Use wood burning stoves in an environmentally sensitive way

Burn cleanly – follow the simple tips to get the best out of your wood burning stove:

1. Use clean, seasoned wood.  Wet wood burns inefficiently and produces a lot of smoke. After splitting, wood should ideally dry for 1-2 years before you use it. At that time the moisture content will be below the 20% recommended. Do not burn wood that has been treated (painted, impregnated, etc.).
2. Never burn rubbish. Burning household rubbish such as milk cartons, plastic bags, wrapping paper and other waste in your wood-burning stove is very polluting and also illegal. This is because the burn temperature is not high enough to produce complete combustion.
3. Ensure adequate airflow. Lack of air results in poor combustion and produces many particles in the smoke which are hazardous to your health. Light the stove using dry twigs, kindling, firelighter or a small amount of newspaper so that the fire takes hold rapidly. Turn down the air vent when the flames start to turn blue.
4. Burn a small amount at a time. Small frequent loadings are recommended. Increase the airflow every time you add wood; this results in cleaner burning and makes the most efficient use of the wood.
5. Close down the air vent. When only glowing charcoal remains, you can close the air vent right down and still cover your heat requirements. As the airflow is reduced, wood burns more slowly and less heat is lost up the chimney.
6. Check that smoke is almost invisible. Too much smoke or a foul smell is an obvious sign that something is wrong. Consult your chimney sweep if this is the case. Remember that you can use the ash as garden fertilizer.

Installing a wood burning stove and chimney
Check the building regulations and ask your chimney sweep when choosing and installing a wood-burning stove and chimney. You can install the stove and build the chimney yourself as long as you comply with the building regulations. However, in Denmark, your chimney sweep is responsible for inspecting and approving both the stove and the chimney before they can be used. The sweep will also register the chimney on a database of chimneys that require inspection and cleaning by law.

Nordic Eco-label wood burning stoves
By choosing a Nordic Eco-labelled wood burning stove or fireplace insert you are guaranteed a burner chamber which, when used properly,  produces minimal environmental pollution and makes maximum use of the wood.