Lighting your fire
Making a fire is straightforward when you follow our simple step by step guide below. Always use recommended solid fuels and wood with less than 20% moisture for quick lighting and maximum efficiency.
What you need: House Coal, Smokeless Coal or logs that contain less than 20% moisture e.g. Kiln dried logs, Kindling, Firelighters, Long matches or a Gas Match & newspaper.
Before you light your fire, you may need to pre-warm the chimney. A warm flue enables the smoke and products of combustion to vent more quickly and easily. Simply light a firelighter or some kindling or newspaper in the grate, the smoke should be carried up into the chimney. If the smoke from the warming fire is discharging into the room or elsewhere in the house then extinguish the fire immediately. Open windows and doors, and seek expert advice from your NACS Chimney Sweep. Always follow the manufacturer’s advice for their appliances.
Woodburning / Multi-Fuel Stoves & Room Heaters
- Build a small pyramid shape with kindling and place firelighters in the middle, ensuring that you leave plenty of air pockets.
- Light the firelighters and place more kindling on top to prepare and ignite the fire.
- Place your fuel (coal or logs) on top of the kindling.
- Ensure all air controls are fully open and close the appliance door.
- Once the fire is established, add more fuel; ensuring you don’t smother the fire.
- You can adjust the air controls to the required level for heat output but DO NOT reduce the air flow to the point where the fire is being extinguished.
Open Fires
- Build a small pyramid shape with kindling and place the firelighters at the base or in the middle, ensuring that you leave plenty of air pockets.
- Light the firelighters and place more kindling on top to prepare and ignite the fire.
- Place your fuel (coal or logs) on top of the kindling.
- If fitted, open the draught regulator, this will allow more draught to feed the fire.
- It is best practice to fit a fireguard in front of the fireplace. This will ensure any sparks from the fire will not be able to catch a carpet or floor surface alight.
- For safety, we advise the use of a coal scuttle and log basket.