Are you having a problem burning your logs?
A few tips on how to improve log burning.
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If Logs are not burning well1. Did you take them out the bag immediately and place them in a well-ventilated environment (somewhere you could hang wet clothes up and they would dry in a few hours)?
2. Did you stack them correctly? Always stack them properly with the first row facing one way and the second row at right angles to the first and so on up the stack. This allows the maximum airflow to travel through the logs. If you stack them all the same way then they will most certainly start to sweat and become too damp for burning.
3. Did you bring them to the fireside or stove about 48 hours before using? A log rack or log basket is ideal for this purpose.
4. It may be your stove is not working properly.
Have you checked around the back of the stove and where it links into your chimney. Any small cracks or holes in the jointing compound will dramatically reduce the airflow through your stove and the chimney will be taking air out of the room instead of through the inlet vents in your stove.
It is very important for good burning and safety that 100% of the air drawing through chimney comes directly through the stove. From a saftey aspect it can be important in controlling a chimney fire. If your chimney does catch fire and there are no air leaks other than through the control vents then you have a better chance of snuffing the fire out by closing the vents completely.
4. When did you last get your chimney cleaned. Poor draughting can easily be caused by tar deposits building up in the chimney. Have your chimney cleaned thoroughly at least twice a year.
Try the National association of Chimney Sweeps (www.chimneyworks.co.uk) or the Guild of Master Sweeps (ww.guildofmasterchimneysweeps.co.uk) to find a qualified sweep near you.
5.
The sizzle test. We always sell well-seasoned logs but in the winter months they may be slightly damp and will require a short period for drying before use.
You can easily test if they are dry enough by placing one on a hot fire and with the stove door open just listen. If the log sizzles when burning like a steak being cooked this is a sign they are not dry enough.
If Logs are burning too wellCheck all the seals in your stove around the glass and where the doors close. Any air getting in these places will prevent you from shutting down the airflow and controlling the burning of your logs.
Even if your stove is relatively new these problems can easily occur especially if the stove has been overheated by accident.
Always check your stove and chimney at least twice a year or when the above faults develop.
Factors which can affect the efficiency of your stove even with the exact same woodfuel:-
1. High winds: Can cause down draughting in the chimney which will prevent stove from burning correctly and may put smoke into the room, especially when first lit and flame hasn't quite taken. Solve this by using firelighters, kindling and or paper when setting the fire and open vent adequately to create more flame.
2. High Winds: Can also require you to reduce the vent intake to prevent excessive draught burning the wood too quickly or overheating the stove.
3. Warmer Outside Temperatures: If the ambient temperature is greater than that of the chimney or room where the stove is sited then reverse convection can take place. This causes all the smoke to come into the room instead of up the chimney. This is more likely to occur in the summer months and can be prevented by using paper, firelighter and kindling to create as much flame as possible until the fire gets going and the chimney warms up.
4. Cold Outside Temperatures: Can cause chimney to draught excessively requiring the air intake to be reduced more than normal.
Tar deposits on the glass front and inside stove? More common with softwoods and briquettes than hardwoods.
Assuming the logs have been seasoned correctly then this is usually a sign of not enough air getting into the fire. Open the air vents a little more and allow the stove and the chimney to get a bit hotter.
If this happening overnight it is usually a sign that the logs haven't been burned hot enough before shutting the vents on the last fire of the evening.
