Welcome to the Firesparta website and thank you for purchasing your handover pack.
We hope the pack has delivered you some key information along with a visual understanding of how best to take care of your stove and flue. The items within your pack have been designed and manufactured to the highest quality.
Enjoy getting the most from the 3 elements. If we source the best fuel, understand and control the air flow and keep the heat optimal and consistent, the stove can last a lifetime with little maintenance. Keep in mind that every stove and chimney will perform differently on any given day, so you will have to tinker to get the best results.
Please contact us if you have any questions or comments, the aim here is to make the handover experience even better!
'IGNITE'
TOP DOWN FIRELIGHTING
This Method of lighting a stove helps to heat the flue gases quickly, this will warm up the chimney and start a syphon of powerful up-draught. It also removes the need to open the door to re-fuel while the fire is still at a relatively low temperature, which will likely pull back some smoke into the room!
Modern stoves have big glass doors with reduced size outlets, they are designed to be economical and keep the heat down, pushing unburnt particles back down into the fire. This is the reason why this method of lighting your stove is recommended.
To make lighting your stove as easy as it can be, its a good idea to set aside some of your best split logs, cut to fit your stove perfectly and kept warm inside… (cold wood is hard to light).
Its recommended to start with smaller logs no larger than 6-8″ in overall diameter, we will also need some good quality kindling and firelighters.
STEP 1
Start by placing two or three, small to mid-sized logs down on the fire bed, spaced apart slightly.
STEP 2
Build your kindling above the logs, criss-cross the kindling in layers, making sure there is space between to allow for the air to pass through.
STEP 3
Place your firelighter either between the two bottom logs or somewhere in the middle of the kindling stacks. A good firelighter will burn hot and at a steady rate, helping to ignite the kindling.
STEP 4
Make sure your stove is set to the primary airflow position, or with all of the primary and secondary air vents open together. It may help to start your stove with the door slightly ajar, especially if the chimney is very cold, this pulls warm air into the stove which will help kick start the steady flow of heated air pressure. Now its time to ignite your fire…
STEP 5
Be mindful of what is happening in the chimney, the initial goal is to warm up the flue, and this heat will create a powerful and constant up-draught, but we are working against the colder air and the negative atmospheric pressures which can change on any given day.
The pictures below show an example of these initial steps;
After around 5-10 mins you will see the flue gas temperature pushing upwards of 200°F, at this stage we may be able to turn our attention away from primary air and focus on the secondary and tertiary air control, but more importantly we must not stifle the fire at this early stage, be patient if its not ready.
Tinker with your air-flows and keep pushing towards the optimal temp range. Once the stacks of kindling have almost burnt away and fell into the logs, its time to reload your stove with 1 or 2 smaller logs**.
**Be careful when opening the door, secondary air is pushing hot air down the front of your stove glass. Open the door slow and gentle so smoke doesn’t puff back, look closely and you should be able to see the pressure change back to primary air**
The pictures below show the fire heading towards its optimum temperature with the secondary & tertiary air taking over and being reloaded for the first time;
'OXYGEN'
AIR FLOWS
Your stove will either have air sliders that are located on the front of the stove, separating the Primary and Secondary air intakes or more modern stoves have a single air control which opens and closes an inlet located on the back of the stove, this is normally just below the stove.
The manufacturers handbook will guide to where to find and how to set these air flow positions.
PRIMARY air is the main source of oxygen for starting the fire. The aim of primary combustion is to get the fire established and to heat the stove up to a sufficient temperature. The air will feed in low, under the fuel bed, passing through the combustion chamber, pushing upwards as it heats.
Once the stove has reached its optimal temperature, bringing down the primary air will help to keep the heat in the stove and not lost up the chimney, reducing the primary air will prevent the wood from burning too quickly and also help the other air-flows work to their full potential.
SECONDARY air is pre-heated and fed from above the fuel bed. Secondary combustion plays a key part in a stoves impressive functionality and is where most of the heat is generated. Gases from the primary combustion are re-ignited and heavy particles are circulated until fully combusted. Hot air will also thrust down the glass and keep it clear of any unburnt deposits.
The secondary air should never be completely closed, and most stoves are now designed this way. You will always have to tinker with this control to create the most efficient burn, too much or too little secondary air have the same detrimental effect to its overall benefit.
TERTIARY air is fed into the firebox through holes at the back of the stove. Preheated jets of air are injected into the flames, giving a boost of oxygen that ignite any unburnt hydrocarbons and remaining heavy particles within the smoke.
