For stove beginners, it can be a very overwhelming situation to find yourself in having to light a fire. And with the raise in sales of wood burners, there are more and more people finding themselves in this situation.
Even though, wood burners are one of the oldest technologies still going, the modern world has meant homeowners cannot use the original source of heat in a home.
Many people nowadays have grown up with gas and electric fires which work off a click of a button so when it comes to lighting and maintaining a stove it can be hard work. But fortunately for you, it isn’t challenging and once you know you will be regretting not getting a wood burner sooner.
Now let’s start from the beginning:
Starting the Fire
Before you even need to think about the flames ensure you are starting with a clean area. Once this is done you can start building. Start with some scrunched up newspaper on the bottom and then place some kindling on top, you can experiment with this to find the best positions for you.
Now it is time to light the fire. You want to try and light near the middle of your own little fire bed in a few places. Then next is your choice, you can either close the door or leave it slightly ajar, dependent on what works for you and your fire.
By now, you should have a small fire that is starting to warm your room. Once your kindling is starting to burn out, add your dry seasoned wood but make sure you don’t overload as the fire is still in early stages. Then close the door and make sure the bottom vent is closed and the top vent is open. This may differ dependent on what stove you have. Now you stove should be starting to look the part with a roaring fire.
But the main thing to remember is, experiment with different techniques because some might work better than others.
Cleaning
Cleaning your stove is something you should be doing daily when your stove is in regular use. Daily cleaning should include, removal of excess ashes and a quick sweep out. Every month or so you should perform a thorough clean and get into all the nooks and crannies. This will help to keep your stove performing at the best of its abilities.
Here are some other helpful blog posts:
How to keep your stove clean for maximum efficiency
Spring Clean your stove
Struggling lighting your stove