How to light a wood burning stove

The Ultimate Guide To Firing Up Your Wood Burning Stove:

So you have your beautifully modern wood burning stove at the ready. You’ve taken lots of time to buy the model perfect for your needs – and you’ve even pictured in your mind what it would look like in full flow. You’ve got a stock of kiln dried logs, plenty of kindling and you’re set to take on the world.

There’s just one small snag – lots of people buy a wood burning stove without realising there’s a knack to lighting a fire with firewood or coal. If this is you, don’t worry as you’re in the right place. Just follow our in-depth ultimate guide to how to light a wood burning stove and you can’t go wrong.

So What Do I Need To Start?

Well, you’ll need some sturdy matches and ideally an extended cooker lighter for complete safety. You should also have at your disposal those good old firelighters, lots of kindling sticks and firewood logs. Kiln dried logs are the best option and guess what? You can buy all of those things from us with nationwide delivery, and you’ll get excellent service.

What’s Next?

Ensure you’ve read any manufacturer instructions and fully understand the controls before going any further. When you’re ready, gently open up your stove to create both maximum air input and output through the flu. This will all help get maximum efficiency from your stove.

Let The Journey Begin

Make sure you have plenty of ventilation before checking and then sweeping away any accumulated ash from the bottom grate of your stove. Keeping your stove as clean as possible will certainly pay dividends and make life much easier in the long run – regular maintenance is so important to getting the best out of your burner.

Firelighter Delightful

Take a quality firelighter and place it strategically in the centre of the oven – it will shortly play a vital role in creating that dream burn. You’ll begin to realise just how important they are.

Kind Kindling

Any kindling is kind because it helps get that burn under way – this is the clever bit however, as you should place kindling either side of the firelighter. It’s starting to get exciting. Now place two further pieces along the top of the firelighter, but leave a gap right in the middle. You’ll soon see why that is so important.

Going For The Burn

While the stove door is open, begin to carefully light the firelighter underneath – then allow for the fire to ignite and take a good hold. Then carefully place one of your logs over the top – still leaving the door open for a good few minutes.

The Closing Ceremony

So things are hotting up and you’re chuffed that you’ve got ignition well under way – so now close the door of the oven safely and feel quite proud of yourself. Your dream fire is taking shape. Leave things for 10 minutes and then limit the flow of oxygen to initiate a slow burn – by doing this of course, you’ll be using your delivery of kiln dried logs economically.

The best way to light a wood burning stove with maximum efficiency is to use firewood with a low moisture content. This is where our kiln dried logs come in, and there’s lots more information about how you can get them delivered on our website.

Questions Most People Ask:

How Do You Light A Fire Without Kindling?

It’s time to use your ingenuity –there are several ways you can do this including rolling sheets of newspaper into a ball or tube and lighting them as close to the firewood as possible. If you have a bag of crisps handy, they too will burn for at least three minutes. Yes – potato crisps. Even twigs and sticks could get you off to a good start – just be careful of any debris you use.

How Do I Light A Fire Without Matches?

There are many different methods, but this is one of the cleverest. You can gather any dry plant material and make a tinder nest so you have something to get any spark into. Pick up a battery and locate the terminals – then take some steel wool and rub it vigorously on the same terminals. Keep creating friction until the wool starts to glow – blow gently to help it catch fire. You can now ignite the fire itself.

How Do You Light A Wood Burning Stove For The First Time?

Open all air vents to help move circulation, before crumpling up some newspaper and putting carefully in the middle of the firebox. It’s time to put your kindling in position and ignite the stove. Once the kindling has caught a good light, you can add more burning fuel. Do all these things methodically and it all adds up to perfect preparation.

Can You Use Firelighters In A Wood Burning Stove?

Of course you can is the straight answer – just ensure they are of top quality and safely placed. Then just sit back and let nature take its course.

How Do You Break-In A New Wood Burning Stove?

Crumple some newspaper into a loose ball and place it in the centre of the firebox – add a few pieces of kindling laid together on top of the newspaper. Light the newspaper carefully and shut the door of the stove ensuring the air vent on the door is closed.

Let this tiny fire burn out and let the oven cool – then repeat this process twice more – this is called seasoning the oven or burning away any residual cast-iron particles produced during manufacturing. In all, this should take no more than an hour.

Do Wood Burners Smell?

There will always be a slight aroma but modern wood burning stoves shouldn’t smell very much at all, as most are airtight. This is something you should check however, when buying.

Can I Burn Paper In A Wood Stove?

Though newspaper can be used carefully to help ignite a fire, you shouldn’t use it as continual fuel. Some local councils may have guidelines about this, so it’s best to check. A good delivery of kiln dried logs is what you need – take a look at our website for more information.

Is It OK To Burn Cardboard In A Wood Stove?

Just like newspaper, small supplies of cardboard can be used to help ignite the burn, but you shouldn’t use it for added fuel as it creates a lot of ash.

Is It Better To Burn Newspaper Or Throw It Away?

It certainly makes sense to keep a little and safe stock of newspaper as this can help you start the burning process.

Can You Get Carbon Monoxide Poisoning From A Wood Burning Stove?

The answer here is a resounding yes – but by using things like gas and oil. The stove will produce some carbon monoxide for sure but not enough to cause you problems. Having your stove installed by a reputable fitter, keeping it well maintained and looking out for too much smoke will ensure you don’t get problems. And it’s good advice to get a carbon monoxide alarm installed just to make sure.

Can You Leave A Wood Burning Stove On Overnight?

Ask yourself first if that’s really necessary. In fact, you need to be sure according to the instructions if doing this would be safe anyway, and it doesn’t pose a fire risk. You need to remember a wood burner is a bit more difficult to keep going all night because wood burns much quicker than things like coal.

How Do You Keep A Wood Stove Burning?

Firstly ensure you’re using kiln dried logs with plenty of kindling – maintain a good oxygen supply and remember, you should only burn wood with a low moisture content as this will help maximise heat output from your stove.

Getting The Best Out Of My Stove

Using a wood burning stove can be fun, extremely beneficial and a useful addition to your life. Modern wood burning stoves are constructed to the highest specifications, fitted by well-trained people. Do your research and ensure you find the best one for your individual needs – there’s a big market out there.

Once you get used to lighting your wood burning stove safely it will all become second nature. In fact, you’ll start to look forward to beginning the process all over again. Why? Because the results are worth waiting for in terms of warmth and adding something special to your surroundings.

Take A Closer Look At Us

At FirewoodFund we’ve got a wide range of kiln dried logs available to buy in bulk. We offer a national delivery service, so why not order today and get your logs delivered to your home address? You’ll be glad you found us.