With the winter winter approaching, it's time to make sure your wood stove is ready to keep you warm during the colder months.Here are some tips to make sure your wood stove is winter-ready.

Get Your Wood Stove Checked

Have your wood stove checked annually by a professional. This will ensure that your stove is working safely, and ultimately saving you money on heating costs.

Clean Your Wood Stove

If you heat your home with a wood stove, it's important to clean it before the winter season is here. Get rid of any soot and ash so that you get proper ventilation and stop any potential fire hazards.

Check Your Chimney Flue

Have your chimney flue checked for any buildup of creosote and then clean it to reduce the chance of fire. A clean chimney can also improve the efficiency of your wood stove.

Replace Detector Batteries

It's important to replace the batteries in your smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide detectors. If you didn't do it when you set your clocks back, then do it now to make sure your and your family are safe.

Prepare for Emergencies

Get your emergency supplies together including a battery-operated radio, flashlight, water, medications, non-perishable foods, a telephone that doesn't need electricity, extra blankets, a first aid kit, and more.

Use Safe Heating Sources

If your heat goes out during a winter storm, use other kinds of heat sources like a well-vented wood stove or portable space heaters. Always follow manufacturers' instructions and dress warmly.

Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that can be produced by poorly vented heating sources. Make sure to use fuel space heaters with the right kind of ventilation and keep looking for symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Follow Fire Safety Measures

Fire hazards increase in the winter, so it's important to take precautions. Always keep a screen around an open flame, never use gasoline to start your fireplace, and have your chimney checked for build up.

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Located at 195 Troy Schenectady Road in Latham, Wintertime Wonderland is billed as "the Capital Region's largest indoor Christmas event." This 50,000 square foot indoor experience is set at the North Pole and takes anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours to walk through. Your kids will have a chance to wave through a frost ice maze, take a peek inside Santa's Workshop, visit with an Ice Princess, a Gingerbread Man, and even Santa.

Gallery Credit: Traci Taylor

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