Wood Stove Repair in Spring Hill, Florida

A Leak Where the Chimney Leaves the Roof

On a stove whose chimney goes straight up through the roof, the roof opening is the first place to look for water. The chimney passes through a roof boot that is sealed to the roofing, and a storm collar sits on the chimney just above it. Drolet's installation manuals have both parts installed exactly as the chimney maker instructs, with the storm collar sealed and the joints finished with high-temperature waterproof silicone. When that sealant cracks, the collar slips down, or a roof repair disturbs the roofing around the boot, rain can follow the chimney into the house.

A leak there usually shows as a stain on the ceiling around the chimney, water running down the outside of the stovepipe, or rust on the chimney sections in the attic. On a wood stove repair service call we trace it from the attic and from the roof, then reseal the collar, reset or replace the roof boot, and replace damaged chimney sections. Under Florida Building Code section R1005.1 a factory-built chimney is installed and finished per its maker's instructions, and Drolet's manual says to use only parts made for that brand and model, so every replacement part matches the chimney already on the roof. A decorative shroud at the top is not added unless it is listed for that chimney system, per R1005.2.

• Storm collar slid down or its sealant cracked
• Roof boot lifted or its seal broken
• Rain cap missing, bent or loose
• Rusted or dented chimney sections in the attic

Loose Chimney and Stovepipe Sections

Stovepipe expands and shrinks with every fire, and a stove that is bumped or moved can work its joints loose. Drolet's manual asks for every joint to overlap and be fastened with at least three screws, with the male ends pointing down toward the stove so dust and condensation stay inside the pipe, and for a straight run to include a telescopic section or an inspection wrap that allows for expansion. Joints that rattle, gaps you can see light through, or a pipe that was assembled upside down are fixed by taking the run apart and putting it back correctly, replacing any section that has warped or rusted through.

Glass, Door Gaskets and the Paper Test

A wood stove burns well only when its door seals. Drolet's test is easy to try yourself with the stove cold: close and latch the door on a strip of paper, all the way around. Where the paper slides out easily, the latch is adjusted first and a wood stove door gasket replacement follows if adjustment does not fix it. The maker's manual asks for a genuine replacement gasket, and brown streaks running in from the edge of the glass mean the glass gasket has failed too.

Stove glass is not window glass. The Escape 1200, for example, uses 5/32-inch ceramic glass tested to 1400 degrees Fahrenheit, and Drolet says a broken pane is replaced with one of the same specification. The manual names the two main causes of broken door glass as a pane set unevenly in the door and retaining screws tightened too hard, so on a wood stove glass replacement the new pane goes in centered, with a new gasket around its edge, and the screws are snugged rather than forced. Do not run the stove with cracked or broken glass.

Firebrick, Baffle and the Parts Inside the Firebox

Firebrick, refractory panels, the baffle and the air tubes are wear parts. Drolet's manual says they wear over time, should be inspected for damage and replaced when broken, and should always be replaced with original parts. A cracked or missing baffle is the one not to ignore: the manual warns it can cause unsafe temperatures. That puts wood stove baffle replacement first on the list when one is cracked.

We take the stove's model and serial number from its plate, match the part on the maker's parts list, and fit it as the manual shows. In a wood stove firebrick replacement, a brick that is broken or missing is replaced; smaller flaws go on your written record so you can keep an eye on them.

When a Stove Is Past Repair

Some damage is not a parts job. A stove body that has cracked or warped from overfiring is not welded back together and presented as a listed repair. When parts for an old stove are no longer made, or the body itself has failed, we tell you plainly and price a replacement under our wood stove installation service. A new stove has to meet the EPA's 2020 rules and carry their permanent label, while a stove already in your home is not affected by those rules.

If the chimney itself only needs cleaning, that is a separate, smaller visit covered by our wood stove cleaning service.

What to Do Before We Arrive

Let the stove go out and cool before anyone touches the glass, the gaskets or the pipe. If water is coming in at the ceiling, put a bucket under it and keep the stove cold until the roof opening is sealed. Do not climb onto the roof to patch the chimney yourself: the slope, the hot metal of a recently used chimney and a fall from the eave are real risks, and a seal patched with the wrong material can fail in the next storm. Smoke in the room, or a carbon monoxide alarm, means the stove stays out until the system has been checked against the stove's manual and NFPA 211.

Spring Hill Chimney Family is locally owned and family run, Proudly American, and staffed by an experienced crew that identifies each stove from its plate. Every wood burning stove repair begins with a free inspection and a written estimate, and the finished work carries our workmanship warranty.