Newbie to using a woodburner

Timpu

We've moved home and our new place has a woodburner. However, we have no idea whatsoever as to how to use it. What tools do we need? We don't want to go and buy stuff we won't end up using.

We did get the chimney swept when we moved in. The previous owners have kindly left us some logs outside (in a dry place) and a neighbour has offered some kindling when the time comes.

Any advice very welcome on how to actually use the thing though!

StevenMarks

Sheets of newspaper rolled and twisted in the bottom with kindling on top.

Open the vents when you first light and gradually close them as the stove heats up.

When kindling burning start adding larger pieces of wood.

Key reason why the stove won't light is not enough paper.

I have a companion set of poker, brush, tongs and shovel.

paddyrg

As a newcomer you might want to start with firelighters giving you a hand until you're confident!

Pretty much start with paper and small (dry!) twigs or split bits, then adding small logs until you can add the big ones. You can't do it all in one go, and you need to tend a fire properly, which will come with practice.

To help you get started, depending on the style of fireplace, you will want to restrict the airflow initially - rather you want to focus it so a small flame is getting some air draw to encourage it. This means using vents or even a sheet of newspaper with a hole over the front to encourage it to get going. Once it gets going and the chimney gets warmer, the air will start to draw itself properly and you can look at opening the door/removing the paper. Not doing this is likely to give you a bit of a smokey start to your adventures, and that may put you off!

One thing though - open fires keep you warm in front of them but seem to have little effect elsewhere in the house! In fact maybe it feels worse because you can be hot right by it and chilly by comparison elsewhere! So don't throw away your long johns and hot water bottles just yet ;-)

Best bit - you can throw away the TV - watching a fire is the most stilling, satisfying and primal way to spend an evening!

muckybutt

The deadly sins of wood / multi fuel burners

1) Never EVER burn damp or wet wood, ideally you want a moisture meter to test for the water content in split logs, this ideally wants to be 20% or less, any more than that and you can start running the risk of blocking the flue liner with the build up of tar and creosote that burning wet wood produces.

2) Never EVER burn wood "Cool", in the trade we call it slumber burning. Burning cool gives the same effect as burning wet wood and you are also not burning off the flammable gasses so in effect wasting fuel.

3) Dont be tempted to burn coal, if it's multi fuel and the liner is a multi fuel liner then soild fuel will be fine to burn on it, so smokeless and peat briquettes etc would be ideal.

Things to get for the fire, get a companion set - brush pan poker etc, get a flue temperature thermometer so you can keep an eye on the temp you are burning at - ideally 225F to 400F, and get a Carbon Monoxide detector - for the sake of a few quid it could save your life.

And once a year get it swept.

Ectophile

If you've been left an instruction manual, read that. If not, but you know the make and model, try seeing if there's a manual on-line.

When you are getting a fire lit, it really helps if you can get the correct combination of vents (and dampers if fitted) for the particular stove. Not so long ago, I spend hours trying to get an unfamiliar stove lit. Eventually, I discovered a chain at the back. When I pulled the chain, it opened an air vent and the stove burst into life.

hels234

I would echo what Muckybutt says. Def use well seasoned wood, get yourself a moisture metre, there not expensive. Also def get a themometer, also not expensive. If your using good seasoned wood they can get pretty hot and too hot can wreck it (and also waste wood). We love ours and its more than halved our heating bills in winter :-) Good luck

suisidevw

But if you have to buy in wood at a 'normal RRP' it's an expensive luxury! A lovely luxury though!

cyclonebri1

All the instruction manuals with these things, at least the few I've seen have said ONLY use hardwood logs, kind of defeats to object in my view.
Don't have 1 so haven't abused that guideline.

The OP says they have a woodburner, that can vary from the DIY stuff you find at Machinemart to some pretty esoteric stuff.

Does the chimney actually have a liner?, a point that I think has been missed?
Does it have a cowl or simply a chimney pot?

Ectophile

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

All the instruction manuals with these things, at least the few I've seen have said ONLY use hardwood logs, kind of defeats to object in my view.
Don't have 1 so haven't abused that guideline.

The manual for my Stovax stove says nothing about using only hardwood, rather than softwood.

cyclonebri1

Ectophile wrote: »

The manual for my Stovax stove says nothing about using only hardwood, rather than softwood.

Well I can definitely tell you that the Gazco 1 we fitted at my daughters 2 years ago did;), I said it didn't matter but as it's only occasional use they stick with fruit tree logs and freebies collected from the local farm.

Evidently they are concerned about the sap/resin in softwoods clagging the flue
liner.

But I don't thing the OP has established wether it even has a flue liner???

suisidevw

As with ALL woods, season properly and sap/resin won't be an issue, soft OR hard!