Tertiary combustion is normally linked with, and automatically controlled by the secondary air-flow. This tertiary combustion leads to a bright clean-burn and greatly reduces emissions associated with burning solid fuel.
'CARE'
OPTIMAL HEAT
After we have sourced the best fuel, understood how to regulate and control the oxygen, we can then use heat as our supervisor, the heat of the stove will highlight any issues with the other two elements and guide us towards the most ideal burn rate. Optimal and consistent heat is the key to a stress free lifetime of burning joy and is really important when caring for your stove.
The parts within the stove (glass, fire bricks and ropes) are not covered under warranty. Inconsistency and fluctuating heat patterns will have a negative effect on these.
Use the magnetic stove pipe thermometer included and keep your stove operating in the optimum heat range.
When your stove has cooled down. Slightly dampen the cloth and wipe away any unburnt deposits. Dip the cloth into the white fluffy ash to remove any stubborn marks.
Keep your stove, glass & rope as dry as possible, avoid moisture or chemicals when cleaning!
A closed combustion stove can burn at double the temperature of an open fire with 90% less emissions created.
Your stove should burn clean and bright, the burn rate should be controllable so that we can keep the heat down in the stove but without suffocating the fire. Avoid slumbering down your stove to retain warmth. You may be tempted to bring the heat down if the room feels too hot or try and extinguish the fire prematurely, but this will create ‘SMOKE’ (unburnt fuel).
Its a bad idea to suffocate the fire at any time. Keep the airflow’s open and let the fire burn out naturally.
‘Solid’ fuel is a compact, heavy chunk of energy and most of that energy can be turned into heat. When the temperature of the fire is too low that energy is stripped and passed on, converted into toxic volatile gases and other heavy particle matter. This unburnt fuel is a very acidic and unwanted by-product.
After each burn, soot will accumulate within the chimney and start forming the stages of creosote build-up. As we move up these stages of build-up, it becomes harder and more expensive to remove! Using your stove optimally will prolong the lifetime of your chimney system.
Service and sweep your stove and flue regularly. Knowing a professional chimney sweep is invaluable, they can show you first hand how well your stove is operating and how your chimney is looking inside.
A great tip is to get your chimney swept as soon as you stop using it, rather than leaving the soot to lay dormant until just before you start using it again!
'Wood VS Multifuel'
Wood burners have a solid base and will only burn timber. Wood burns better on a bed of ash! Great tip – if your stove has an open MF grate, but your only burning wood, allow a layer of ash to build up.
Choose your fuel wisely! Hardwood is consistent, has around double the density of softwood. softwood will burn much quicker & hotter due to its low density & resins. The heavier the wood when dry the greater its calorific value.
Prepare your wood well, the moisture is retained within the rings so its important that the wood is split nicely through the middle and also chopped into the right size for your stove. The greater the surface area, the faster wood dries and the better it burns.
Wood should be kept as dry as possible. Wood, although ‘dry’, will absorb moisture from the atmosphere. Set aside some of your prime logs and keep them warm inside, cold wood can be harder to light.
Always choose Seasoned or Kiln dried wood with a moisture content of 20% or below, look for the ready to burn logo when purchasing your fuel. The higher the moisture content, the lower the temperature of the fire, so more smoke and a waste of money.
If you have a Multifuel stove, take note of the type of MF grate you have?!, some are less open than others, designed to only burn a mixture of MF alongside wood, some can rotate and be closed off which is fantastic when you’re only burning wood!
Multi-Fuel (MF) stoves have a raised grate, this allows air to circulate under and pass through the fuel. MF stoves are designed to burn a combination of wood & compressed (man-made) smokeless fuels.
‘Smokeless’ fuel is designed to break apart as it burns, allowing the air to pass through, making it impossible to bed down and retain heat whilst creating harmful smoke, this is never a good idea!
Compressed fuel can be useful as a guaranteed moisture content and can really help you out if your wood is not ready or perhaps the heat of your fire has been brought down by a substandard & knotty log!
'Jargon'
FAQ'S
‘AIR WASH’ – This is a feature of most modern stoves. Air is deflected and flows down the inside of the glass to help prevent soot sticking on the glass.
BAFFLE PLATE – plates that sit in the top of the firebox. Its purpose is to help keep heat in the firebox, and not lost up the chimney. Combustion gases and smoke must flow around the plate before exiting the stove, this slows down the flue gases, resulting in improved efficiency and cleaner burning. All modern stoves will have some sort of baffle plate or multiple plates.
