They will burn 5 times longer: How to properly heat the stove with firewood

Heating a stove with firewood is a traditional heating method that is still used in many homes. However, for it to be effective and economical, certain rules must be followed.

For better burning of firewood, you can use special fire starters. If you want the firewood to burn longer, you can add some wood chips to it. To avoid smoke, do not close the latch completely until the firewood is completely burned. By following these simple rules, you can make the furnace more efficient and save money on firewood, UNIAN writes.

Why firewood burns quickly in the stove

There are several main reasons why firewood in the stove can burn quickly:

• Improper stacking of firewood. If the firewood is stacked incorrectly, it will not burn evenly, but will burn quickly in the center.
• Failure to close the latch in time. If the latch is closed too early, the firewood will not be able to burn completely and will produce little heat.
• Poorly selected firewood species. Soft wood burns faster than hard wood.
• Unsuitable firewood temperature. Dry firewood burns faster than wet firewood.

• Unheated firebox. If the firebox is cold, the firewood will spend more time warming up, and therefore burn faster.
• A large amount of soot. Soot prevents the penetration of air into the firebox, which also leads to the rapid combustion of firewood.
• Lack of adjustment of the amount of firewood depending on the temperature outside. The colder it is outside, the more firewood you need to put in the stove.

How to properly heat the stove with wood

To make the wood burn longer and more efficiently in the stove, you must adhere to the following rules:

• Stack the firewood correctly. Firewood should be stacked in the form of a pyramid, with the bottom row being wider than the top row. Leave small gaps between the firewood for air circulation.
• Close the latch on time. When the firewood starts to burn, start closing the latch gradually. Close it completely when the wood is completely burned.

• Choose the right type of wood. Hard woods such as oak, beech, ash, birch are best suited for the furnace.
• Prepare firewood in advance. Dry firewood burns longer and more efficiently than wet firewood. Therefore, it is advisable to bring the firewood into the house 2-3 days before the firebox so that it dries.
• Preheat the firebox. Before putting firewood in the firebox, warm it up by burning a few chips.

• Observe the combustion mode. The optimal temperature for burning wood is up to 320 degrees. At a higher temperature, the wood will burn too quickly.
• Remove soot. Soot clogs the chimney and impairs draft. Therefore, it must be removed regularly.

As a reminder, we have prepared several ways to help you stay warm if your home does not have central heating.

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