How To Keep Your Wood Burner Healthy

First things first, as a stove retailer you know that we love stoves and so it stands to reason that we’d want to keep our stoves ‘healthy’. We also encourage all our customers (and prospective customers) to do the same. But what does it mean to keep a stove ‘healthy’? I hear you ask. A very good question indeed.

What we really mean is how do you keep a wood burner burning efficiently? Efficiency is one of the most important considerations when people decide to make an investment in a stove, and there are lots of really simple things you can do to keep your stove as efficient as possible.

Top Tips For Keeping Your Stove Burning Efficiently

Using The Right Wood

It’s really important that for your stove you use seasoned wood that is low in moisture. Seasoned wood simply means dry wood, and there are a number of reason you should use it. Damp wood doesn’t burn as cleanly, requires extra heat to burn off the water (which can stop your stove heating your room as quickly) and produces much more smoke and creosote as a byproduct of the burn.

While this might not directly damage your stove, it can drastically shorten the life of your flue liner as it can become blocked and require cleaning much more frequently. A clogged up flue certainly does  not contribute to an efficient stove so always make sure you are using dry wood.

One other thing to look out for is ‘Ready To Burn’ wood. Part of an initiative by Woodsure, the wood fuel quality assurance scheme in the UK, you will find a ‘Ready To Burn’ stamp of approval on the firewood you buy from approved sellers across the UK. This means the wood is dry enough for you to immediately burn.

You can find a supplier here - https://woodsure.co.uk/wood-fuel-suppliers/

Using Kindling For Your Wood Burner

Even if you’re using ‘Ready To Burn’ firewood, it’s still not a good idea to just throw it in and light it - what you need to do first is create a firebed. This should consist in the majority of kindling, but you can also use paper.

A firebed with kindling creates a much more stable base for the fire to establish. It also heats the firebox of the stove and means that it will get up to temperate much quicker. This ultimately means the stove is burning a lot more efficiently.

Know When To Reload Your Stove

When the flames start to dwindle in your stove, you might see that as a signal that it’s time to load it up with some more firewood. However, you shouldn’t reload your stove (and you don’t really need to) until the existing logs are nothing more than embers.

This actually boosts efficiency in two ways - not only will it cut down your expenses on fuel but it also makes your stove run more effectively. The reason for this is that adding more logs before the existing ones are embers will smother the heat from the fuel already in the stove which reduces the heat output from the stove. You don’t really want to do that!

Why it’s important to keep your log burner efficient

There’s no getting around the fact that the initial outlay to buy and install a stove can be significant. However, the cost saving you’ll make year on year by reducing your energy bills can more than make up for this. That’s why the advice in this article is so important - it can mean extra savings for you and a stove that stays ‘healthier’ for longer!

Remember, if you have any other questions about the efficiency of your wood burning stoves then please get in touch with one of our stove experts today.