A. Lehman’s has been selling wood heating and cooking stoves for over six decades, answering thousands of questions.
Here’s what we have learned.
- Use a stove fan. Not only will a stove fan push warm air from your wood-burning stove through the room, it rotates for efficient distribution and it doesn’t use an electricity.
- Burn dry, seasoned wood. Moisture is the natural enemy of a roaring fire and green wood can cause of buildup of creosote. Spring is the best time chop and stack your firewood, as six months is the recommended seasoning time.
- The best firewood species are oak, maple or ash wood. Because they are soft and full of resin try to avoid pine, poplar, cedar, eucalyptus, and alder.
- Keep your chimney clean. Creosote buildup not only makes your stove less efficient, it could be a safety issue.
- Ensure the stove is properly installed. It’s important to have the correct pipe system in place, as well as proper clearance, and have a hearth pad under the stove.
- Warm frozen wood for a week or so before burning. Frozen firewood creates a smoldering fire, not the roaring blaze you want.
- Burn at the correct temperature. The right temperature is between 260 and 460 degrees. Use a stove thermometer to ensure the fire is the proper heat.
- Burn ONLY seasoned wood, not your junk mail, newspaper or magazines, using an all-natural firestarter is best.
- Open the door about 30 minutes before starting a fire. The inside of your stove can be much colder than your house and this will ensure you have a good draft when you start your fire.
- Leave a layer of ash on the bottom of your stove to insulate hot coals.
Learn more
800-438-5346
About the author
As the Director of Marketing for Lehman’s (and daughter of company founder Jay Lehman), Glenda Ervin is responsible for the customers’ view of the brand.
