Safety Tips for Your Wood Burning Stove

The things we won’t do to make our homes feel warmer and more inviting…sometimes quite literally. That’s why so many families opt for a wood burning stove either as an adjunct to or replacement for a wood-burning fireplace.

There are numerous positives to owning such a stove, including added heat, flexibility in choosing where to place it, a good way to reduce heating costs, plenty of styles so you can pick the one that best complements your décor, and so on.

But with added beauty, convenience, and cost savings also come added safety hazards. So, to enjoy everything good a wood stove has to offer with none of the down sides, please follow these important safety tips:

Wood Burning Stove

Location, location, location

Your local fire department has specific requirements about where a wood stove may and may not be installed. For example, most safety codes require that a wood stove be installed at least 3 feet away from drapes, furniture, and certain other items.

Burn only seasoned, dry wood

Dry wood that’s been seasoned for a minimum of 6 months burns quicker and brighter, which means reduced creosote build-up. Creosote is a highly inflammable byproduct of incomplete combustion of firewood, which usually forms in the chimney.

Less wood is better

While it’s tempting to pile on the wood so you can leave the fire alone for a while, using too much at a time can cause overheating in the stove and chimney.

Have the chimney cleaned and inspected once a year

Annual maintenance by a licensed chimney sweep is critical to fire safety as it removes soot and creosote formations.

Keep combustible materials away

Never store combustible liquids such as kerosene or gasoline in your home. Never use these substances to start a fire or to increase the intensity of a fire in your wood burning stove. Keep firewood in a protected location outdoors as well.

Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors

This is a job for New Security Systems. Our home security systems include smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that we strategically place around your home. When one alarm sounds, so do all the others so your entire family can be alerted all at once. Plus, our security and fire safety systems are carefully monitored at our own facility 24/7. So, if a fire should break out, the fire department would be alerted at once.