Log Burner Safety Checklist: 10 Checks for Your Home

The 10 checks

1. Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in the same room. HETAS says any new or replacement installation must have one fixed in the same room, and the NHS recommends one in every room with an appliance that burns wood, coal, oil or gas. Test it once a month.
2. Fit smoke alarms on every floor. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue says to test them weekly. In rented homes, landlords must fit a smoke alarm on every storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker, under the 2022 regulations.
3. Know the signs of carbon monoxide. The NHS lists a headache, dizziness, feeling or being sick, feeling weak, tiredness and confusion, chest and muscle pain, and shortness of breath. If you suspect it, HETAS says to close the appliance vents and leave the building.
4. Use a registered installer. HETAS says it is a legal requirement to notify any solid fuel installation in England and Wales. A HETAS registered installer does this for you and you get a certificate within two weeks.
5. Sweep the chimney. At least twice a year for wood. See how often to sweep your chimney.
6. Service the stove every year. Stovax and Defra both recommend having the stove serviced once a year.
7. Keep things that burn away from the stove. Your stove's manual gives the safe distances to anything that can burn. Keep logs, rugs, furniture and drying clothes outside them.
8. Use a fireguard around children. Stovax says to use a suitable fireguard if young children, elderly or infirm people are present.
9. Burn only dry wood or the fuel your stove is made for. HETAS says treated timber should never be burned, and your stove should not be treated as a bin. Defra lists old furniture, pallets and fence panels as treated waste wood not to burn. See wood you should never burn.
10. Put ash in a metal bin with a lid. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue says to keep ash in a covered metal container at least a metre from the house, and never to put hot ash in a wheelie bin. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue warns ash can stay hot for several days.

What should I do if I think there's carbon monoxide?

• Close the stove's air vents and let the fire go out.
• Open doors and windows, and get everyone out of the building.
• Call the Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, or 999 if anyone feels unwell.
• Don't use the stove again until a HETAS registered engineer has checked it.

Does dry wood make a stove safer?

Yes. Wet wood burns cool and smoky, leaving tar in the chimney, which is what catches fire in a chimney fire. Kiln dried logs at under 20% moisture burn hotter and cleaner. See kiln dried vs seasoned logs.