Our log burner is fully functioning. However, the central heating makes it mostly decorative so if you don’t feel like the effort of setting it up, lighting it, and feeding it, no worries, you will still be nice and warm.
On request we provide a starter basket comprising of 3 heat logs – these are environmentally friendly and made from waste products of the timber and furniture industries compressed into a log. They burn hot and leave comparatively little ash to clear up. We also provide a bundle of kindling and some wood wool fire starters to get the fire started. We don’t provide matches to avoid little ones finding and playing with them. Cook’s matches are best.
This should be sufficient to get you going but if you are a fan of log burners then feel free to bring your own or purchase more locally. We would strongly recommend using heat logs or briquettes rather than wood logs as they burn cleaner. Please note that the log burner door is quite narrow and you will have difficulty putting in logs over about 20cm / 8 inches. The heat logs we provide in the welcome pack will break into 2 quite easily and it is best to start with one ( 2 halves) in the grate to begin with.
Bags of kindling should be widely available. And finally please do not use the paraffin-type cube fire lighters. If you use wood logs then please ensure that the bag or net is clearly labelled as “Ready To Burn”. This is a legal requirement and ensures there is no more than 20% moisture content in the wood. The lower the moisture content the better. Never use scrap wood!
If you are a seasoned log burner user then I’ll leave you to it. If not then it’s not quite as easy as flicking the switch on an electric fire. You need to build a pyramid with the logs on the bottom, then kindling, placing the fire starters strategically, light the fire starters and manage the air flow for about 15 minutes until it is properly started. Then keep an eye out to add another log before it goes out.
These are the instructions we found most useful:
Eco Fires and Stoves: A New Way To Light Your Wood Burner
This shows “top down” lighting and is the surest way to prevent smoke blowing into the room. It is worth watching all the way through. Follow the tips to leave the door slightly ajar but not wide open and air control at the top, above the door, open until it gets going, probably about 10 minutes later. I would close the door at that point. You can start to close the air control after 20 to 30 minutes. If the fire dies down too quickly then increase the air flow by opening the air control. Please do not leave the fire unattended with the door open as stray embers can fly out. There is also a round air vent beneath the door – you will not need this and should leave it closed.
When the fire is well and truly out and cold (usually the next morning), wiggle the grate jiggler to get as much ash to fall into the pan below as you can. Use the brush to brush the remaining ash through the grate. Bring the kitchen bin into the lounge and empty the ash pan slowly into the bin taking care not to cause a mini ash cloud. Please don’t empty the ash if it is in the least bit warm – a single ember can set fire to the bin.