Lighting the Perfect Fire in a Stove
Ever lighted a stove and once it is on you feel like running away due to excess heat or it often goes out and you have to start all over again? These are experiences encountered whenever the fire is not perfect. Ever wondered about what factors determine lighting the perfect fire in a stove? Here we analyze, albeit briefly, some of those factors.
Lighting the perfect fire in a stove depends on the following key factors;
- Stove’s design
- Fuel used
- Ventilation conditions
- Efficient and effective control
Stoves come in various designs depending on the nature of use and the kind of fuel to be consumed. Generally, the stoves should have enough air passages to the burning fuel for sufficient supply of oxygen to burn the fuel. These air passages should also be easy to regulate in order to control the rate of burning and consequently the heat produced.
Some fuels have higher thermal content than others. For example, hardwoods generally have a higher thermal content than soft woods. Same wise, wood generally has a higher thermal content than dry cow dung or dry corn. The higher the thermal content the higher the heat intensity produced.
Air circulation into the room or space where the burning stove is situated is also critical. Fuel requires oxygen from air in order to burn. The higher the amount of oxygen supplied the higher the degree of burning and consequently the higher the intensity of heat produced.
Of all factors, lighting the perfect fire in a stove depends so much on efficient and effective control. Without control, stable heating temperatures, a prerequisite for that perfect fire, cannot be attained. Effective and efficient control involves regulating the flow of oxygen and fuel available for consumption at any given time. Furthermore, it also involves shielding measures necessary to put those emergency controls especially for wood stoves, whose temperature control can hardly be attained in an instant.
Finally, lighting that perfect fire in a stove depends on your skills, experience and ingenuity. The more you use the stove the more the skills and experience you acquire and thus, the more perfect you become. See our Wood Burning Stove Lighting Guide for best methods.
