Familiarizing yourself with the ins and out (and your fuel economy)

Even the best wood-burning stove needs your input, if you want to heat your home efficiently and, at the same time, protect the environment from harmful particles. Ultimately, it is a matter of how you use the wood-burning stove – and of course, what you fuel it with. You can do both yourself and the environment a big favour by following these six recommendations:

Choose a stove which complies with the strictest requirements on particle emissions.

• Make sure your chimney is the correct size in relation to the stove. A good draw is essential for optimum combustion.
  
  
• Never burn waste, cardboard packaging, printed matter or wood that has been painted or in some other way treated.
  
  
• Make sure the wood is clean and dry. Moisture content of max 16-20% gives the best and cleanest combustion (and also less soot on the glass).
  
  
• Never overfill the stove and avoid using oversized pieces of fuel.
  
  
• Air is important for good combustion and good economy. Before the wood carbonises, enough air needs to be added that flames are produced (always read the manual – it’s important).
  
  
• Don’t leave the stove burning overnight. Leaving your stove burning overnight is bad for your wallet and the environment.