Getting the best from your appliance

Hello and welcome to todays blog, I am Danny Hodgson a Master Chimney Sweep

You will learn today how to effectively prepare and light your fire.

LIGHTING

• Lighting a fire is easy following this step by step guide. Remember to use recommended solid fuels and wood with a moisture content of less than 20% this will allow quick lighting and maximum efficiency. So, what will you need?
• The solid fuel of your choice or logs dried with a moisture content of less than 20%.
• Kindling
• Firelighters
• Long matches or a long lighter.
• Wood is best burned on a bed of ash while coal is best burnt with no bed of ash, due to coal taking its air from underneath.

Wood Burning stoves and Multifuel stoves

• Build a small kindling tower and place a firelighter in the middle, ensuring you leave plenty of gaps for air.
• Light the fire lighters and place more kindling on top.
• Ensure all air controls are open fully and close the door.
• Allow the fire to get hot, this should take 3-10 minutes.
• Add a smaller log or a small amount of solid fuel; be sure not to add too much fuel as the may smother the fire.
• Once the fuel is alight add larger logs or more solid fuel.
• After 15-20 minutes adjust the air controls to the required setting. No flame should be drawn up the flue. The window should appear to be filled with flames, we call this moderate flaming combustion. Be sure to not reduce the air flow too much to the point where the fire is being hampered.

Open fires

• Build a small kindling tower and place firelighters in the middle , ensure that you leave plenty of gaps for air.
• Light the fire lighters and place more kindling on top.
• If there is a draught regulator, open it.
• Replace the fireguard and leave the fire for 3-10 minutes in order for it to get hot.
• Add smaller logs or a small amount of soilid fuel; be sure not to add too much fuel or you may smother the fire.
• Once the fuel is lit add larger logs or more solid fuel.

Refuelling

• When refuelling your appliance you will achieve optimum results by following these guidlines provided below.
• Before refuelling the level of the draught should be increased to assist the fire in re establishing.
• Add an approriate amount of fuel
• The draught should be reduced to its optimum level to achieve moderate flaming combustion.

Deashing and ash removal is of upmost importance, care in removing ash from the fires bed will award fuel economy. Daily emptying of the ash pan will reduce carbon monoxide risk.

• If the ash pan is mostly full, empty it before deashing the appliance. Under no circumstanced should you allow the ash to build up to the underside of the bars.
• Remove the ash pan and contents quickly from the room if you have an ash tippy this will be most useful increasing the efficiency of the ash removal process.
• Replace the ash pan and ensure that the ash cover is fitted.
• De-ashing the appliance should only be undertaken following the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid damage to the appliance. It is important that deashing is dealt with im a careful manner to prevent unburnt fuels falling into the ash.

I hope that you found this article helpful, thanks for reading. Danny Hodgson Chimney Sweep Devon