A woodburning stove burns at its best on a bed of ash. Let the ash build up to a reasonable thickness on the base of the firebox around 25-50mm. This rule is not rigid, become familiar with your stove and how it works best. Use a shovel and metal bucket A multifuel stove with a grate,is slightly different.

 

 

If burning wood for long periods then let the ash build up on the grate so you have a layer covering the grate up. When it comes to burning coal make sure to empty all the ash out or the stove will not work well, and may damage the stove parts. If burning only wood then choose a dedicated woodburner if possible, as it will be more efficient. It is not recommend that wood and coal are burnt at the same time.

 

 

Burning coal produces sulphuric acid and wood can contain a lot of moisture. This combination can coat the chimney with a sulphuric acid solution which can quickly eat away at the brickwork of the flu. Furthermore , the conditions for burning wood efficiently are not the same as those for the efficient burning of coal.

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Wood burns best with an ample supply of air from above. When lighting a wood fire open the bottom air vent at the same time as the top air vent. This will help the fire to start more easily. When the fire is nicely burning close down, the bottom air vent and then control the stove using just the top air vent.

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If the fire the dies down too much it could indicate the draw on your chimney is not sufficient enough to maintain a good fire. Use the bottom vent too and contact Vaughan Chimney Sweeps for further advice and assistance.