How To Keep A Wood Stove Burning All Night Long

Can I tell you a secret? This may be the best thing you've heard in a while. You do not have to stay up all night stoking a wood stove to keep your room warm while you sleep. Yep. It's true! There is a way to load your fuel so you can create a wood stove fire that lasts all night long and lets you sleep warm and toasty.

Many people struggle with starting a fire, much less keeping one going all night long. If you need some basic tips for starting a fire in a wood fireplace, see this article first. After you have mastered the basics of fire making, it's time to move on to the more challenging situations like keeping it going all night long. Thankfully, it's not nearly as hard as it seems. After walking through these four quick steps, you'll be lighting fires like a pro.

The first thing you need to do to keep your wood stove burning all night is to rake the coals from your previous fire up to the front of your wood stove. If you don't have leftover coals, then you can use charcoal for this step. Pile the coal nice and tight towards the front, by the door. You don't need to stack it very high, because you will need room to put logs behind it next.

The second step is placing several large pieces of wood behind the coals. Lay them flat & pack them side by side as tight as you can. You may need to play around with the setup to see what is the best amount for your wood stove. Also, read your manual to make sure you are using the right kind of wood for your appliance. Some wood stoves operate best with particular types of wood. It would be good for you to check that out before packing your stove full & later realizing it burned too hot and warped.

When you are ready to start the fire, light the coals up front first. They will be the fuel starter and light the larger logs later on. Once the fire has started, let the stove run with the air controls open until the wood starts to char on the outside. At that point, you can move the air controls to the last setting before being fully closed. Don't close them fully, you will need some air to oxygenate the fire. But keeping it on a low air setting will ensure the fire doesn't burn out too quickly.

After that, grab a blanket and find your favorite spot on your couch or bed. Your wood stove will do the rest itself. We hope this article has been helpful and gave you everything you need to have a safe and steady fire all night long. If you have any questions, feel free to call our NFI-certified techs at 800.203.1642 or see our library of articles here.