You would think the best fuel for a wood-burning stove would be, well, wood. And you’d be right, however, there are certain types of wood that can make your stove more efficient, and some wood can even damage it. Over time, burning unsuitable fuel on your stove can cause it to become unsafe. That’s why it’s important for you to be aware of what you’re burning.
Hardwood or softwood
Generally speaking, it’s better to burn hardwood than softwood on your wood burning stove. If you buy wood by weight, it’ll mean your wood takes up less space as hardwood is denser. Yes, that does mean in theory you’ll get fewer bits of wood, but you won’t be losing out. Harwood burns for longer, meaning you’ll have to top up your stove less often, and you all get more heat output per cubic meter than if you were burning softwood.
Seasoned or unseasoned wood
You should only ever be burning seasoned wood. (For more information on seasoned wood, click here). Burning unseasoned wood is not only less efficient but can do some terrible things to your stove too.
Wet or dry wood
Always burn dry wood on your stove, for the same reasons as above.
Kiln-dried wood
Kiln-dried wood is ideal for wood burning stoves if you don’t have access to seasoned wood. It burns very well and gives out a lot of heat, however it is very expensive.