If you have a multifuel stove, you can use solid fuel and wood. A multifuel stove’s grate has rigid bars or a shaker (riddling) system.
- The gaps in the grate allow air from below through to the fire. Ensure the grate is kept clean and the ash pan is emptied regularly; this will keep the air flowing and prevent the grate from becoming too hot and distorting.
2. Open the primary (under-grate) air vent fully—this is essential for burning smokeless fuel. If your stove has a secondary air control, open that too for now.
3. Build the Fire
- Place a few firelighters or scrunched newspaper on the grate.
- Add a generous layer of dry kindling (small sticks) above the firelighters.
- Place a small amount of smokeless fuel (e.g., a handful of briquettes) on top of the kindling.
4. Carefully light the firelighters through the front of the stove. Close the door, leaving it slightly ajar for a few minutes to help the fire draw.
5. Let it establish, once the kindling is burning well and the smokeless fuel starts to catch, you can gradually add more fuel.
6. After 10–15 minutes, once the fire is well established, close the stove door fully and begin adjusting the air controls to maintain a steady burn.
7. Refuel as needed, but only use one type of fuel at a time in your multi-fuel stove—either coal, smokeless fuel, or wood, never a mixture. Burning wood alongside solid fuel can cause problems: the moisture in wood combined with the sulphur in solid fuel creates sulphuric acid, which can quickly damage your chimney lining. Plus, wood burns best with air from above, while solid fuel needs air from below—mixing the two results in inefficient combustion and poor stove performance.
When lighting smokeless fuel, kindling is used only as an accelerate to get the fire going. Smokeless fuel requires a high temperature to ignite properly, and the kindling helps create that initial heat. Once lit, the fire should be maintained with smokeless fuel only.
If you are unhappy with the performance of your stove, please contact us.