Why Proper Wood Stove Lighting is Important
Make sure you light your wood stove correctly. The ignition phase is crucial for ensuring optimal stove performance, as proper lighting quickly creates the right combustion temperature and good chimney draft.
Guide: How to Properly Use Your Wood Stove
- Place two larger logs (5–8 cm thick) with the bark side down at the bottom of the firebox.
- Stack 10–12 kindling sticks on top, forming a small tower with enough space for air circulation.
- Place two firelighters between the top kindling sticks.
- Light the firelighters so that the wood burns from the top down. Keep the door slightly ajar.
- After about 1–5 minutes (depending on the chimney draft), close the stove door and adjust the air control to 100% ignition air. Once the flames are well established, adjust the air control to 100% combustion air.
- When the fire has burned down to embers, it’s time to add new logs.
Important Things to Remember
NEVER open the stove door while there are flames! If there are flames, there are gases – if there are gases, there is smoke – and if there is smoke, it will escape when the door is opened.
Open the stove door carefully by 1–2 cm and wait about 5 seconds before opening it fully. You can now add 2–3 dry logs – it may help to spread the embers before placing the wood on top.
After adding wood for the first time, adjust the air supply to match the amount of wood used. Always start with plenty of air. If there is insufficient draft or ember base when adding more wood, increase the air supply.
Tip: Only reduce the air supply when the flames become bright and bluish.
Light from the Top for Cleaner Burning
Lighting from the top can reduce particle emissions by up to 80% during the ignition phase.
Always use one or more firelighters (paraffin-based) and plenty of dry, finely split wood.
Never use newspaper for lighting. A small layer of ash at the bottom of the stove is beneficial as it helps insulate the firebox and improves combustion.
Essential Rules for Proper Wood Stove Use
Tips to ensure the best burning experience without issues.
Use Clean and Dry Wood
Wet wood leads to poor combustion and excessive smoke. Never burn waste – this voids your stove’s warranty. Do not burn energy coke or petroleum coke, as they contain sulfur that damages the stove and chimney.
Do not burn pressure-treated wood – even small amounts contain acids that destroy the stove and chimney. Dry wood means not only that it has been kept out of the rain but also that its natural moisture content has been reduced to a maximum of 18–20%.
Check out “Wood – Nature’s Own Heat Source” to see the best types of wood for burning.
It typically takes 1–2 years to dry wood properly, provided it is stored correctly with good airflow between the logs.
Ensure Good Airflow
Too little air results in harmful particles in the smoke. This also causes soot buildup on the glass, inside the stove, and in the chimney. Always make sure your stove gets enough air when lighting a fire.
NEVER Burn with the Ash Drawer Open
Doing so voids the warranty and prevents optimal combustion. The extremely high temperatures caused by an open ash drawer can damage the stove glass, as ceramic glass cannot withstand temperatures above 600°C.
Burn in Small Amounts
When lighting your stove, the fire must ignite the wood quickly to reach high temperatures. Large logs have more mass and less surface area, meaning they take too long to heat up. As a result, they may smolder instead of burning properly.
Logs should not be longer than 30 cm or thicker than an adult’s forearm. Using 2–3 logs per burn cycle ensures the best combustion.
NEVER Try to “Slow Burn”
Wood needs air to burn correctly. If the air supply is restricted too soon, the wood will release gases that do not ignite. Instead, these gases will pollute the stove and chimney – potentially causing creosote buildup and chimney fires.
Check the Smoke
The smoke from your chimney should be nearly invisible. If there is too much smoke and a strong odor, you are likely doing something wrong. Ask your chimney sweep or dealer for advice.
Creosote Buildup
Creosote forms when combustion temperatures are too low and/or when burning wet wood.
Creosote buildup significantly increases the risk of a chimney fire. It appears as a brown, sticky substance. Low combustion temperatures occur when there is insufficient air for the amount of wood being burned, or when too little wood is placed in a large firebox.
