Getting the most out of your wood-burning or multi-fuel stove
Making sure you are getting the most efficient burn from your stove is an important consideration for all stove owners. Whether you have chosen a wood-burning or a multi-fuel stove, using it in the manner that was intended will keep your home nice and warm and make sure that the money you spend on fuel heats your room adequately and doesn't just go up the chimney.
Although you should always refer to the manufacturers instruction manual, the following general information is a useful guide to getting it right.
Make sure you don't over-fill your stove. If there is too much fuel in the stove, the flame will be too close to the flue and the heat will leave the chimney rather than heating the walls of your appliance which would then radiate heat to your room.
To burn solid fuels efficiently, your stove needs to reach a moderate temperature as defined in your user manual. This is usually between 250-550 degrees. Maintaining your stove at this temperature will ensure that your fuel burns efficiently, which will save you money on fuel. It will also aid a clean burn so that less smoke is released from your chimney and less deposits build up in your stove which can have potentially harmful effects. Stove thermometers can be purchased from us to help to keep your temperature in check. Please click here to visit our Stove Accessories page.
The way you arrange the fuel in your appliance is just as important as not over-filling it. Ensure you leave some gaps between your fuel and don't pack it in too tightly. This will help the air and combustion gases mix together and burn your fuel evenly. This will ensure that the flames are beautiful to look at and lovely on the pocket, too!
HETAS, the only government recognised competent persons registration scheme, specialise in the installation of solid fuel, wood and biomass technologies. Their advice says that 'the flame picture in a healthy fire will be somewhere between:
Vigorous flame - just reaching the exit of the appliance (noticeable when getting the appliance up to temperature, but shouldn't be maintained).
Lazy flame - that moves that moves across the whole space within the stove (very efficient when up to temperature).
Red hot embers – very efficient, but may need more fuel before the embers die down.'
As you can see, there are lots of things to take into consideration when you are ensuring that you get the most burn for your buck. By following our advice and the information given in your stove instruction manual, you can't go far wrong!
For more information about our wood-burning and multi-fuel stoves, click here to visit our website, click here to read other posts on our blog or click here to contact us via our website. Directions to our Stove showroom can be found by clicking here. Come along and see over 60 of our stoves on display, some of which are fully fitted for your enjoyment in our HETAS Registered showroom.