‘CLEANBURN’ – A system used in modern stoves in order to obtain higher efficiency from the burn, additional air is introduced to the stove to make sure most heavy particles can be combusted and volatile gases don’t disappear up the flue providing a complete burn.
ClearSkies – The ClearSkies Scheme certifies solid fuel local space heaters and solid fuel local space heater boilers that meet net efficiency and carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), organic gaseous compounds (OGC) and particulate matter (PM) emissions criteria. Independent test results of a product from an approved laboratory allows its producer to apply for a ClearSkies Mark licence to use the ClearSkies Mark on the certified appliance.
CC / Closed Combustion – If your stove is labelled with CC or closed combustion, this means the stove is able to take direct air into the stove via a closed combustion ducting kit or CCDK. This allows the air to flow directly from outside the house into the stove.
CE mark – A European standard by which products are rated.
Collar / Outlet / Spigot – a steel or cast-iron ring that bolts to the top or rear outlet of a stove, into which sits the first section of flue pipe. On stoves with both top and rear outlets the outlet not in use is sealed with a Blanking Plate.
CONSUMABLES – many of the components inside the firebox that make up the stove, the ropes, seals, firebricks, ash pan & grate, these items are classed as consumables and will have a certain lifespan dependent on the amount of use they get, and the temperatures involved but they are designed to be easily replaceable. Manufacturers will generally exclude all these items from any guarantee or warranty as they have no control over how a customer uses the stove.
DEFRA (Defra approved / Defra exempt) – this is a term often mentioned in relation to stoves. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs is responsible for, among other things, environmental protection, and control. This includes ensuring compliance of the Clean Air Act – a law that prohibits emissions of smoke within smoke control areas.
Eco-Design 2022 – Ecodesign is the European Union’s programme for lowering emissions across Europe. Ecodesign was implemented on 1st January 2022 for wood burning and multi fuel stoves. The regulations cover a broad range of emissions: Particulate Matter (PM10 & PM2.5), CO2, NOx, OGC (organic gaseous compounds) and CO. Ecodesign Ready stoves can reduce particulate emissions by 90% compared to an open fire and 80% compared to an old stove.
FIRE BRICKS – In most stoves the inside walls of the firebox are lined with loose-fitting panels called firebricks. These help to keep heat in the firebox, leading to higher efficiencies and cleaner combustion. Traditionally the firebricks were made from Refractory Clay, but now many stoves are lined with Vermiculite boards instead. Some older stoves are lined with cast iron inner plates.
HETAS – HETAS is the official body recognised by the Government to approve biomass and solid fuel heating appliances, fuels, and services, including the registration of competent installers and servicing businesses.
KW – The standard unit for the measurement of power is the watt. KW means 1000 watts. Commonly used to measure the power output of heaters. A small wood-burning stove may have a nominal output of 5KW but behind that will be a range of output. The actual output you get in use will depend on the amount and quality of fuel you are burning.
EXTERNAL RIDDLER – Some Multifuel stoves have a Riddling Mechanism or ‘Riddler’ – part of the grate rotates or shakes to allow the ash to fall through the grate into the ash pan below. The riddler is usually operated by a knob on the front or side of the stove which is pulled/pushed. This was really designed for Coal burning stoves. ‘Smokeless fuel’ is fuel that does not need to be riddled and will break apart unaided to allow air to pass through and not suffocate the fire.
SEASONED WOOD – To burn wood efficiently, wood needs to be well-seasoned with a moisture content of below 20%. You can buy ‘READY TO BURN’ wood locally. Once chopped, wood need to be stored for at least a year in a dry shelter with good air circulation. Burning unseasoned wood can seriously damage your stove and flue. You can check that your wood logs are sufficiently dry with an electronic moisture meter. Ideal types of wood to burn include:
Ash
Beech
Birch
Elm
Hawthorn
Hazel
Oak
SIA – The Stove Industry Alliance (SIA) was formed in 2008 to promote the benefits of wood-burning stoves and biomass appliances. The SIA is an association of stove manufacturers, distributors and wood fuel suppliers.
Smoke Control Zone / Smoke Exempt (SE) – A designated geographical area inside which the burning of unauthorised fuels is not permitted in a house unless in an SE (smoke exempt appliance). Most large cities will be Smoke Control Zones.
VITREOUS ENAMEL – Refers to the most common type of pipe used to connect the stove to the chimney