Stoves are a vital part of any kitchen—it’s where food is cooked, after all. There are many kinds of stoves available, such as electric stoves and gas stoves. However, one type of stove is not often seen in most homes: the wood-burning stove.
Before we go any further, it’s important to note that wood-burning stoves are not used for cooking and are often used as a fireplace. A wood-burning stove, as the name implies, uses wood as fuel.
For others, it’s good to use such a stove because it’s easy to find wood. With this in mind, it’s essential to know how to use a wood-burning stove properly, and you should also be able to maximise its lifespan.
What exactly is there to know about wood-burning stoves? In this article, we’ll shed some light on the matter at hand. Read on below to learn more.
The Parts of a Wood Burning Stove
Unlike other stoves, a wood-burning stove is made up of:
- The firebox, which is where wood is loaded and lit
- The door, which is the access point for the firebox. It also has a glass window for you to be able to view the flames.
- The air controls, which allows you to control the air supply when burning the logs
- The flue, which is a pipe that smoke passes through and goes all the way up to your chimney
How to Use a Wood Burning Stove
It’s not essential to clean your wood-burning stove every time after using it. It’s better to leave it as is because wood burns better when ash is present. To start, arrange your logs in the shape of a hash (#). Then, add a firelighter in the middle and another log placed on the top.
Additionally, you must leave the air vents entirely open after lighting the fire because it helps with oxygen. When a fire catches oxygen, it will burn better. Once the logs are burning, add another log and close the primary air vent halfway. This decreases the oxygen but just enough to keep the flame burning longer.
If the fire has nearly gone out, don’t worry because it can still be revived. All you need to do is to add more kindling, open the primary air vent, and add another log once the kindling has caught fire. If your stove is getting hotter, simply close the direct air vent, so the fire gradually dies down.
Maintaining Your Wood Burning Stove
As stated earlier, wood burns better if there’s ash present. However, it becomes a problem when there’s too much ash. With this in mind, it’s best to clean the stove at least once a week routinely. It’s also imperative that you check the deflector plate for soot deposits, which can help make your wood-burning stove’s performance better.
When cleaning the door’s glass window, it’s best to use wire wool or a piece of damp newspaper dipped in ash. Just make sure to avoid the rope seal around the edges, or else it can break. Most importantly, make sure that your wood-burning stove is dry before starting another fire.
What’s the Best Kind of Fuel?
It’s important to know what kind of wood should be used as fuel for a wood-burning stove. If you just pick any wood, you’re risking damage. Always make sure that your wood is dried out for at least a year before using it.
Fresh wood is still made up of 60% water, so burning it is less efficient, and it also releases more pollutants that will take space in your stove and chimney. To make things easier, you can get a moisture meter that allows you to find out the moisture level of your firewood.
As for what type of wood to use, the best ones are birch, oak, hazel, and ash. These woods burn slowly and create fewer sparks than other kinds of wood, which allows you to get a longer duration of the fire.
Conclusion
Wood burning stoves are a great alternative to more conventional stoves because it lessens the use of gas and electricity. Just make sure that the wood you’re using is of good quality, or else you risk damaging your stove!
Wood burning stoves can be pretty hard to install because they must reach your chimney. If you’re looking for log burning stoves in Scotland, Stove Scotland has got your back! We can fit your home with a wood-burning stove if you need an indoor source of heat. Contact us today to learn more!
