2023 Stove Maintenance / Tips

First off, we want to thank you for being such great customers, letting us know if you have a little problem we can solve together, and giving us tips on changes we can make in the future, and new products you would like to see us develop.  Along with our great team of employees, you guys are the ones who make us successful. Again, THANK YOU!

Steelhead Wood Stove: Stove Maintenance And Tips

1. Check the gasket on your door to make sure it is still sealed correctly.
2. Check the window channel tape to make sure it is sealed correctly.
3. Look at the grey baffle boards to make sure they are not burned through.
4. Inspect your 3 center burn tubes for burn through.
5. Inspect your chimney for cleaning and have it done for sure if needed.
6. Inspect your fire bricks.  Small cracks are ok. Replace them if needed.
7. Burning 16” to 17” Dry wood in roughly 5” chunks seem to be the best burn times from our feedback from you guys.
8. Make sure the metal baffle plate is slid back so that the bend on it is against the ends of the tubes up top and that the metal baffle is under the grey baffle boards.

Caboose Wood Stove: Stove Maintenance And Tips

1. Check the gasket on your door to make sure it is still sealed correctly.
2. Check the window channel tape to make sure it is sealed correctly.
3. Look at the gray baffle bricks up top to make sure they are not burned through and correctly placed up against the back wall, so you don’t get exhaust straight up your pipe.
4. Inspect your chimney for cleaning and have it done for sure if needed.
5. Inspect your fire bricks in the bottom, sides, and back of the stove.  Small cracks are ok. Replace them if needed. We are using stone bricks now on the bottom bricks, instead of the gray bricks because you guys told us that would be better. 

DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE A PELLET ADAPTER AVAILABLE NOW FOR THE MINI ME STOVES. GET ONE AND TRY IT. IT GOES IN AND OUT EASY IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE WHAT YOU BURN. WE ALSO HAVE HOPPERS YOU CAN ADD TO THE TOP OF THE FEED TUBE FOR EXTREMELY LONG BURN TIMES!!!

Mini Me 8F / 12F are the models that have a Black Metal firepot inside, with bricks inside of the fire pot. The Fire Pot removes from the bottom of the stove if needed. 

NOTE: THERE ARE 3 AIR INLET HOLES IN THESE MODELS. SOME DID NOT KNOW THIS AND ONLY KEEP THE BACK HOLE THAT YOU CAN SEE AT SAY THE 12 O’CLOCK POSITION. THERE ARE AIR HOLES AT 4 O’CLOCK AND 7 O’CLOCK AS WELL. KEEPING ALL THOSE HOLES OPEN WILL PROVIDE A 100% BETTER BURNING EXPERIENCE.

1. Check the gasket on your door to make sure it is still sealed correctly.
2. Check the window channel tape to make sure it is sealed correctly.
3. Inspect your chimney for cleaning and have it done for sure if needed.
4. Inspect the bricks inside your fire pot. Cracked is ok.  Broken and missing should be replaced for sure.

Mini Me: Stove Maintenance And Tips

8F/12F Loosen the nuts underneath the stove on the fire pot so that you can drop the fire pot to pull the bricks out or pull out the fire pot totally.  If you do, make a mark to identify the front of the pot and install it the same way. When the bricks are out sand down or cut a 45-degree angle through the top inside edge of the brick leaving half the brick flat on top.  This will let you clean out the fire pot going through the door, not just a vacuum down the feed tube.

Mini Me 8 / 12 and Mini Me Pellet Stove  Models have removable bricks and a flat brick retainer. 2 air holes to the fire pot in the front and the back. Front air is removable for cleaning.

1. Check the gasket on your door to make sure it is still sealed correctly.
2. Check the window channel tape to make sure it is sealed correctly.
3. Inspect your chimney for cleaning and have it done for sure if needed.
4. Inspect the bricks inside your fire pot. Cracked is ok.  Broken and missing should be replaced for sure.

Tips:  Keep your fire pot clean.  Your stove will burn better. Also make sure the air inlet in front is installed correctly and flat into the hole in the bottom of the stove so it does not leak.  Burn with the damper in the center position or just a little lower.