANGE thoroughly the burners must be taken out and scrubbed with a stiff brush in hot suds made with an all-purpose detergent or soap and ammonia. If the burners are made of cast iron you can clean them easily by boiling them for several minutes with water containing a few tablespoonfuls of washing soda. (Don't use an aluminum pan for this.) In scrubbing the burners be particularly attentive to the little openings in the turn-on end through which the gas flows to the burners. If any of the little holes (called ports) in the burners are clogged, push out the soot accumulation with a wire or hairpin. Rinse the burners thoroughly, shake out the water, and wipe the outside dry. Then replace them, making sure that they are in the right position. Light each burner to complete the drying and to make sure it is functioning correctly.

GAS BURNERS are functioning correctly and with maximum efficiency when the flame is blue and even. A ragged yellow flame indicates that the burner is not getting enough air along with the gas. Such a flame blackens the bottoms of pans and gives poor heat. Sometimes this flame is due to clogged ports; if any are not burning properly, clean them with a wire. If cleaning the ports fails to correct the trouble and to produce an all-blue flame, see if the little air shutter at the turn-on end is open far enough to admit the proper amount of air.

PILOT LIGHT. Sometimes the pilot light on an automatic gas range goes out due to its tiny ports being clogged. Clean them out with a fine wire and relight the pilot with a match. Sometimes a puff of air can blow out a pilot light. Make the flame a little stronger by turning the screw at the end of the tube connecting it to the left for a stronger flame.

PERIODIC CHECKUPS. It is a good idea to have both gas and electric ranges checked periodically by a competent service man to make sure that they set level and operate properly and safely. Ask your gas or electric company if this service can be arranged.

It is Important to make sure that all switched are off before cleaning the stove and keep them until they are cool. Use a mild scouring powder or a steel wool to clean the rim. The removable part of the stove can be taken out and washed. Clean the pilot light from the gas stove with fine wire give a little puff of air out a pilot light.

How to Clean Your Pellet Stove

Most of the time wood pellet stoves will run better and more efficient when they are clean. The air inside can move around better and this will allow the appropriate combustion in the firebox. You can clean your pellet stove yourself and it will not take much time or work at all. You will have to have a few simple tools in order to get a better clean and have an easier time as well.

A few things that you will need to clean your pellet stove are a paintbrush, paper towels, cloths, shop vac and the scraping rod that usually comes along with your stove. When you place a new bag of pellets into the hopper of the stove, it is a good idea to clean the heat exchanger. When you are cleaning this it will allow the heat to move from the firebox to your area a lot easier. It is best to use a good quality pellet to avoid cleaning more often.

When you shut your pellet stove off, you can then use the paintbrush to clean the dust that the stove produces. You can use any other type of duster or brush for this job too. The brush will have the ability to get into the small cracks and spaces that the dust can fall into. You will then be able to vacuum the ash out of the collection pan easily.

Doing simple cleaning each month will make it easier to do a thorough cleaning every few months or so. You can use your brush or shop vac to clean the tough to see areas that are going to need cleaned. Each year you should get a professional furnace cleaner check your gaskets and motors to make sure that they are running freely. They will be able to get into the tough areas and see if there is anything that looks like it needs replaced or fixed. Also have the firepot cleaned well wand test your battery back up system if you have one equipped on your pellet stove.

When it is time to shut your pellet stove off for the summer, you should take out all of the pellets from the hopper. Pellets that are left inside over the summer may accumulate moisture and not need feed properly when you turn your stove back on in the fall. You will have to unplug your stove to protect in if there are any lightning strikes or even a power surge can harm your stove.

You should also check your owner's manual to see if there are any other recommended cleaning and safety tips to follow. It is always smart to use caution and common sense when you are using a pellet stove. When you follow the rules and the instructions, you will see that this is a great way to heat your home.