How do I get the most heat from my wood burner?

[ILoveMaxiBondi]

We’ve no heating right now so I’m trying to heat the house with the wood burner. There have been times I’ve used it in the past and the living room has been boiling but it’s not happening today. I have the bottom vent and the flue vent open full. Should I be shutting them? Or one open one closed?

shut them down the wood burner works like a massive radiator, leaving them open burns the wood away too quickly.

Open both to get the air in and maximise the burn

and close when its burning steadily.

A special fan on top of the burner

Once the fire is going well then I'd close the bottom vent most of the way (it lets on air to help the fire burn. I'd then close the top vent to stop the heat escaping up the flue, but you need to open it a bit if you think it is getting too hot!

Ok thank you. I’ve closed top fully and the bottom almost fully.

Also get one of those fans that go on top, ours helps push the warm air right around the house (it’s open plan) it’s brill!

Once it’s warm in here I’m going to opens the door and let the heat go upstairs to the bedrooms.

And get an ecofan, Aldi do them every so often.

You need a decent stove fan, they make all the difference. They vary hugely and generally the more expensive ones shift more cubic feet, so it's worth paying a bit more for a decent one.

We’re moving soon so probably won’t bother with getting a fan. I just really need the wood burner until the boiler is fixed.

You want a flue thermometer to monitor the heat production (also helps prevent chimney fires).

I wasn't convinced about fans.

ps: there's a really good thread buried on Money Saving Expert about making stoves as efficient as possible for heating a home.

Thanks lljkk. I’m hoping there’s one in my next house. I really do like it.

I would get a thermometer but yyou don’t need a fan.

I bought a multi fuel stove as my sister had a woodburner and she heat wasn't there for long enough. I burn anthracite and it whacks heat out and the ligs burn slowly.

We've got 3 fans and they make a massive difference. A thermometer might be useful but let's face it they dont make the room any warmer

Personally I would call a plumbing and heating engineer rather than use a wood stove.

theconversation.com/blame-wood-burning-stoves-for-winter-air-pollution-and-health-threats-110662

Even a 2022 stove emits more PM2.5 than 18x new diesel cars. Then there are the other 200 or so toxins and carcinogens in wood smoke.

This was one the One Show last night. The tide turning, even on prime time TV - the truth is finally being communicated.

twitter.com/BBCTheOneShow/status/1110984596416421888

Common sense suggests they will be banned very soon. You have been warned. Neighbours will soon be able to breathe clean air again.

This is why i went fora multifuel stive. I get it going with anthracite and it get really hot, then chuck a few logs on and leave it.

Are they dry enough? That could be the reason.