How to light and maintain a wood burner

[nubnubnub]

I am appalling at lighting and maintaining the heat in our wood burner. I just can't get the knack right and it never feels all that warm.

Can anyone talk me through how they do it please?!

I use kindling, firelighters and then logs.

Also, are the fans worth the money? I've heard mixed reviews.

I don’t bother with the kindling anymore - especially if the bark is rough. Make sure you use plenty of firefighters and 3-4 very dry logs. It’s much easier to light and get a fire going when it’s properly cold outside compared to not-so-cold days (when you might be practicing).

I use firefighters and kindling, air vent fully open and door just slightly ajar, I give it about three mins then I add a couple of logs, making sure they are pyramided so the air can get round them and shut the door and half close the air. Result roaring fire very quickly.

I use newspaper, kindling and wood. No fire lighters. Make sure you open the vents just enough to get a good draw

We have a fan. It works

Make sure there's no ash to remove and have the dampener fully open. Put the fire lighter of the grate and make a pyramid of kindling around it. Light the firelighter and let the kindling catch. Add as many logs as will fit in the box then leave with dampener fully open until they catch nicely. Close dampener or leave slightly open to keep air moving. If it's high pressure there can be less of a draw. Also make sure your chimney is swept.

Dry logs are essential. If you have a multitude stove you might get more heat from coal. Don't open the door any more than you have to. Reach up to the ceiling once the fire has been in for an hour or so, if it's noticeably warmer then get a fan to redistribute the warm air.

I miss my fire.

No firelighters. just screwed up paper, kindling and one match. Don't clear all the ash.from the previous Air open to start, then turn down and add logs

I use fire lighters and properly seasoned wood. Kindling if it's around. Vent open. Get a proper fire going then close the vent down half way. You need to get the firebox to the right temp for it to sustain itself. Then feed as needed.

Where are your logs coming from and have you checked them with a moisture meter?

I use kiln dried wood put a couple of flat pieces on the bottom. then a couple of fire lighters some small peices to act as kindling then a bigger piece on top. I'm wondering if you're using your vents/ flue properly. When you light the fire everything open then once you've had it going for tewenty minutes and chucked another log on you should be able to close the front vents another half an hour later close the flue. By that point you'll have a bed of glowing red on the bottom and just feed it more wood if it looks like dying down open flue then vents and build it back up.

Wood stoves are much more efficient once they're going if your not chucking lots of hot air out the flue so just give it what it needs. Fans are brilliant give it a go.

You need an ash bed to protect the metal. 😕
I would open the bottom vents (faster draw) close the top vents, medium size bottom layer, paper 2nd up, then kindling. Light paper (all sorts of suitable household waste paper, whatever I can't recycle or compost) close door, may have to open again to blow flames up.

When flue thermometr says I've reached ideal temp zone, close bottom vents & open top events to maintain ideal temp zone.

I don't know about fans, never used fire lighter stuff. Very fine kindling makes catching fire easier.

I use the upside down method: tim.blog/2009/02/02/how-to-build-an-upside-down-fire/

but to maintain heat it’s a question of ensuring the flue gases remain in the right temperature range and that’s done by opening and closing the air vent and adding fuel as needed. Too hot, reduce the airflow, too cool then open it up. And make sure new fuel is added before the flue gases get too cool.

Vent open (one bottom vent)
Layer of ash
Make a "waffle" using four kindling sticks
One or two eco wool fire lighter in the middle
Small log on top
Light firelighters
Close door but do not fully tighten handle (handle creates a tight seal)

After 10 minutes, add another bigger log fully close the door. If it doesn't go crack the door a bit.
After 20 mins close the vent a bit and it should be roaring now but won't be hot as needs more fuel. Some times k out a few logs on and let it burn up with an open vent then have a slow fire with the vent cracked open. Sometimes I put one log in a time. A fire from 5pm-10 is a three log fire.

Stove is: Chesney Salisbury 5kw.

There are very few things in life that I am good at, but getting a good fire going is one of them.

Screw up sheets of newspaper or paper like the Amazon packaging.

Create a bed of screwed up paper, then take smaller sticks and lay them in a lattice design across the bed of paper.

Then take a few larger sticks or pieces of soft wood (we have a good supply of 2x2 offcuts) which will burn hot and place over the smaller kindling but at opposite angles so that they don't stifle the flames

finally place a couple of decent size logs on top.

Make sure all vents are open.

Light from the bottom using a couple of long matches. No firelighters involved, I have only ever used them when camping and the wind was strong.

When the fire is going well add another couple of logs and close the vents about halfway.

All woodburners are a little bit different. You will get to know your in time and become a dab hand at it.

We were taught (by the guy who fitted ours, and sweeps the chimney).

1. Light a couple of sheets of paper to warm the flue to attract the smoke up the chimney instead of back into the house - smoke follows heat so if the flue is cold (why else would you be lighting a stove) the smoke won't initially go up there and will try to come back into the room.

1. Make a bed of paper (the freebies from tesco for us) on the bottom.

1. Add a layer of kindling on top.

1. Light the paper and leave it to burn and catch the kindling.

1. Once the kindling is going, add a log.

1. Keep adding more wood as needed or swap to coal at this point.

1. Never keep swapping between wood and coal in the same fire.

1. Use your vents - close the top vent first if you're using wood and the bottom vent first if you're using coal.

As @Donttakeafence I use the upside down method, also known as the Scandinavian method. Two logs on base, (try to have a V shape between the logs) then firefighters and then kindling in a “Jenga” pile on top. Warms the flue really quickly and gets a roaring fire in about 2 to 3 minutes.

I despair of the "panic about wood burner pollution" lot, but no way I'm having kerosene, coal or other hydrocarbons in my wood burner. Paper works very well & we always have plenty of paper that could not be recycled: chip wrapping, pizza boxes, brown bags had food in them, potato bags, flower bags, biscuit bags...

This. Firelighters are completely unnecessary and a waste of money. Dry wood and paper are the essentials, plus enough air circulation to feed the flames.
DH grew up in with open fires, heh.

Amazing! Thank you so much for all of the tips. Fires this week have been much better 👍