Wood burning stoves can be a great interior design addition to your home and more importantly, a good way to heat your home on those cold evenings.
However, wood burners can cause a home owner issues if they aren’t used correctly.
Below we’ll look at some common tips and tricks that allow you to get the very best out of your wood burning stove. We want to ensure that you’re using your stove efficiently and safely to protect you, your family, and your home.
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Wood Burning Stove Tips and Tricks
Use dry wood
It’s common sense for a reason, but using dry wood in your stove will massively help your fire to burn more efficiently overall.
The recommended moisture content of wood you burn in your home should be around 20%. This means you don’t want wood with more than 20% moisture.
If you’re seasoning your own wood, you should give the wood approximately 2 years to air dry. Firewood that is kiln dried or well-seasoned indicates that it’s dry enough to be used on fire. If you would like to know exactly what the moisture content of the wood is before using it, you can buy a moisture meter.
The reason you should use dry wood is because the wetter the wood, the more energy is required to burn the excess moisture in the wood. You may find that if you’re adding wood that’s too wet, the fire will start to burn less efficiently.
It’s also important to remember that cold wood is harder to burn so we would recommend that you bring in any wood that’s kept outside before you plan on burning it. Bringing it indoors will give it a chance to warm and therefore, make it burn more efficiently.
Use the right amount of wood
If you want your wood burning stove to burn more efficiently, you need to ensure you’re maintaining the right amount of wood.
Every model will have a certain design capacity, and you should not exceed this amount because the stove could end up running too hot. You should also avoid putting too little wood in as this can cause the fire to die or drop in temperature. Ensure that you check the manufacturers guidelines to see what your design capacity is.
Also, if your wood burning stove has tertiary air vents at the back of the stove, ensure that your wood logs do not exceed the height of the vents. The reason for this is that the vents help to provide air to the fire, which helps the fire to be more efficient with a consistent oxygen supply.
Take care of your stove
Make sure that you’re cleaning the stove regularly to prevent the build-up of creosote and rust.
Creosote is a flammable residue that accumulates inside your stove when it isn’t properly cleaned and maintained. Rust can damage the metal parts of your appliance. If you are not going to be using your stove for long periods, remove ashes from the firebox or ash pan as this will prevent them from clogging up air passages in the combustion chamber.
There is a risk of ashes catching fire if they are not removed from the stove frequently enough.
Use newspaper to spread to wood
Use old newspaper (or junk mail, old bills or magazines etc.) to help your fire grow and spread more quickly.
Crumple some papers into balls or place twisted sheets with twigs and small logs so they can ignite easily. The newspaper acts in much the same way as kindling, providing an easy fuel source for the fire before it grows to properly tackle your bigger more solid wood logs.
It’s also a handy way to dispose of old newspapers, bills or sensitive documents you might not want to put in the trash.
Open the air vents before you start the fire
Before you start a fire in your wood burning stove, you should fully open the air vents and the dampers for approximately 15 minutes.
This will help reduce creosote build-up inside your chimney over time by burning off volatile gases before they can condense later. Therefore, preventing smoky smells or fireside clean-ups.
Clean your chimney
The National Fire Protection Association recommends that chimneys should be cleaned at least once a year.
Be honest with yourself, when was the last time you got your chimney cleaned?
It’s a job that is easily forgotten about, but it is very important as having a clean and working chimney will help improve the efficiency of your wood burning stove. The reason for this is that having clogged chimney walls can disrupt the smooth airflow.
Before you start using your stove, get your chimney checked for any holes or cracks, get your chimney swept, and clean out the airways connected to your stove.
Buy a newer model
Our final tip, and one of the best we can give you is to replace your current stove with a newer model if your current stove happens to be relatively old now.
Older wood burning stoves (those manufactured before 1990), burn wood less efficiently, waste fuel, pollute the outdoor air, and creates dust in your home. You may be reluctant to spend the money on a new stove, but it could be one of the best purchases you make for your home. It’s also worth noting that you could upgrade with a second-hand option as well.
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If you follow all the tips above, you should be able to significantly improve the efficiency of your stove, protect your and your family’s health from smoke, prevent mess, and be more eco-friendly.
Like most household items or appliances, stoves do require some work and general maintenance but, if you use the tips and tricks provided, your wood burner could be one of the best purchases you make for your home. Keeping you and your family warm on those cold winter nights, while giving your home a cozy vibe.
We hope this helps, and for everything else home heating, stick with CosyWarmer.com