How Do I Get the Most out Of My Wood Burning Stove

Updated on March 12, 2023

In the modern day, wood-burning stoves have become more efficient than before. When compared to older stoves, the latest Ecodesign wood burners may achieve efficiency levels of around 90%, which is incredible.

You want to ensure that you’re getting the maximum heat out of your wood burner in order to take advantage of rising heating costs.

You can use this tutorial if your wood-burning stove isn’t producing enough heat, or if you just want to get ready for the upcoming cold season.

How Do I Get the Most out Of My Wood Burning Stove

To get the most out of the heat generated by a wood burning stove, many homeowners turn to the usage of a stove fan. Instead of allowing hot air to just ascend to the ceiling, these simply attach to your stove pipe and circulate it throughout the room.

Are You Getting the Best Heat From Your Stove?

If you haven’t purchased your stove yet or are considering doing so, be sure it has the appropriate heat output.

In this guide, you will learn why this is not a smart idea if you choose one that is too powerful.

How Do You Use a Log Burner Tip

1. Have the Flue Cleaned as And when Required

You should have your chimney or flue cleaned at least once a year, according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends this.

You’ll need a flue in order to get the air from the stove and out of your house, which in turn helps to feed the fire by sucking air into the stove. Your stove’s output will be reduced if the vent is clogged.

If your wood stove’s flue is clogged or obstructed by tar or debris that has fallen down, you may not be able to get the maximum amount of heat out of your appliance. A clogged flue can also cause smoke to enter the room when the door is opened, preventing it from exiting your property in an efficient manner.

If you often use your stove, you should have your flue swept more frequently than once a year. Flue blockage can occur more frequently if you utilise softwoods instead of hardwoods during burning.

Flue and chimney cleaning is a vital part of maintaining a safe and efficient home.

2. Bring Wood Inside Before Each Fire

Using cold wood in your stove might be difficult since it takes longer for the logs to heat up to an appropriate temperature for the combustion process to begin.

Because we keep our wood outside, we like to bring it in the day before we plan to burn it in the stove. For our stove fires, the wood must be warmed to room temperature before it can be utilised.

This makes it easier for new logs to ignite in the stove and prevents the existing fire from struggling and reducing heat production.

3. Leave The Stove Door Open Before Use

If your wood stove doesn’t have enough draught, try starting a fire with the door open. This will assist keep the flames from smothering.

For this reason, we like to leave the door open to our wood stove for at least 30 minutes before using it to assist bring the air temperature within the stove closer to or up to room temperature.

4. Warm The Flue To Maximize The Draft

A heat source can be used to warm up the air in the chimney before starting a fire in order to get the stove to pull more air before starting a fire.

We like to use a rolled-up newspaper with a lit end. Put the newspaper under the top of your wood burner for a few minutes to assist heat the air in the chimney as it rises in temperature.

You’ll have a higher chance of starting a fire in your stove if you can see smoke from the newspaper rising up the flue.

5. Leave a Layer of Ash at The Base of Your Stove

Leaving a layer of ash in the bottom of your wood stove between fires can be more efficient in many circumstances.

To keep the hot coals from overheating, an inch or two of ash is a good way to insulate them from the heat of any new logs that are added to the fire.

The amount of ash that should be left in your wood stove, if any, should be specified in the user handbook that came with it.

As ash does not obstruct airflow to the fire, wood burns more efficiently when air is supplied from above. We keep roughly an inch of ash in the firebox of our wood-burning stove because there are no air vents feeding air to the bottom of the fire.

While it may be OK to not have an ash layer on a multi-fuel stove that allows for the use of different fuels, such as coal, it may not be necessary.

When Should I Turn My Wood Stove On

Suitable wood stove temperatures

Wood burning stoves operate best around 260-460°C temperatures for maximum heat output. Your fire will burn too slowly to produce much heat if you set the temperature any lower than this. Don’t believe that you can extend the life of your gasoline by burning it more slowly.

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