Our focus as a supplier of premium quality firewood will always be on ensuring our customers are safe, sustainable and environmentally aware whilst still enjoying the benefits of heating with wood. That is why our first blog is dedicated to the all-important subject of Stove Safety, having served over 3 decades as a London Firefighter I have acquired a small amount of knowledge on the risks and outcomes of not taking this subject seriously.
There is no doubt that having an eco-friendly efficient stove in your home, burning well-seasoned firewood is a great environmentally carbon neutral way of heating one’s home. The joy of relaxing in front of that well prepared and glowing stove cannot be overstated and managing your energy at home also brings a feeling of empowerment not received from other sources of energy supplies.
All of this comfort and satisfaction of how exceptional you are at preparing for the anticipated Arctic winter ahead comes with great responsibility, in the form of Stove Safety. So where do we start with stove safety well it actually starts right back at installation, did you have your stove installed or was it pre-installed in a home that you have purchased/rent?
If the stove was installed in your home by the previous owner, it would be prudent to have a registered installer conduct a service of your appliance and its flue/chimney to ensure that it meets current legislation and is fit for purpose. The current climate (pardon the pun!) will see many occasional wood burners moving to wood as a main source of heating.
A woodburning stove and any other firewood appliance requires routine maintenance and this is critical in maintaining stove safety, having your stove inspected and chimney swept annually is an event that should not be overlooked as the results can be catastrophic with chimney fires spreading to the rest of you home being the worst-case scenario.
The London Fire Brigade (see links to full article below) has recently issued safety advice, concerned that rising energy bill could to more incidents caused by heating related fires and note that “Last year (2021) there were a total of 256 heating related fires across London. Three people sadly died in a heating related fire and 35 people were injured. So far this year the Brigade has attended 148 of these types of fire, with most taking place during colder months”.
Burning wet or treated wood will lead to a build-up of creosote in the flue or chimney which will require more frequent cleaning or if left to build up is one of the key causes of chimney fires.
For users of wood-burning appliances the key safety advice is as follows:
- Ensure your appliance has been correctly installed by a HETAS (see link below) certified professional
- Maintain a strict annual service programme of your appliance including having your flue or chimney swept by a registered chimney sweep
- Burn only well-seasoned non treated wood with a moisture content of 20% or lower.
Visit HETAS for more information on Woodburning Stove Installers, Retailers, Servicing and Chimney Sweeps
Visit the London Fire Brigade for the complete article on staying safe when using open fires and woodburning stoves.