Comparison between wood-burning and oil-burning
Type of wood (moisture content 20%) No. of cubic metres per 1000 litre of oil
Oak 7.0
Beech 7.0
Ash 7.2
Sycamore 7.5
Birch 8.0
Elm 8.9
Common spruce 10.4
Silver fir 10.9
We would strongly recommend that you do not leave your stove alit at night. It harms the
environment, and constitutes very poor use of the wood, as the gases in the wood do not
ignite at the low temperature, but settle as soot (unburned gases) in the chimney and stove.
Extreme conditions, such as poor draught in the chimney, large quantities of wood or wet
wood, may, in the worst-case scenario, cause an explosive ignition.
When firing in the summer period, when there is minimal need for heat, the combustion
will be poor. The stove provides too much heat, so the combustion should be reduced. But
always remember to make sure that there are lasting flames until the wood becomes char-
coal. If you want a weaker fire, stoke up using less wood.
If you fire the stove using wet wood, a lot of the fuel’s thermal energy will be spent forcing
the water out of the wood, without releasing any heat to the stove. This incomplete combu-
stion results in a layer of soot being left in the stove, pipe and chimney.
The stove door should normally be opened gently the first 2 - 3 centimetres, then you should
wait until the pressure has equalised before opening the door all the way. This technique will
prevent smoke from getting out, particularly when there is a poor draught.
The stove door should never be opened when the stove is being fired vigorously.
Once the wood has burned out, it becomes glowing charcoal. If a good layer of embers has
already formed on top of a sufficient layer of ash, the stove can keep warm for a very long time,
not least due to the favourable qualities of the cast iron.
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