Where do I buy fuel for my stove?

You may have a local source of wood. If not we provide a list of suppliers who can deliver locally. Click here for a list. Let us know if there are other suppliers you can recommend. Note that a delivery of logs from a local source can often be too wet for immediate use – even when described as seasoned! Coal and smokeless fuels will be supplied by your local coal merchant.

How much wood do I need?

• If you use your stove for just a few hours per evening you may only be burning just 3 or 4 cubic metres of logs per season.  A stove that is in constant use could use up to 8 cubic metres per season.

Calculator:

1 kilogramme of wood at 20% humidity will yield about 4kW for an hour About 350kg of split logs will occupy a volume of 1 cubic metre Assume stove runs at an average of 50% capacity Approx kg of wood required per year = Stove capacity x number of hours used per year / 8 Approx cubic metres of wood required per year = Stove capacity x number of hours used per year / 2.8

How should I store wood?

Correctly cut and seasoned fuel will produce at least twice the heat of poor fuel, increasing controllability and reducing fuel consumption. Dry wood will also burn cleaner and will generate less ash than damp wood.

To obtain the best burning or calorific value from your wood, it needs to be split and stored in the open with top cover for one spring and summer. Freshly cut wood has a moisture content of 60-70%. You must allow logs to dry until the moisture content is below 25%, ideally 20%. Hold a log to your face: if it feels cold or clammy, this is a sign that it is still damp. Dry wood will feel warm to the face.  Stack logs under shelter in a log shed where air is allowed to circulate.

We recommend that you purchase a year's supply of fuel at one time in the spring.

What sort of wood is best to burn?

How can I prevent the glass on my stove sooting up?

All modern stoves will have an airwash system, but the efficiency of the airwash depends on the quality and sophistication of the stove.

If the residue is tarry/yellowish this is due to damp wood and low temperature combustion. This deposit can be burnt off by opening up the fire and burning at a high temperature. Alternatively, tar on the glass can be cleaned with a proprietary stove glass cleaner,

A small amount of sooting will often occur at the corners of the glass, particularly when the stove is running on low output. This is normal, and will usually go away when the stove is opened up. Dusty or sooty deposits can usually be cleaned off with slightly damp newspaper, followed by a polish with dry newspaper.

A useful tip is to use a stove thermometer to ensure that stove temperatures are in the correct range for optimum combustion.

Are stoves easy to clean out?

What can I do with the ashes?