Frequently Asked Questions
How often do I need to empty the ash?
Typically once a week if burning wood and you can add it to your compost heap! Burning coal produces more ash and may need to empties twice a week.
Which wood is best?
Hardwoods are best – Oak, beech, ash, silver birch and sycamore. Certain softwoods are also okay but will give out half the relative heat to that of hardwood by volume, ie one hardwood log = two softwood logs
Will my stove burn wet wood?
No, you can’t burn water! Wood must be seasoned for at least a year, longer for denser woods such as Oak, whereas Ash or Sycamore require less seasoning. Burning wet wood is inefficient as potential heat energy is lost boiling the moisture out of the wood, sending low temperature wood smoke up the flue, leaving heavy deposits in the your flue which result in more serious problems in the future.
How much wood will I need?
A small stove will bur 3 to 4 tons, larger stoves 5 to 6 tons per season in average use.
Do I still need to sweep my chimney?
Yes. Chimneys should be swept annually.
The flue liner / flue
pipe connects here
burning stove, the logs sits at the base
of the firebox. If it is a multi-fuel stove,
the firebox has a raised grate with
moving bars or a central riddling grate
and ashpan.
of air in and out of the firebox,
therefore giving control to regulate
the rate which the fire burns and
therefore the heat.
of stove, this can simply be a set of legs
or a stand incorporating a log store