This is a common question asked by people who have just purchased a brand new wood burning stove. And the main reason is because when winter comes, it can keep the whole house warm during the colder winter nights or be easier to light in the morning if they have to get up early.
It sounds like a great idea, but there is an obvious safety risk. You must make sure it does not pose a fire risk. This is the most important point in this blog. In older times, people wanted to keep their stoves alight, but it is not a necessity these days. Some people like to ensure their stove is fully extinguished before bed. However, if you want to keep your stove alight all night, then read on.
Wood burner vs multi-fuel
The first point is that a wood burning stove is going to be much harder to keep alight all night compared to a multi-fuel stove. It is a fact that wood burns quicker than coal. So if you have a multi-fuel stove, go for coal, otherwise read on.
The type of wood
When preparing for overnight burning, you need to ensure that you use good quality, well seasoned hardwood logs. When packing the stove, place the majority of the logs to the front and ensure there are only small gaps in-between the logs. Also pack as much as is safely possible.
Lighting the fire
Once your placed all your logs, you need to let your stove to run for at least an hour. This will build up a bed of ash and if packed correctly, charcoal will build up at the back.
Tip 4: Air vents
Once the fire has built up, you should see the glowing embers. The next step is to close all the air vents as required. If you simply want to keep it alive until the morning so it's easier to light, close the vents and in the morning, you should only have to open the vents and add more fuel. If you want heat all night, this is more tricky. You will need to restrict the air but aim to have a slow burn. Putting ash on the firewood will also slow the burn, but can be messy.
Practice makes perfect
There is going to be a a degree of trial and error trying to keep your stove alight all night. There are a lot of factors that will affect your stove from windy conditions outside to the fire wood you use to how much to open the vents. You will get it right eventually, so persevere and enjoy your stove all night, even if you are asleep.