This has probably been covered already.... but. *Winterizing* (Shut Down) a BK PE32?

[HNS]

We will be leaving our home for a couple of months. No fires, no heat up the flue, no dehumidification of the firebox, etc.

We will be shutting ours down mid-Nov, and returning to it early-Apr. Leaving it to fend for itself throughout an Alaskan winter... I realize this is when most BK's come to life...

So, what preventative measures should we take? Remove ash? Remove firebrick? Clean firebox walls? Dessicant packs in the firebox? Stuff flue with insulation and seal it off from the BK? Leave door open/closed/latched? Bypass open? What?

What *should* I be doing to minimize poor or bad eventualities?

Thanks

Jax (was taken - so I picked HNS - where we are. Haines Alaska. Southeast. Not so bad weather - but very windy, very humid.)

 

[stoveliker]

For a end of season clean outI run a full load at wide open throttle to crisp up the gunk inside the firebox. Then I use a metal brush to brush all metal parts inside (including behind the metal shields on the walls), and shovel out ashes and the brushings.
Then in my case I take off the stove pipe, cap the hole in the stove and the thimble and put in a can of damprid. This creates a closed volume that you dehumidify with damprid.
Maybe more than one can for you as you can't empty them.


Leave the bricks in.

I would leave the bypass open, no compression of the gasket needed.
Door closed because of the humidity.