Caring For Your Wood Burning Stove

​If you have just had a wood burner installed in your home or moved into a home with one, it is good to know the best way to take care of it so that you can get the most out of it for many years. With that in mind, here are a few basic tips on how to keep your wood-burning stove well maintained:
 
A wood-burning stove should be inspected regularly to ensure it is working safely and to check for any creosote build-up which tends to accumulate in the stovepipe. You should also ensure you have the required amount of smoke detectors for your home and check them each month.
 
Wood burners are intended to burn wood (as the name suggests) so it is unwise to burn other fuel like coal as it burns much hotter than wood does and so presents a safety hazard. It is also unwise to burn some types of wood like particleboard, plywood, or pressure-treated or painted wood as these release toxic fumes and are unsafe. Do not place plastic, gift wrap, or colored paper in your wood burner for the same reasons.
 
Some types of wood are better for burning in a wood burner than others, for example, dry wood is much better than freshly cut wood because it has much lower water content and burns hotter. You may also want to use a softwood such as pine to start the fire as it ignites faster, then you can switch to hardwood like ash or hickory which will burn hotter and cleaner. Cutting the logs into smaller pieces will also help.
 
Lastly, use a metal container filled with water to safely dispose of the ashes from your wood-burning stove. These basic tips will help you to get the most from your wood-burning stove.
 

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