Wood Burning Stoves: After care instructions

Wood Burning Stove 

Congratulations on the purchase of your new stove. You are now ready to begin using your stove and get familiar with lighting, adjusting and refuelling your new fire.

The first fire will have been completed already as part of the commissioning and handover procedure.  The aim now is to gradually build up the size of each fire successively over three or four burns to allow the stove to adjust gradually to the temperature changes.  This can be done over 36 hours if you wish as long as the stove is allowed to cool between each burn.

Fuel

The fuel you choose to burn in your stove is imperative in getting the optimum heat and performance from it. Itis very important that the logs you burn have a moisture content of less than 20%.

Hardwoods such as ash, birch, beech or oak are renowned for burning hot, clean and for longer periods.Softwoods such as fir, pine and sycamore can be used but will burn faster with moderate heat output. Freshly cut logs generally contain over 60% water and should be dried for 18-24 months before the wood is ready to burn. It’s advised not to burn waste wood such as pallet wood, fence panels or any wood that might have been treated (window frames etc.)

We recommend buying wood from a reputable supplier of sustainably sourced wood. For multi fuel stoves you have the choice of burning smokeless coal or anthracite as well.  It is important to note that in most locations you will need to make sure that any fuel that is not wood is described as smokeless. Normal house coal isn’t suitable for your stove. 

How to light your Stove

There are several stages to building and lighting a successful fire in your stove. As mentioned previously it is important to only use well seasoned, dry wood with a moisture content of less than 20%.

Follow these four simple steps when making your fire. By running your stove in this way you will achieve maximum efficiency with minimum emissions.

● Place 2-3 smaller logs on the stove bed. On top of this build a Jenga stack of 6-8 kindling sticks and place a natural fire lighter inside. Light the fire lighter.

● Close the door but leave it slightly ajar. This allows more air into the fuel bed and helps the fire properly get going. This also helps to heat the chimney flue for a clean burn.

● Once the fire is burning well, close the door and adjust the air control accordingly.

● Every time a log is added, open the air control again until the fire is burning well and then return the air control to normal. Re-fuel little and often.

Using the air controls - quick guide

Wood burning

Starting fire – Open all vents

Once logs have fully established – close off primary air (usually the bottom slider/dial)

Adjust flame intensity – Use the secondary air lever (usually top slider/dial)

Tertiary – If your stove has a tertiary or third air intake adjustment please see stove manual.

Smokeless Coal / Fuel

Starting fire – open all vents

Once smokeless coal is glowing red at the base – close off secondary air (usually top slider/dial)

Adjust intensity of the burn – Use the primary air intake (usually bottom slider/dial)

The winter months are when your stove will see the most use. Regular maintenance will ensure your stove burns safely and efficiently while giving you many years of service.

Maintenance

CLEAN THE GLASS - If soot accumulates on the stove glass you can buy an effective Atmosfire dry wiper for cleaning.  Alternatively you can take a piece of newspaper crush it slightly and dampen the end. Dip it in the ashand use this to clean the glass. For any stubborn stains you can use a stove glass cleaner or ceramic hob cleaner but avoid using any abrasive cleaning products.

CLEAN THE SURFACE - When it comes to cleaning the exterior surface of your stove and the surrounding area, you can’t go far wrong with a soft brush or a dry lint free cloth. It is important you only clean your stove when it is unlit and cool to the touch.

EMPTY ASH PAN - There is a difference between a wood burning stove and a multi fuel stove. A multi stove will have a grate and ash pan as coal needs air to come up and through the fuel to burn. When using a multi fuel stove and using coal you will need to clean it out and empty the ash pan on a regular basis and possibly after each use. Wood burning stoves have a flat base and don’t have an ash pan. When burning wood it is helpful and effective to start your fire on a bed of ash so you don’t need to clean it out after each use but avoid letting the ash build up too much. When your stove is not in use (over the summer/warm months) empty out the ash pan and firebox completely.

INSPECT DOOR SEALS AND HINGES - Take the opportunity to regularly check the rope seals on the doors as these can start to come loose over time. If they do it’s nothing to worry about as you can buy some rope glue to stick the rope back into place. Typically if the rope remains spongey to the touch it is still okay to use, once the rope becomes hard and no longer compresses, the rope should be changed. It’s also worth checking the hinges on the door as some stoves have pins in the door hinge that can ride up and simply need pushing back down into place. A good time to check these parts is when you are building the fire.

SWEEP FREQUENTLY - It’s important to keep your flue clear of blockages and soot and we recommend you have your chimney swept at least once a year. Please visit the Guild Of Master Sweeps website for more info.

FAQs

My firebricks have cracked, what should I do?

The firebricks inside any stove will crack with normal use – this is not a fault. This will be the case with most makes and models of stoves. The purpose of the firebricks is to help to keep heat in the firebox – cracks will not adversely affect this function as long as the bricks are still in place. If a large crack does develop it can easily be repaired with a small amount of fire cement if you don't want to see the crack. There is no need to change the bricks just because of a crack. If after a longer period of time the bricks have crumbled away so they are no longer sitting in place then that is the time to replace them. No manufacturer will guarantee firebricks as they are a consumable item.

Some stoves will have cast clay bricks and others will have vermiculite bricks. Vermiculite is more fragile and therefore more likely to crack than the clay type firebricks but is a much better insulator - keeping the firebox hotter and therefore improving efficiency and helping to ensure a cleaner combustion.

Contact us at hello@renugroup.co.uk for more information about wood burning and multi fuel stoves.