Wood burning stove - what do I need to buy for it?

[Trilllion]

New home has a woodburning stove. It's been serviced etc.

Have no experience of them. In very simple terms, what do I need to buy for it?

Kindling and logs? A fireside companion set and ash bucket. Get your chimney swept once a year

Firelighters

Check that the carbon monoxide detector is working and in good nick.

Look at getting a fan to sit on top. We have 2 and it spreads the heat throughout my home. Also a thermometer.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/fireangel-fa6813-battery-standalone-carbon-monoxide-alarm/707kc

Wood wool, like this - get the cheapest you find as it's all the same https://greenolivefirewood.co.uk/product/wood-wool-firelighters/

Small bag of kindling - don't need more than 2 sticks for a fire - you can pick it up at the supermarket or somewhere like Home Bargains. Don't spend more than £5.

Then logs! Call your local man and he will bring it round in a dumpy bag. Buy 1 bag, if you can store it. You can leave it outside if you throw a tarp over it. About £120 round here for a dumpy bag, probably more down south. Get hardwood as it burns longer. Make sure it says less than 20% moisture or it won't burn.

Your woodman might sell wood wool and alarms and so on - ask him.

These are also useful - cheap as anything and double up as oven gloves www.screwfix.com/p/site-leather-mig-welders-gauntlets-red-large/245FR

I think PP have pretty much covered it all.

We have:

Fire gloves
Poker set
Thermometer for chimney
Fire-top fan
Firelighters
Kindling
Logs
Matches/fire lighting tool (that you'd use for lighting a gas hob)
Dustpan and brush for ashes

Chimney sweep once a year, usually in the autumn before we start using the fire again.

Supermarket kindling is crazy expensive so once you have your logs you can easily make your own and it's WAY cheaper.

It's not difficult to make your own kindling - we have a splitter device that's in a mounted ring. There's a bit of a knack to it, but once you've got it, you can zip through and quickly make up a whole bucket of kindling.

I buy a cubic metre of logs at a time, or just over. It's usually 1.2 cubic metres I think. But that's mainly because I don't have lots of wood storage - I need two deliveries to get me through until the warmer weather but I don't use it all. Normally three deliveries will last me two seasons if that makes sense!

We have an air purifier for peace of mind. The only time it'll kick in is if dh refuels because he makes a meal of it and let's smoke into the room.

Buy dry aged logs and do not burn anything else. Try and find a space for a wood store if you can and buy logs in bulk as it is cheaper. A poker is useful to have. Also get long matches!

You must have a carbon monoxide alarm sat about head height in the room. You must burn (well legally) kiln dried wood but tbh I'd recommend only doing this anyway as if you burn wet wood you'll need it cleaning so much more and run the risk of clogging the flu pipe up. Have it swept under a year. Maybe some kindling sticks/fire lighters to help you light it and that's it all you need. 😁

Agree with pp for wood wool firelighters - used them for the first time this year instead of paper and it's a game changer!

Also whilst hardwood burns for longer, I prefer a mixed bag as softwood is much easier to light. (You can literally tell by lifting each log which is which.)

The most important thing is the carbon monoxide detector just buy a new one.
dustpan and brush ( ideally a metal pan)
poker (only need the tongs etc is burning solid fuel as well)
I use a flannel to protect my hand when opening the door.
Kindling I gather sticks usually ash. You can make your own. You won’t be throwing out an old wooden chair anymore it’ll be chopped up
Fire lighters Any will do I buy the cheapest
matches
pine cones if you can find them
newspaper
logs. Try to avoid kiln dried or imported. Aim for hard wood from a local woodland or from a tree surgeon

somewhere safe to put the hot ashes outside. Pre children I had a metal bucket but now a metal dustbin with lid.

I'd recommend a gas candle lighter over matches - just a bit easier and more reliable.

Never keep a bucket of ashes inside the room - empty it outside every day (carbon monoxide risk)

If you get a chimney sweep round (I would, even if the previous occupiers claim they did recently) then they'll usually be really helpful. Our chimney sweep gave us a magnetic thermometer to clip onto the flue to check we're not overheating it, for example.

If you're planning on collecting wood yourself get a moisture meter . Screwfix sell a pair of welders gloves for a out a fiver which are useful for protecting your hands when adding wood to fire.

And a carbon monoxide meter! Forgot to mention this!!

Make sure your windows open properly - we always need the window open when the log burner is on and we turn the radiator off in the room while the burner is on. It smells amazing when first lit, we all come to the sitting room to sniff! FWIW I'm also asthmatic and I've never ever had an issue with the burner. Also have a fan on top.

Live in a very old thatched cottage, we only put it on once it gets to freezing outside for a few days or it is just unbearably hot once lit. DH loves it, but I can't stay in the sitting room to watch TV when the log burner is on!

We buy a ton of logs at a time, £120 ish as PP said. Love the name 'dumpy bag' I've never heard that!

We got a ton of logs delivered in August 2022 and we still have enough left to get us past Xmas before we buy any more.

Our log man is also our sweep. Get it done in early summer. We have to send our certificate to the insurance company because of our thatch.

Curious - why would anyone move hot ashes? We have the burner on for let's say an afternoon and evening at the weekend, then the ashes cool down and we move them next time we want a fire. Are you emptying yours whilst they are hot and if so, why?

In fact our ashes are still there from the last time we lit it in March! The chimney sweep just pushed them to one side.

I live in France and burn wood 12 hours a day in the winter.
After 2 days I absolutely need to empty the ash and it's always really hot still.
It never cools down in the fireplace.
A metal bucket is a must.

Because the Rayburn is on 24/7 as it runs the central heating and hot water and the ashes need emptying twice a day.
The log burner ashes are still hot in morning when I’m lighting it again. The ashes don’t have chance to go cold

Got it! I thought we'd been missing a trick!!

In fairness, we don't need to empty our ashes very often and the fire lights better when there's an ash bed. Our chimney guy suggested only emptying them periodically and that works for us. We have our log burner on every day in the winter - we have a SEN child who likes to run around almost naked so the house needs to be kept warm 😂

It's probably different for those with a whole boiler system that runs off a log burner but obvs not the same for everyone.

If you re burning wood during the day and evenings, sweeping twice a year should be a must.

Also final sweep should be in the spring or asap after you stop using it as the weather warms, the soot is softer and easier to brush out.

Finally, leave all vents fully open to allow the flue to vent during the off season.

Fitting the stove has saved us a fortune since energy prices increased but we do have our own wood supply atm.

i sweep the Rayburn chimney every 8 weeks and use the chimney sorcerer or cleaning log every week.
The log burner is only swept once a year and there’s not even a shovel full of soot

Also, in really cold weather, get a roaring fire going first with kindling and small logs. This warms the flue and the fire draws much better when you add larger logs.