Can You Leave a Wood Burning Stove On Overnight?

A lot of people, especially those who live in the colder regions have this doubt about whether they can leave their wood-burning stove overnight or not. Let’s take a look at how to ensure that you remain safe and sound while the stove is on an entire night.

The first thing which you need to ensure when lighting the stove is to let it burn for at least 4-5 hours before hitting the bed, this is done to get a bed of cold ash underneath the fire. Close the vents of the fireplace almost completely but leave a very small gap. You will still need to be extra careful while leaving fire overnight as there is always some risk around it.

Can You Leave a Wood Burning Stove Overnight?

Yes, you can, but you need to be extra careful here. Handling fires are anyways dangerous and handling fires burning overnight can be especially dangerous.

There are tips and guidelines, even stated by the manufacturers which you can follow to safely let the stove be on an entire night.

What Are The Steps for Leaving The Stove On?

The first thing you need to ensure is to light the fire at least 4-5 hours before your bedtime. This is done so that there is a good amount of ash built-up in the stove which can help in dampening the fire and let it burn in a more controlled manner for a longer time.

You can also pour this ash over the fire nearing your bedtime which can prolong the burning time of the fire. When you are adding the logs, make sure to leave some air gaps within them.

Try to dampen the fire as much as you can before sleeping. The more you damp, the easier it is and safer it would be to leave it on. You can also keep the ash in a decanter to easily dampen the fire without spilling it anywhere.

Once this is done, close the air vents before going off to bed. This will limit the amount of oxygen that the fire is getting and therefore control the burn rate.

It is also advised to get your chimney cleaned professionally at least once or twice a year to ensure that there are no flammable substances stuck in there.

What are the Health Hazards of Leaving the Stove On?

If you leave the stove on with too much fire going in and without closing the air vents, the fire can end up getting out of control. A non-ventilating stove can also lead to a lot of carbon monoxide buildup in your house. This gas is odorless and colorless, but it can end up suffocating you.

Conclusion

You can keep the fire lit by closing the vents after spreading the embers and the logs using a poking stick. Make sure the fire had been burning for at least 3-4 hours to have a thick layer of ash underneath the fire. Only add a limited amount of firewood to the stove before going to bed to minimize the risk of the fire getting out of control.