Alternative Fuels for a Wood-Burning Stove

A wood-burning stove is a good option for home heating in many homes. If you have access to firewood, then you can make significant savings on your heating bills. However, many people without regular access to firewood need to spend money on fuel, and this can become very expensive. Below are a number of cheap fuels you can burn in a wood burning stove. You can deal with waste and reduce your fuel costs.

Newspaper Bricks

You can take old newspapers that clutter up your home and make them into newspaper bricks or logs. These can then be used as fuel in your wood burning stove. First, soak the newspaper in a sink or bucket full of water. This step will help you separate the newspaper into smaller sections. Allow the paper to soak for at least one hour. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to drain completely. Lay the newspaper out in sections of 3 sheets, with each sheet overlapping another by one third. Take a dowel and roll the wet paper around it. Squeeze the newspaper as you roll to make sure it sticks together. Continue rolling and squeezing until the newspaper is rolled into the desired thickness for a log. Remove the newspaper from the dowel by sliding it off. Let the newspaper log dry for a few days before use.

Java Logs

Java logs are fireplace logs that are made from recycled coffee grounds. These logs will burn three to four hours longer than regular firewood, and also produce a much brighter flame. This fuel also puts out approximately 25 percent more heat than normal firewood. Java logs are also considered environmentally friendly. This is because they put out much less pollution than regular firewood. A further benefit is that it is much easier to start a fire when using java logs.

Fallen Branches

If you have a large yard, you can go outside and pick up fallen branches to be used for fuel in your wood-burning stove. Large branches make very good logs, and the smaller branches and twigs can be used for kindling.

Dead Trees

If you have any dead trees in your yard, especially if they are close to any buildings, you should hire someone to cut them down for you. Once a tree is on the ground you can cut it up into firewood for your wood stove. Wood from any type of tree can be used in a wood stove, but you should bear in mind that pine trees have a high sap content and may not work as well as other woods.

Junk Mail

Anyone that owns or rents a home receives a large amount of junk mail each week. You can use the envelopes and other inserts as material to help you start a fire. You could also bundle all of this mail together to form bricks and use them as a log replacement.

A wood-burning stove can help heat your home and reduce your heating bills in the winter. Maximize this benefit by using alternative, cheaper fuels.  For more information on alternative energy visit the uSwitch – official site.