So your new stove’s arrived and the family’s excitedly unpacking. You then stand back and ask yourself, what next? Your mind goes blank and you start searching through the discarded packaging for the instructions. Don’t panic though, because help is at hand.

This post is a simple guide to lighting a new stove, and is essential reading for anyone staring at their new purchase and scratching their head.
First things first. Open the doors and check for instructions and other documentation. If it’s a woodburning cooker, this is easily overlooked. The last thing you need is to set your guarantee ablaze.

If it’s a woodburning boiler stove , you MUST ensure it is connected to the hot water before lighting. If your stove heats the radiators, you must ensure they too are connected before lighting. Failure to do this will result in your stove not working properly, potentially damage the boiler and will invalidate your warranty.

Once you’ve got the plumbing sorted, turn your attention to the flue. Woodburning stoves operate better with 4.5 metres of working flue.

How to light your stove
Fetch the matches, kindling and firelighters; it’s time to get the show on the road. The air controls and flue damper both need to be in the open position.

Use lots of kindling and use firelighters or newspaper; both are equally effective. Add a small amount of wood, and solid fuel, too, if it’s a multifuel burner.

Light the fire. By leaving the door slightly open, the flue pull will assist in the lighting process and avoid the build up of condensation inside the glass. Once the fire is established, you can add more fuel to steady the firebed.

Shut the door. Add more small pieces of fuel when necessary.
The heat needs to be built up slowly. During the first few days, a woodburning or multifuel stove  should be operated at a low temperature. This settles the glues and allows the paint to fully cure. During this time, you might notice one or two unpleasant odours. Therefore, it’s important to keep the room well ventilated.

NEVER run the stove with the fire doors open unless the manufacturer states it is possible on your stove. This is dangerous, and could distort the door.

The process for lighting pellet stoves  is slightly different. If the stove has automatic ignition, sit back, put your feet up and think of the other poor souls that are messing about with kindling.

An automatic ignition pellet stove uses electricity to light itself, requiring you to do no more than push a button. A manual ignition requires the use of a match and ignition gel.

Having your new stove delivered is an exciting and much anticipated moment for all the family. Depending on the type of stove, certain precautions must be made prior to lighting. Woodburning boilers require plumbing, woodburning cookers require an inspection of the cooker, and pellet stoves need an electricity supply.

In all cases, use on a low heat for a few days and leave a window open. Following these simple guidelines will ensure you get the fire burning with maximum efficiency. Alternatively, you always buy your stove from us and we’ll be able to install it  too and show you how to light it!

One of the biggest trends in home heating in recent years has been the installation of pellet stoves, which have evolved from log burners and as technology has developed, there have been improvements not only in terms of design, but also in convenience and function.

Here, we explore eight reasons you should consider investing in a pellet stove for your home:

Reason #1 – cost effective

We all want to try to save money on the cost of keeping our homes warm and heating our water, and a pellet stove provides a very cost effective solution as it uses the process of convection to transmit heat. The cost of the pellets is much less than you would spend on oil, gas or electricity and provides a similar amount of heat.

Reason #2 – environmentally friendly

Pellet stoves are the perfect heat source for those who are consciously aware of their carbon footprint and the environmental impact of using fossil fuels. The pellets used in the stoves are made from sawdust, scrap wood and other wood products that would be thrown away and which burn efficiently and produce limited amounts of smoke and ash. The pellets are a renewable source of fuel and have much less impact on the greenhouse effect than their fossil fuel counterparts.

Reason #3 – easy to install and maintain

Due to their small size, pellet stoves are very easy to install and most homes with an existing chimney or flue system can easily accommodate one. Once installed, they require minimal maintenance as all you need to do is fill up the pellet hopper every few days and then clean out the ashes around several times a week.

Reason #4 – easy to use

Many pellet stoves come with programmable thermostats and also give you the ability to control the temperature, see if you have enough fuel and monitor when you need to clean the stove – all at the touch of a button.

Reason #5 – comfort and warmth

Pellet stoves can be small enough to warm up a single room. Or they can be integrated as part of the hot water system when fitted with a back boiler to bring you piping hot water and help heat the rest of your home through the central heating system.

Reason #6 – safe and convenient

The biggest advantage of pellet stoves is their safety as they pose virtually no fire hazard. They can be placed close to the wall as they provide minimal external heat, which means they are an ideal choice if you have children or pets.

Once you have filled the hopper and turned on the stove, the pellets are automatically fed into a flame that burns constantly until you turn it off. It’s safe enough to leave a pellet stove burning while you’re out and it will continue to burn unattended as long as there are pellets to burn.

Reason #7 – latest technology

A massive attraction of pellet stoves is the integration of modern technology. You can program your stove to come on at different times or set the thermostat control, which can turn off the stove when a designated temperature is reached. You can even use your mobile phone to turn on your stove on your way home so it’s nice and warm when you walk through the door.

Reason #8 – popular and stylish

The aesthetics of a pellet stove is something that may persuade you to invest in one for your home because they look stylish like a wood burning stove, but without the need to chop your own wood and deal with the smoke and mess. They come in a variety of designs from traditional and classic to contemporary and trendy. There are so many gorgeous designs to choose from that will fit in with your style of décor and provide a unique focal point in any room.

For more information and to browse pellet stoves available, please view our range here .