Owning a wood burning stove is a great investment for any homeowner who wants to save a large amount of money on their heating expenses each month, as well as give their home a classic charm and rustic touch. However, like with all things, operating your wood stove effectively takes a little bit of know-how and experience in order to get the most for your money. To that end, one of the most important lessons you need to learn is what proper fuel for your stove is, and what fuel you should avoid.
To begin with, not all wood burning stoves burns logs, many actually burn wood pellets. These pellets are formed from pressed sawdust, and pellet burning stoves are among the most energy efficient out there. They are also quite expensive, however. Often the stove is capable of using either pellets or logs, and logs are by far the most commonly used fuel source. One tip that is vital to remember is that, like a good cheese or wine, you should only use aged and seasoned wood. You should never put a log into your stove that has not had at least one year to dry out and season or you risk having creosote (flammable particles) build up in your flue, which can lead to a dangerous chimney fire. Recently cut (green) wood is very smoky and can be dangerous to burn!
Another thing to remember is that not all logs are the same. Always use untreated wood logs, never treated wood from somewhere like a pallet. These can release harmful emissions and cause other unsavory problems. Use natural wood or at least untreated wood. Hickory and Oak are the best, but Beech and White Ash are also good choices. These hardwoods are denser and will burn for much longer than a pine bough. It may also be worth tossing a log of cedar or two into any fire, simply for the aroma.
These tips are by no means an exhaustive guide on the proper fuels to use on your wood stove, but it will get you started in the right direction. Do some further research and make sure to talk to the person you buy your stove from in order to get their opinion. Burn safely and responsibly and you will get much better results.