12 stoking tips for wood stoves, fireplaces and fire pits

We gathered some heating tips for wood stoves, fireplaces and fire pits.

Stoking Tips

1. Only burn dry wood. Moist wood does not burn well, which produces extra smoke and particulate matter. Chopping wood yourself? Then dry the wood for at least 2 years. The wood is dry when it is cracked or when the bark comes off.
    
2. Never use painted or impregnated wood: burning it releases heavy metals. Also (chip) board is out of the question because of the glue in it. Burning waste is punishable and the fines are high.
    
3. Do not burn paper and cardboard. It produces a lot of smoke and fly ash, which is why it is even banned as a fuel.
    
4. Do you have an all-burner? Don't take this word literally: you can't burn everything in it (no plastic, trash, painted wood and so on). Again, use only raw, dry and clean wood for this.
    
5. Do not fire in windless or foggy weather: the smoke then lingers and can cause local air pollution. On the Stookwijzer you can see when it is better not to stoke up. This Stookwijzer is a guide to when it is better not to burn.
    
6. Use firewood with the FSC or PEFC label. This guarantees that it comes from responsibly managed forest.
    
7. Does it get too hot inside with the wood stove on? Then use less wood and open a window. Do not slide the air supply valve closed ("throttling"): the wood will then not burn completely, creating additional pollutants.
    
8. Open the air supply in the stove all the way, as well as the valve in the chimney. This ensures better combustion and therefore less pollutants (such as PAHs and carbon monoxide).
    
9. Keep ventilation grates open (or open a window) while stoking. The fire can then attract oxygen and the smoke can be exhausted through the chimney.
    
10. Check that you are burning properly: a good fire has yellow, even flames and you can see almost no smoke coming out of the chimney. Orange flames and dark smoke indicate that combustion is not good: Health then for adequate air supply.
     
11. Have the chimney properly swept at least once a year.
     
12. Don't fire every day and certainly not more than 4 hours in one day. That way you stay friends with the neighborhood.

In this way, let us all make sure that we prevent heating nuisances to our neighbors as much as possible.

More information

You can find more information about setting fires outdoors (for example, for an Easter fire, bonfire, or if you are burning wood or green waste) on the setting fires page. There are different rules associated with this and only allowed during certain periods.

In the summer period, this is not allowed anyway. During times of prolonged drought, it is important to be careful with open fires and to be extra vigilant about preventing fires in nature.