For log burner owners or those considering a wood burner purchase, they must know how to start and keep a fire burning.
Luckily, log burner experts at Glowing Flames have shared how to light a stove fire “properly” so that the appliance can heat the home better.
They said: “A wood-burning stove is a fantastic way to keep your home warm and cosy during the colder months.
“However, to ensure that it functions correctly, you need to know how to light it properly using this effective method.”
They claimed that the “first step” in lighting a wood-burning stove is to gather your materials.
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You will need:
Kindling – small, dry pieces of wood that will “catch fire quickly and easily”.
Firelighter – lighting the firelighter starts the fire which will then spread to the kindling.
Matches or a lighter – to light the newspaper and kindling.
Firewood – once the kindling has caught fire, you will need larger pieces of wood to keep the fire burning.
The next step is to open the damper. The pros said: “Before you light the fire, you need to open the damper”.
The damper is a metal flap located above the stove. Opening it will allow air to flow into the stove and “help the fire burn more efficiently”.
Next, it’s time to build the fire. To do so, start by crumpling up a few pieces of kindling and placing them in the centre of the stove.
After, arrange the firelighters on and around the firelighter, making sure to leave enough space for air to circulate. Light the firelighters with a match or lighter.
Once the kindling has caught fire, slowly add larger pieces of firewood to the log burner, building up the pile as the logs catch fire. Make sure to place them in a way that allows air to circulate around them.
Make sure to not overfill the stove and if you have one with an airwash system do not place logs too close the door as this will “block the secondary airflow” and reduce the impact of the airwash system.
This could result in build up of soot on the log burner glass. If this does happen, here’s how to clean log burner glass.
Once the fire is burning well, close the door of the stove. This will help “regulate the airflow and keep the fire burning efficiently”.
When the fire is burning longer, you may need to adjust the damper to control the amount of airflow.
For those who find that the fire is burning too hot, they can close the damper slightly to reduce the amount of air entering the stove.
If the fire is burning too slowly, open the damper slightly to allow more air to flow in.
