Maintenance and Servicing

Regular maintenance

Whether you have a modern or older Metro wood fire, maintaining it regularly to the manufacturer’s instructions is important to maintain its safety, performance and longevity. Most wood burners and flue systems have parts that are designed to be replaced or cleaned periodically. It is also not uncommon to find wood burners that have been damaged due to deferred maintenance or improper use.

Your Metro fire will give you many years of efficient service with minimal maintenance if operated correctly using dry well seasoned fuel. Your Metro fire must be regularly maintained and any replacement parts must be genuine authorised Metro fires parts only.

Metro radiant fires are paint finish wood fires and coated with Pioneer Metallic Black high temperature paint. Over time paint finish fires will require periodic repainting to keep them looking their best. A coastal installation will likely require more regular maintenance over an inland environment due to the presence of salt laden air. Pioneer Metallic Black high temperature paint is the ONLY product suitable for revitalising the paint finish on your Metro fire.

DO NOT USE Stove Black, Cast Iron Stove Polish or similar based products to refurbish your paint finished fire.

All model Metro fires can be easily cleaned with a dry soft cloth when the appliance is not in operation.

• The high temperature paint coating is porous to allow for expansion of the product materials and will degrade over time due to the temperatures experienced during normal operation
• DO NOT wipe the painted surfaces with anything other than a dry soft cloth. Any ash on the surface when wiping will act as an abrasive to the surface finish
• DO NOT use any abrasive, solvent based or general household cleaners on your appliance as they will damage the surface coating
• Hot coals left on the ashlip, even for a short time, will burn off the painted surface exposing the parent material to oxidisation
• Take note that high salt laden air environments (coastal installations) can impact on the appliances surface degradation

All other Metro fires are coated with vitreous enamel. Vitreous enamel is extremely durable and designed to last the life of the appliance. As vitreous enamel is glass, a solid or heavy object dropped or banged against a panel could chip the enamel surface so care is required.

Flue systems

Your flue system should be checked annually, particularly the bottom end of the lower flue section at its rear lock formed joint. If any deterioration is noticed, please contact your Metro stockist or installer.

The flue pipe should also be swept a minimum of once a year, or as required during the winter season. Chimney cleaning is important to prevent creosote build-up, chimney fires and to guarantee optimum performance and maximum heat output from your wood fire.

If smoke enters the room when you open the Metro’s door this usually indicates the flue pipe is becoming restricted and needs cleaning. The frequency of flue pipe cleans depends on many factors, with the main variables being:

• The seasoning of the wood. If not properly seasoned you will require more frequent flue cleans.
• The density of the wood. Softwoods generally result in more creosote build-up in the flue pipe
• Incorrect operation on extended low burn cycles will cause excessive creosote to form

To clean the flue pipe of your Metro, proceed as follows:

• Open the Metro’s door and remove the side bricks carefully from the appliance
• Reaching inside with the palms of your hands face-up and extended, lift the top baffle approximately 20mm. Then lift it forward out through the door opening, placing it on a sheet of newspaper you have placed on the front of the floor protector
• Close the door and slide the air control to the left
• Once on the roof, remove the cowl from the top of flue system and sweep the flue pipe using a 150mm-diameter flue pipe brush as detailed in the instruction manual provided with the fluebrush
• Once the flue pipe is clear, clean and refit the cowl. Remove the excess soot which has fallen into the firebox, leaving a layer of ash 10mm deep on the base of the firebox, then refit the top baffle. The baffle should be resting on four support lugs (two on each side of the firebox). It must be pushed hard back against the rear wall of the firebox with the promet extension (white bricks) or return front steel edge of the baffle facing forward. If uncertain please refer to your Installation/Operation manual which shows illustrations of the correct baffle location.

Ash removal

Over time ash will build up in the base of the Metro’s firebox and require removal (generally 3-5 times a season). The time this build-up takes depends on the density and cleanliness of your fuel. To remove the excess ash your Metro should not be operating.

• Open the door, and using a hearth shovel or similar, empty the excess ash directly into a steel or non-combustible container
• If the ash is not disposed of immediately, be careful where you store it, as the ash can retain heat for many days and become a fire hazard
• We recommend leaving a bed of ash in the base of the firebox approximately 10-20mm deep as this helps to insulates the base of the firebox and improves combustion.

Wood ash can be an excellent source of lime and potassium for your garden. Not only that, but using ashes in the garden also provides many of the trace elements that plants need to thrive. Wood ash is best used either lightly scattered or by first being composted along with the rest of your compost.

Door glass

Providing your fuel is properly seasoned, under normal operating conditions the air-wash design of the Metro’s firebox will keep the door glass clear.

If your door glass requires cleaning you can gently use a razor blade scraper or crumpled wetted newspaper dipped in wood ash rubbed over the glass. When your ashes are cold, simply dip a piece of crumpled wetted newspaper into them. Then use this ash-laden newspaper in circular motions on the door glass. This should loosen up the stubborn soot and allow you to wipe away any residual dirt with a soft damp cloth.

DO NOT USE any window cleaner, oven cleaner or similar type of cleaning product as it may have adverse effects on both the door glass and finish of your wood fire.

If your door glass breaks it must be replaced with 5mm thick ceramic glass which is available from your local Metro stockist.

Door seals and adjustment

Over time, usually 3-4 years, the door rope and glass seals on your wood fire will harden and allow air to leak into the firebox, causing you to burn through more fuel and for the appliance to ‘over fire’. Your Metro stockist can supply door rope and glass seals to replace your worn ones.

The door of your Metro is easily removed. Hold it in both hands, open at approx 45 degrees and lift the hinge end of the door up and over the top hinge pin, then lower the door from the bottom hinge pin.

Provision is available on both sides of the door to enable adjustment if required. To adjust the hinge end of the door, open the door fully, loosen the top hinge nut and slightly lift the latch end of the door; you will see the hinge assembly move back 1-2mm which will usually be sufficient. Re-tighten, then repeat by loosening the lower hinge nut, this time applying a slight downwards pressure onto the door to move the lower hinge assembly back a similar distance, then re-tighten.

The door latch is also adjustable, as the latch pin on the right hand side of the firebox is fitted through a slot which enables the latch pin to be loosened, moved back and re-tightened.

Side bricks

Hair-line cracks are not uncommon and are a result of the intense heat within the Metro’s firebox, coupled with mechanical damage caused by accidental impact when fuel is being loaded. However if the fire bricks become cracked to the extent that they start to break up and fall into the fire, they must be replaced.