A wood-burning fireplace insert (provided it has been correctly selected and installed by a qualified team) is a heating appliance that will not demand any special knowledge or skills from you. To use it properly it is enough to read the manual or consult a fireplace heating specialist.
However, people who already use a wood-burning fireplace at home sometimes come to us with common problems that are easy to fix:
Why does the fire in the fireplace insert go out, and why is it hard to light?
The most common reasons why a wood-burning insert is hard to light or the fire keeps going out are:
- weak draught in the chimney;
- high moisture content in the firewood;
- using kindling that is too thick.
What to check or do to solve the problem:
- check that the damper is open (the regulator on a SAVEN insert);
- increase the air supply by opening the intake regulator;
- check the moisture content of the firewood — no more than 20% is recommended;
- use smaller logs when lighting the fire;
- call a specialist to check the chimney for tightness and soot build-up.
Smoke comes into the room when lighting the fireplace: what should you do?
The cause of this situation, when smoke enters the room while lighting the insert, is a cold flue.
To solve it, warm the flue up by burning, for example, some paper or small wood shavings inside it (access through the inspection door). If your flue has no inspection opening at all, that is a separate problem: cleaning and warming it become far more difficult. Certified modular systems with inspection and condensate elements are gathered in the chimneys section.
What should you do when the glass in the fireplace insert gets dirty quickly?
The most common reasons why the glass of a wood-burning insert turns black, gets sooty and dirties quickly are:
- poor firewood;
- weak draught in the chimney;
- not enough combustion air reaching the firebox.
How this can be solved:
- check that the flue-gas duct is not closed off, and adjust it;
- increase the air supply: on SAVEN inserts, open the air-supply regulator;
- keep an eye on the moisture content of the firewood you use!
How do you avoid these problems in the first place?
Almost all three cases come down to the same two things: the chimney and the firewood. The flue diameter and height are selected according to the data sheet of the specific model, long horizontal runs are avoided, and the flue is cleaned at least once per heating season. The firewood should be hardwood, seasoned to a moisture content of 15–20%, and stored under a roof with air circulating between the logs.
The third factor is the appliance itself. In SAVEN steel inserts the combustion air is supplied along the glass from above, which is exactly what keeps the pane clean, while sealing cords and a tightly welded body keep the chamber airtight. For those who want to control combustion automatically, there is fireplace automation, and for lighting the fire it is worth using purpose-made firelighters rather than random chemicals.
And a reminder: all SAVEN fireplace inserts and stoves come with a 5-year warranty, plus an additional 2 years on the fireclay lining. To activate it, open the warranty section of our website and fill in your details. It takes only a few minutes and lasts for 60 months!
SAVEN — European quality for safe warmth at home