Putting out a fire in a wood burner Do this by closing the air vents completely and then wait for a few minutes. Once the fire has died down you can then use a poker to spread out the embers evenly across the base of the wood burner so there are no pockets of hotter material.
Close flue damper slowly until smoke starts to roll in at top of opening. Open slightly until smoke evacuates. This is the setting that will slow the fire as much as possible as well as retain the most heat possible. This becomes the only control while door is open or for an open fireplace.
Always ensure your chimney damper is fully open before you open the stove door to prevent smoke from billowing out. Lightly spray water or baking soda over the top of the embers to help put the fire out completely. Close the stove door. Sweep out remaining ashes once the stove has cooled down enough.
You shall allow the wood burning to end properly
Let the air vent be open until all the fuel is completely burnt. If there are bits of charcoal left, you can keep these for the next fire. But do remove the ashes. When the stove is not in operation, close the air vents to avoid heat loss through the chimney.
You can leave your wood burning stove on overnight, and in most cases, this is actually safer than trying to extinguish the flames manually.
Shut the doors – Ensure the doors of your log burner are securely shut. Close the vents – Close all the air vents, this will starve the fire of oxygen. Wait until the fire has died down and only the embers are glowing.
Generally speaking, it's safe to leave your wood burning stove on overnight, as long as you take the necessary steps to ensure it is properly maintained and monitored. That said, there's always a risk of a chimney fire, so common sense with your wood burner is important.
You should see an 'open/close' switch/lever under the grate or next to the door of the burner – make sure it is set to open. This is the air control that will let oxygen in.
On a dual lever appliance, the bottom control is the Primary air and the top control is the Secondary. Read your manual for other configurations such as 2 levers on the base.
While it may seem like a tempting and easy solution, NEVER attempt to put out a wood burning fireplace fire with water unless it is a matter of life or death or of saving your property!
Adequate Air Supply: Adjust the stove's air vents and consider slightly opening a window in the same room when starting the fire to introduce fresh air and help balance the pressure. Regular Chimney Maintenance: Ensure your chimney is clean and free from obstructions.
When lighting your stove, open both air vents fully. On initially lighting, it can be an advantage to crack the door open slightly to provide additional air flow through the firebox. Once the fire is established, close the door and then close down the bottom air vent gradually.
A wide-open damper will increase the amount of air reaching the fire and improve combustion. As a result, the fire will burn hotter. When you're not using your fireplace, be sure to close the damper to prevent indoor heat from escaping.
If placed inside a proper enclosure within the envelope of the home, venting systems for wood-burning units can be routed through the ceiling. Another way to do this is to use a purpose-built chimney envelope or chase secured to the exterior of the home.
With the door closed, your stove is up to 60% more efficient than if you have the door open. That means more heat in the room and less expense for you. The confusion probably stems from people who are used to that instant blast of heat that comes from lighting an open fire.
Shutting the damper prevents outside air from mixing with the indoor air, increasing energy efficiency. In addition, you can adjust the damper to control the flame in your wood burning fireplaces, intensity and burn rate for a longer-lasting fire that consumes less fuel.
However, the safest option is to completely extinguish your fire before you go to bed. An unattended log stove is more likely to generate smoke and go out of control. Always leave enough time for the embers to die down rather than putting your log fire out manually.
Closing the door will keep the heat inside the stove, increasing burn efficiency.
Close the door to your burner. Close any air vents that are still open. Check that the damper is fully open (this will allow smoke to escape outside of your home rather than into your room). Wait for the fire to completely die down, which should only take a couple of minutes.
Overloading your stove with wood provides an excess of fuel, creating a runaway burn that becomes uncontrollably hot whilst also potentially blocking the tertiary air vents and preventing the secondary burn of gases. Too much airflow feeds your fire too much oxygen, causing it to burn excessively.
Extinguish the fire completely every time you leave your fireplace unattended. The one exception to this rule is if you have a potbellied stove or a fireplace insert.