How to Light a Fire in your Stove
How to Light a Fire in your Wood Burning or Multi-Fuel Stove: A Step-by-Step Guide
Our easy-to-follow guide to how to light a log burner is here to make sure you get the very most out of your wood burning stove.
Whether you’ve invested in a log burner or multifuel stove, it’s important to know how to light a fire effectively. It’s easy to stumble at the first hurdle when you’re using a stove for the first time.
Log and multifuel stoves make an ideal focal point in your home even when they’re not lit. Most importantly though, you need to get the best out of your stove to give you maximum warm effectively and efficiently.
Our step by step guide will help you with all the knowledge you need to light your stove, from keeping it from going out to maintaining the right temperature.
Firelighting Equipment
When first lighting your stove it’s good to have everything at hand to ignite it and get it going. To light your stove you will need the following items:
Firelighters: There are different types to choose from. We sell a range of firelighters from wood by-products to the traditional style kerosene coated lighters.
Click here to see our range of firelighters
Kindling: These should be small pieces of dry wood, cut into small lengths. Our kindling comes in 4kg netted packs. See them in the same section as firelighters on the link above.
Firewood: Make sure your wood is dry with a moisture content less than 20%. You can buy Moisture metres on our Safety and Efficiency page below:
Click here to see our Moisture metres
Matches: Nice long ones are the best so you don’t get your fingers burnt. We sell boxes of 11” matches which you can buy on our page below
Types of firewood
Wood fuel comes in two categories: Softwood or Hardwood. Whichever type you choose, the wood must be well seasoned. Seasoning is the storing and drying of wood to reduce the moisture content; Fresh cut logs can contain as much as 60% water.
Make sure you have a good supply of firewood, making sure you keep it dry in a suitable log store. Make sure the moisture content is no higher than 20%, as this will affect the efficiency of your fire. You should avoid burning wet wood as it produces more emissions and can damage your stove, chimney and flue liner.
Hardwood is denser, giving out more heat and burns much longer. Softwood is cheaper and quicker to light so it burns quicker than hardwood. Our wood is ready to burn, and we have a variety to choose from. Click on link below to see our selection of wood.
Click here to see our range of firewood
Solid Fuels for multifuel stoves
Manufactured Smokeless Fuel is made by pulverising coal, heating slowly to remove harmful hydrocarbons and then reformed into uniform pieces or briquettes. Very popular as domestic fuel and widely available under different trade names. We have a variety of solid fuels for your multifuel stove.
Click here to see our range of smokeless fuel
And Finally
How to light your wood burning stove
Different manufacturers have varying lighting techniques to aid ease of use and reduce smoke emissions. Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions when using your stove. In the absence of manufacturer instructions, contact an installer or chimney sweep who will be able to offer appropriate advice.
Hetas are a non-profit organisation, that will give you good advice on how to light your fire. There are two methods that they will show you.
Click here to see their fire lighting methods
How to light your multifuel stove
Multi-fuel stoves can burn logs, smokeless fuels, and anthracite. Many stoves are multi-fuel and have the ability to burn solid fuels as well as wood.
There are many websites that will give you good advice with lighting your multifuel stove effectively.