Firing up
To build a fire in a wood-burning stove, ensure the grate is free from ash and then begin to pile logs ready for a fire using a “top down” technique. Place two or three small logs on the stove bed, then stack a grid of six to eight pieces of kindling on top, along with a firelighter block. Making sure the stove controls are set to allow maximum airflow, you can then put a flame to the kindling and firelighter. Leave the stove door open (and stay with the stove) until it’s burning strongly, then close the door and adjust the airflow settings.
Slow and steady
Placing too many logs in a wood burner at once won’t allow for enough airflow and will cause the wood to smoulder, which not only creates more smoke but is an inefficient way to use your wood supply (and your budget). Instead, feed your burner by adding small logs whenever the fire starts to die down more than you’d like, remembering to open the stove’s airflow controls each time you do so. And don’t leave the stove door open – not only does the burning temperature actually drop, it risks letting harmful gases into the room.
A do-or-dry situation
Wood needs to have been properly dried for at least two years or have a moisture content of 20% or less before you burn it, to minimise polluting smoke. A Ready to Burn logo on packaged firewood means the wood has a moisture level of 20% or less. This also means more heat and better value for money. If you’re unsure whether the wood that you already have to hand is dry enough, check it with a moisture meter, which is readily available in DIY shops.
Up in the air
If you’re buying dry wood, how you store it is crucial. Air should be able to circulate around the neatly stacked logs, and if they are being stored outside they’ll need to be raised off the ground (any logs piled on to soil will soon rot) and be protected on top from rainwater. It may be worth investing in a purpose-built log storage unit, available from DIY shops.
Sweeping change
However fancy your fireplace or high-spec your stove, a chimney that’s compromised by a build up of soot or debris won’t work at full capacity. Chimneys rid your home of smoke because, essentially, hot air rises above cold air, and this creates the draft effect in the flue that removes smoke while allowing your home to heat efficiently. A blocked chimney will not let air escape in the way it’s been designed to, while a cracked one will let potentially deadly gases escape into your home without you realising it. So make sure you get your chimney inspected and swept annually.
Cowl-weather friend
A cowl is a hood-shaped covering that sits on top of the chimney and dependent on its design can in some cases increase flue draught; it also makes the chimney less compromised by weather conditions such as strong winds and rain. Check with a qualified chimney fitter to see if it would be a relevant addition for your chimney’s design: a cowl should only be fitted when other design considerations are preventing an adequate draft and impeding safety.
Which switch?
It makes sense to switch to cleaner-burning solid fuels, such as manufactured solid fuels, anthracite or “smokeless” coal. But before you make changes to the way you burn at home, do check which fuel types are recommended for the type of stove or fireplace set-up you have. Using the wrong fuel – such as anthracite in a wood burner – could actually damage your burner stove or invalidate your product warranty.
Make changes to how you burn solid fuels at home. For more information about how you can burn better, visit uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/burnbetter
Burn Better is a cross-industry campaign supported by Hetas, the Solid Fuel Association, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
