What’s the best way to light a wood burning stove?
There’s definitely a knack to lighting a great fire! Here are our top tips to get a roaring fire that’s easy to start, and efficient to keep up:
1) Start with a great base – your logs!
Buying the wrong kind of logs is not going to get you off to the best start…
Ideally, moisture content needs to be below 20% to get the cleanest and most efficient burn. Kiln-dried logs have a deliberately low moisture content, making them ideal for a quick-starting fire.
Make sure to store them somewhere dry, too!
2) Keep your stove clean
Though it can seem like an unappealingly messy job, having your chimney swept and stove serviced at least once a year means that you can avoid any serious repairs or safety issues in the future.
Fortunately, modern chimney sweeps are much cleaner than the stereotypical image! Most can deliver a great service without leaving a speck of soot behind – you may be surprised by how clean your stove looks afterwards!
3) Start your fire
Before you start your fire, firstly open both air vents on your stove (there’s usually one at the top, and one at the bottom).
Next, place some natural firelighters in the bottom of your stove. Then build a pyramid of kindling on top, making sure there’s room for air to reach the flame.
Carefully light your firelighters, leaving the stove door ajar until it fully catches fire.
4) Add your logs
Once the kindling is burning well, you can add a couple of small logs, stacking them loosely to allow for air flow. Then close the door… and watch the fire grow!
As the fire develops, you can gradually add larger logs.
5) Control the air flow
Once your logs are burning, you can use the air vents to keep it burning with the right amount of power.
You need enough air to keep the fire going, but not too much that it roars through your logs too quickly!
To keep your fire going, don’t open the door too often, as this allows heat to escape and decreases the efficiency of your fire – so refill on logs sparingly. You also want to avoid overfilling it with logs, as this can extinguish the flames.
Lastly, sit comfortably and enjoy your fire!
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