Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Getting the most out of a wood-burning stove.
By Andrew McGowan
31 October 2017
Info Only Andrew McGowan has 15 years of wood-burning experience and experimentation
with Morso and Stovax stoves.
As our guest blogger this week,
Andrew shares with us his tips on efficient wood burning techniques in the home.

More...
http://www.yougen.co.uk/blog-entry/3015 ... +stove-%7C+/

After a few failures and a lot of non belief in the process, I have been using this (or slightly modified version) for the past 6 years and am amazed at the ease at which the fire will light. It seems that the "Real" trick is about how fast you can get the chimney hot! A hot chimney reduces smoke, gives a better draw and makes life a lot easier. Give it a try for yourselves, it works!

https://mffire.com/wood-stove-101-perfe ... -fire-top/

waddo wrote:After a few failures and a lot of non belief in the process, I have been using this (or slightly modified version) for the past 6 years and am amazed at the ease at which the fire will light. It seems that the "Real" trick is about how fast you can get the chimney hot! A hot chimney reduces smoke, gives a better draw and makes life a lot easier. Give it a try for yourselves, it works!

https://mffire.com/wood-stove-101-perfe ... -fire-top/

Well I never! Been lighting fires wrong allthis time! Will try this later!

waddo wrote:After a few failures and a lot of non belief in the process, I have been using this (or slightly modified version) for the past 6 years and am amazed at the ease at which the fire will light. It seems that the "Real" trick is about how fast you can get the chimney hot! A hot chimney reduces smoke, gives a better draw and makes life a lot easier. Give it a try for yourselves, it works!

https://mffire.com/wood-stove-101-perfe ... -fire-top/

I agree - I have tried this for a few days, with modifications. It is a viable alternative to the traditional method.
I have some 3-4" diameter logs as a base and smaller logs and kindling on top.
However I do not use newspaper but a few "pieces" of firelighter on top of the 3-4" logs to get the kindling burning more easily.
Very simple, quick and clean.

Will this work on an open fireplace? Just thought I'd ask first, incase I smoke the place out.

Open fireplace! Really don't know as only have wood stove - BUT - have and outside BBQ, the type with a brick chimney built on it and in an hour or so - jobs to finish first - I will try lighting it that way and see where the smoke goes! It is a bit windy up here today so may not be a true exercise but will give it a go and let you know!

OK. First off I have tried this method today in my BBQ (Concrete built, enclosed sides but open front, with chimney, flat bottom, no grate, inside depth to base is around 10cm) laid the wood in at 10:00 and it is still going - impressed and will use this method in future to light my BBQ for cooking on, it will take a long time for it to burn down to cinder so I can cook without flames I think!

Secondly, took five small olive (well seasoned and dry) logs, laid three of them left to right (of right to left if you are left handed - lol) and placed one of the two remaining logs on each end which formed a kind of pit in the middle. Filled the pit with kindling, this was pine (I think) and was left overs from some woodwork I did last year (I keep every scrap that I can't use for this), also dry and small - about 8cm long max and around thumb or finger thick. Tried to light from the top with paper - failed, due to winds it just blew the paper away - pushed one fire lighter (yes, I am tight) into the kindling and set it alight, then put some more little bits of kindling on the top.

Ten minutes later it was well ablaze, sadly I can not comment on the smoke as it went everywhere due to the wind eddying around inside the BBQ!!! It is now 52 minutes into the fire and it is still going strong, the two outside end bits have burnt and have left the three logs at the base well alight, if it was an open fireplace I would have added some more smaller logs to it about 30 minutes into the burning. It seems like the three logs at the bottom form a very efficient base for the fire and do not burn away very fast at all so although you would have a slower burning fire you would save wood with this method. The heat (radiation) from the BBQ was very good!

If I had an open fire I would try this method - probably when the wife was out the first time, just in case - but it was easy to light! I still think that the trick is to get the heat into the chimney as fast as you can as this provides the draw that makes the whole thing work so well, this is even true on the BBQ. Top down lighting works for sure and gets your chimney hot quick!

Thanks waddo, I will give it a try on the open fireplace and report on how I get on.

I've used the top down fire method in the outside firin for years and it is way better than the traditional method. I save middle of toilet rolls/kitchen rolls as don't have a ready supply of newspaper, sometimes use a couple of cubes of fire lighter. It can get quite smoky at the start, but whether this is to do with it being outside, the use of firelighter cubes, I have no idea.

Last year I made my own fire lighters! I had bought some from Superhome in the South and found out that what I paid for was just wood shavings, wax and resin, it lasts for years and years apparently. So I used up all my old candle wax, got wood shavings from the local carpenter (not sawdust, shavings as thin as I could find) for free, melted the wax and mixed in the shavings then as the wax was firming up I rolled it into sausages! It has really worked well but I have run out now and returned to paper and cubes - cubes make the glass in the wood burner dirty - so next summer I will mix up a new batch but make more. Better than sitting in the bar but be careful rolling hot wax and shavings if you don't wear gloves - ouch!!

Just tried this new method and it works brill!

I would really like a thread discussing what Stove to buy!! We are moving and will buy a new 'Soba'
We do not want to do any cooking with it. We would like it to heat the whole house and we do not like the idea of storing the wood below the fire basket.

Yes peoples' views and actual experiences would be useful. For a brief outline, the consumer group 'Which' have done some research - you could have a quick look at https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/wood-bu ... fuel-stove.

Hi dippersgirl,

"I would really like a thread discussing what Stove to buy!!"

Here's some info...

Best Wood Burning Stoves
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... od+burners

10 Best Heat Powered Stove Fans 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfFuIHxyC24

I have the (No 5) VODA 4 Blade, works fine

Really depends on what's available, here in the TRNC!

I have the Caframo Ecofan 812 Airmax Stove Fan, works well even through it developed a small fault with the motor (one of the soldered terminals melted and came free), thankfully I had also purchased a spare motor which was really easy to fix - then I repaired the original as well! The difference these fans make can not be understated and they are worth anything you spend on them. Having said that I remember when I bought mine how much it cost and it was not cheap at all way back then - even now they are over £100.00 or more - but you get what you pay for in the end.

I run an Invicta stove - cast iron - and it is the best one I have had out here, from Stone Art.

50 Must know heating with firewood tips and tricks
By Life in Farmland
9 Feb 2019
Info Only

These are my favourite top 50 heating with firewood tips and tricks for 2019.

Covering topics such as
Cutting,
Splitting,
Stacking,
and Burning Firewood.
Hope this can help.

Great tip, see...
https://youtu.be/H3HRTTpzZqo?t=558


Full YouTube Video...
https://youtu.be/H3HRTTpzZqo

5 Ways To Dry Unseasoned Firewood
By American-Outdoors.net
3 Dec 2019
Info Only

You are trying to ensure you have good usable firewood
for next winter/fall and you are running short on time.
Here are 5 methods to help speed the drying process
and make sure you enjoy clean, hot fires over the winter.

YouTube Video...
https://youtu.be/OlH-X-lyt9U