Save money on heating your home using a wood stove
By Judy Ellen, 4th Feb 2012 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutGuidesMoney Saving Tips
In this article I give step by step instructions with pictures on how to get a fire going in your wood stove and save a great deal of money on heating your home. My box wood stove heats our entire home. I can save anywhere from $150.00 to $300.00 a month.
- Step number one
- Fire Starting Step Two
- Step three
- Step Four
- Light your fire!
- When to add more wood.
- What to do at night.
Step number one
The first step is to fill the bottom of your wood stove with newspaper. Try not to use flyers that have a shiny coating on them because they don't start as well and are not good for the environment.
Fire Starting Step Two
The next step is to place your first layer of kindling down as shown in the picture. Please note that the kindling must be from dry, aged wood at least 6 months after the tree was cut down. The only exception is if the tree was already dead. However, the wood still must be dry. You may also use kindling (small branches) from the tree where the wood was cut. That works even better. When I don't have any kindling, I make my own with a log splitter and cut logs or a portion of the logs into approximately 1 to 2 inch wide pieces. The length should be cut to the dimensions of your wood stove so that you can place them in alternating directions as shown in the next picture.
Step three
Next you place the 2nd layer of kindling in the opposite direction. Notice how I leave 2 inches of space between each piece of kindling. This way your fire will start immediately because it will have enough oxygen and the air will be able to circulate between each piece of kindling.
Step Four
Next place another layer of kindling in the opposite direction! You can add as many layers as you want as long as you remember to place your wood at least one inch apart so that air can circulate around the wood. I generally place four layers of kindling in alternate directions to start my fire. You are almost ready to ignite!!
Light your fire!
It is time to light your fire! If you want to add another layer of alternately laid kindling like I did in this picture you can, but, at this point you can go ahead and light your fire! One thing to remember when you start a new fire, you have to tend to it like a baby.
When to add more wood.
Once your fire is going really good you can add more kindling. From then on keep adding more wood to keep your fire burning hot! Wait until your kindling is going good before adding bigger pieces. When your kindling turns into red hot coals you can add your bigger pieces of wood!
What to do at night.
At night load your wood stove up with the bigger pieces of wood, not the kindling pieces. Always remember to never place two pieces of wood too close to each other. An inch or so of space is needed so that your fire can breathe. If you get up in the middle of the night like I do, you can check on it and add more wood. If you happen to sleep a little longer and notice nothing but coals at the bottom of your wood stove, don't fret. Simply add a few layers of alternately placed kindling like you did when you started your fire and go back to bed. When you get up again you will find that the kindling did ignite. It takes about a half hour for the kindling to ignite into flames once there is only a layer of coals left at the bottom, but, it will ignite. Next I will write on various kettle recipes to cook on top of the wood stove. Also, keep a kettle or two on top of your wood stove to add moisture to your air, and, so that you can always have hot water ready for tea! Happy wood burning to you all!!
Comments
5th Feb 2012 (#)
Love your Page. Great information on how to save money. Just love the photos and the writing is great, as always. Congrats on the star page, it is well deserved. Thank you for sharing.:)
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5th Feb 2012 (#)
Great. Be sure, also, to check the ventilation. A poorly vented stove can be as dangerous as a poorly vented fire-place.
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5th Feb 2012 (#)
Thanks for this great information, Judy.
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14th Feb 2012 (#)
Hi Judy! I am finding a lot of my friends from AC YCN here, including you! I am now following you.
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19th Feb 2012 (#)
Awesome!!!!!!
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19th Feb 2012 (#)
Tell me the secret to adding photos in the story itself? I haven't been able to figure that out?
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