So here at Hearthside we believe developing teamwork is critical to our success… Thus, Hearthside will be shutting down early today at 3 PM in all show rooms, so that our employees can celebrate at our annual holiday party. ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

Winter Grilling Tips for Propane in Your BBQ

Have you ever wondered if a propane grill will light in the winter, or heard that it's more difficult to use? Truth is, you can use your propane grill right through cold season. You just have to take a few steps to ensure optimal performance and use.

Due to cooler temperatures in the winter, especially in northern areas, you may find that you will be using more propane than usual. This is due to increased time for preheating, and the added propane that's used to keep grills hot while ambient temps are lower.

When was the last time you checked your hoses and connections for wear, splits, and a proper fit? Remember to check these things as part of your regular grill maintenance routine.

If you are experiencing poor heating or less than ideal looking flames, it is more likely that you need to do a regulator reset, or clean the burner ports. Remember, regular grill maintenance is the key to the performance of your grill, especially in extreme weather conditions.

You may want to have extra propane on hand so you're never at risk of running out. The easiest way to check your levels in a propane tank is to remove the tank from your grill and pour some hot tap water over the side of the tank. Feel the side of the tank, it will be significantly cooler at the level where the propane begins. This will give you an idea how much fuel you have.

What about storing that extra tank? Propane can be safely stored outdoors in temperatures down to -50°F/-45°C all winter. Remember to keep the tank off the ground, on a pallet, or paving stone is ideal. Keep your tank covered or sheltered until needed.

That's it! Questions? Give us a call anytime. We're here to help. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago

Why You Should Preheat Your Chimney Flue

When it gets really cold outside, your chimney fills with cold outside air, especially if your chimney is on an outside wall of your house. When the fireplace and chimney are working properly, your fire draws in the cooler air from your home to fuel the fire. As the fire gets hotter, the hot air rises up the chimney, taking smoke along with it. But when cold outside air (heavier and denser than warm air) fills the chimney - at the same time you're first lighting a fire - smoke can't rise out of the firebox, causing smoke to draft improperly into your house.

What follows are a few quick and easy steps you can take to preheat the flue and ensure that your fire doesn't back draft into your cozy home.

First, take a look: open the damper and take its pulse. Do you feel cold air coming down the chimney? If yes, don't light the fire yet! If you light the fire, the new hot air will meet the cold air trapped inside and force that smoke back downwards. What we're aiming for here is creating a tall column of WARM air in the chimney. So first, we need to prime the flue.

There are two really easy methods to get that cold air out of the chimney and make way for your new fire. ONE: tightly roll up four to five newspapers into “torches” and light one end (lighting both ends would clearly be problematic;). Hold the burning torch way up in the damper opening. In a minute or so, you will feel the draft reverse, as the warm flue gasses start to move up the flue.

TWO: another simple way to prime the flue is using a blow dryer. As long as the blow dryer air is warmer than the freezing outside air, this will do the trick. Simply aim the dryer up the opening for a few moments to move that cold air out, and voila! You've primed your flue and should be ready to light the fire and enjoy.

If you have continued smoke problems, give us a call and let us help you troubleshoot your situation. It may be a simple fix or some kind of obstruction in your chimney that needs tending.

Stay warm, and get those fires burning! ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Good morning! Did you stay warm overnight? We are often asked about how to burn wood overnight in your home for safety and optimal heating value. The truth is, very few wood stoves can burn longer than two to three hours on one wood load.

The old way of closing the air supply so that the coals will smoulder overnight is a source of pollution and creates the risk of a chimney fire. In addition, the heat benefit is poor as the gases are not combusted and the energy is not utilized.

The last wood load in the evening should be some bigger hardwood logs that burn as normal with the air vents open. This way, even if the fire dies out, the insulation in the house will keep the heat in. The stove and chimney will still be warm in the morning and it is no problem to get the fire going again.

And remember, you should always put two or three logs on the fire at a time – one log on its own will often die out. The reason is that the burning of a log happens in three stages, and one single log is not able to keep its own process going. More logs have a bigger surface, creates more turbulence and keeps the burning process going.

So stay warm, keep the home fires stoked, and enjoy this beautiful winter day.

Any questions about burning wood? Don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to help!

Source: Jøtul ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago