Beauty Fires: Wood heating is good heating

If you want more heat, follow these fireplace basics and enjoy your fireplace for years to come. Explore more with Beauty Fires.

Henley Stoves

Here’s what you need to know…

Install the correct size fireplace for the room you are wanting to heat.

Make sure you install a wood burner that will heat the immediate space it is situated in. The bigger the space the more kilowatt output you will need. In some cases, large spaces might even need more than heating solution especially if the room has high ceilings.

Golden Rule: Use only wood, and the best quality you can find.

Different types of firewood have different properties. In South Africa, we are fortunate to have some of the world’s best firewood.

Blue gum

It must be DRY! Blue gum burns long and hot with minimal smoke and a distinctive eucalyptus aroma long into the night

Rooikrans

Rooikrans is readily available and a popular favourite in the Western Cape

Black Wattle

Black Wattle burns hot is   ideal for getting a good fire going quickly.

Kameeldoring

Kameeldoring is a hard dense, red-toned wood and is excellent for a wood-burning stove as it burns hot and produces good coals. Its low moisture content exceeds even seasoned wood for an incredibly efficient burn.

Adjust the air supply while your fireplace burns

Adjusting the air supply when lighting up is important, at first the stove is cold and the draft is minimal. When you light up, let the stove door be open just slightly, until a good flame has taken hold at the top of your log pile. When you close the stove’s door, make sure all air vents are completely open, to ensure a sufficient air supply. After a few minutes, the draft in the chimney is strong enough, and you can regulate the air supply by closing the vent slightly. At this point, you want to provide less primary air and more secondary air. If you do not regulate your air supply, you will end up burning more wood than needed and the heat will escape up your chimney.

Service and maintain your fireplace regularly

All wood burning stoves need a little maintenance to function optimally. Remove the ashes every few days, an Ash Vac is perfect for this!  Check seals regularly; air leaks can significantly impair the combustion process, by adding air (and too much of it) in the wrong places. The chimney should be swept regularly to clear creosote build up and if you have broken the golden rule, your chimney will need to be swept very regularly to prevent chimney fires. Rule of thumb – Service once a year in summer.

Make Beauty Fires your first choice when it comes to finding the best solution for heating your home. They have the best selection of quality fireplaces, the best technical advice from experienced sales associates and competitive pricing on all ranges.

Contact: Beauty Fires.
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