Heating correctly with wood

The days are getting shorter and the nights colder. Do you also use wood to heat your home in winter? If you light the fire correctly, you can avoid smoke and unpleasant odors. There is a simple method for this: stack the firewood properly, place kindling on top, and light it.

The method: Light from the top

With the so-called “top burning” method, the fire burns from top to bottom. The gases produced burn completely in the hot flame. This results in less smoke and fewer pollutants. In addition, the fire burns in a more controlled manner than when lit from below.

What you need:

- Dry firewood suitable for your stove.

- Kindling consisting of four dry pine logs (approx. 20 cm long and 3 x 3 cm thick).

- A standard firelighter (e.g. wax-soaked wood wool).

This is how it works:

1. Open the fresh air supply and the chimney flap on the stove.

2. Stack the firewood loosely in the stove - crosswise, parallel, or upright. Thinner logs go on top.

3. Place the kindling on top of the wood pile and place the firelighter in the center.

4. Light the fire and leave the fresh air supply and chimney flap open throughout the entire burning process.

Which stoves is this method suitable for?

This lighting method works for all wood-burning stoves with a smoke vent at the top of the firebox. These include, for example, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, storage stoves (such as tiled or soapstone stoves), and wood-burning cookers.

There are also low-pollutant lighting methods for wood-burning stoves with bottom combustion. You can find out how these methods work in detail on the website www.fairfeuern.ch of the cantons of Eastern Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.

For further information, a leaflet can be obtained directly from chimney sweeps or the Office for the Environment. Chimney sweeps and the Office for the Environment are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Contact:
Amt für Umwelt
Bettina Göldi, Abteilung Umweltschutz
T +423 236 68 91

bettina.goeldi@llv.li