How to Keep a Wood Stove Going All Day
Wood stoves are fairly user-friendly appliances. If you simply place wood in the fire and ignite it, you will have a wood stove fire. But you could have much more. The quality of the fire in your wood stove has a direct relationship to the type of wood you use and how you stack it. Learning how to keep a wood stove fire burning all day is really learning how to build a quality fire with maximum burn time and minimum emissions. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Pick the best wood for a slow burn. Hardwood burns the longest. Whichever type of wood you use, it must be well seasoned. Wet wood does not burn efficiently and produces excess amounts of smoke. Hardwood must be seasoned for at least one year before it is suitable for burning.
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Cut the wood down to size if necessary. Each log must be at least 3 inches shorter than your wood stove's firebox. According to The Wood Heat Organization, a maximum length of 14 to 16 inches is ideal. Keep the diameter of each log smaller than 8 inches. Pieces at around 3 inches in diameter or smaller burn the most efficiently.
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Sweep any ash out of the stove.
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Light a layer of kindling or coals, whichever you prefer. Scrape lit coals toward your wood stove's air inlet so that the majority of the logs in the fire will lay behind the coal.
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Stack one layer of logs flat in the fire box in an east-to-west position so that they are parallel to the front of the stove. When you face the mouth of the stove, you look at the length of the log instead of its end. In this orientation, the air intake in the stove is located along the greater surface area of the length of the log instead of its narrower end. This greater surface area takes longer to burn and prolongs the life of the log. Once the first layer of logs is burning nicely, add subsequent layers (in the same direction) until the fire box is full to the manufacturer-recommended height.
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Keep the air control(s) open for the first 15 to 30 minutes. Once the firebox is full of fire and the logs are black on their edges and glowing red, reduce the air intake gradually until the fire burns at the desired level. For the best and longest burn, burn the fire on the high side. Consult your wood stove's owner manual for instructions on how to reduce the air intake if you are unfamiliar with its operation.
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Tips & Warnings
A fire constructed in this manner will burn for roughly eight hours. To get a longer burn, add more logs.
References
- Fireplaces and Wood Stoves: How Do I Start a Wood Fire?
- Juneau Empire; Get the Most Efficiency from Your Sood Stove; John Krumm; November 2008
- The Wood Heat Organization: Proven Tips on Firewood, Fire Starting, Operating Procedure and Ash Handling
- The United States Environmental Protection Agency: Consumers - Best Burn Practices
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
