Can I Leave My Wood Burning Stove On Overnight?

A wood burning stove can be a fantastic addition to your home space - however, knowing when you can leave your stove lit can be challenging. Can you leave your wood burning stove on overnight, or could this be considered a fire hazard? Is it best to try and put the fire out yourself?

Before you turn in for the evening, read over our tips for how to practise good stove safety!

So, can you leave your stove on?

This is the big question, and the short answer is… yes! You can leave your wood burning stove on overnight, and in most cases, this is actually safer than trying to extinguish the flames manually. However, there are some measures you can take to ensure that your wood burner is safe overnight - keep reading for the full low down!

Limit the air getting to the fire

In the run-up to bedding down, consider limiting the fire’s air intake. Fire needs air in order to burn high and hot, so limiting the airflow makes sure that the fire will go out slowly over a sustained period of time – and you can do this by closing the vents on your stove to prevent fresh air from getting to the flames.

Check your space

Make sure that you take the time to look around your wood burner before you take your eyes off it for the rest of the evening. The space surrounding your stove should be clear at all times, but especially when you won’t be present to notice any unfortunate accidents – therefore, check that there are no objects that could catch fire, so you can sleep with full peace of mind.

Maintain your chimney

A top tip for anyone with a wood burning stove is to practice good maintenance with an annual chimney sweep – this will remove any deposits that build up in your chimney over time as you light your fire and reduce the chances of it causing a chimney fire (we would always recommend this is done by a professional!).

Use the right wood

Another more general tip, but still a significant one if you want to safely leave your stove burning overnight – is to ensure that you’re burning the correct wood in your stove that allows for a clean, safe burn at all times. We would suggest that the best wood to burn is seasoned wood with a moisture content ideally of less than 20%; this type of wood will burn the most efficiently and with the least chance of creating excess smoke and/or other by-products during burning. Find out more about seasoned wood in our blog or we have also discussed types of wood you should completely avoid burning, here – have a read! 

What not to do

Whilst it is generally perfectly safe to go to bed with your wood burner still going as it has been whilst you’ve been sat by it all evening – there are also some actions we’d like to point out that you must never do if you’re wanting to sleep with peace of mind:

• Don’t go to bed having left the stove door open; we would suggest that you never leave a wood burner unoccupied at any time with the door open – however this is especially the case whilst you’re sleeping.
• Don’t attempt to put the fire out – whether this is by smothering the flames, throwing water over the fire, or any other method! As long you have followed all the general safety precautions, you can safely go to sleep with your wood burner still lit and no need to extinguish any flames.

And there we have it – the question of whether or not you can leave your stove on overnight has been answered! By taking the precautions we have considered, there should be no issue with leaving a wood burner alight for the night whilst you’re in bed. If you’re actually on the lookout for a wood burner to keep your home warm, why not have a look at our selection – or get in touch!? Drop us an email at sales@stovesupermarket.co.uk or give us a call on 01226 816 051!

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