I have heated my home with a wood stove for almost 40 years. There are several pieces of equipment that are necessities and some that are just great to have if you plan on heating your home with wood. Here is the list of accessories and some commentary.
1. Coal Rake
A coal rake is one of three items that I use every day my stove is burning (which is around 185 days in a season). One use for the coal rake is to adjust the burning wood as it burns down. It is also used to rake the coals, separating them from the fine ashes.
A coal rake is also an important tool in the cleaning process of the stove. The rake needs to have long fingers so the coals can be pulled and separating easily. Pick a heavy rake that can take the constant pushing and pull of wood and coals.
2. Wood Carrier
A leather wood carrier is also a daily use product for wood burners. Depending on how far you need to carry wood from your wood pile to the stove. They are available either sling style carriers or a bag type of carrier.
We have found the large bag type carrier to be useful as the leaves and debris attached to the logs remains in the bag and not on the floor. This will also depend on the size of wood you burn. If you use 18″ logs all the time or smaller chunks of wood to keep your fire burning.
3. Stove Thermometer
The temperature of a stove is probably the most critical factor when burning wood. It is the regulating factor that needs to be monitored constantly.
With newer stoves using a
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Most stoves use a small magnetic thermometer attached to the face of the stove and/or chimney. This was the best way to monitor a wood burner temperature until recently.
A new temperature sensor is now available. The Tempsure monitor will connect through your home WiFi to an app on your smartphone and keep you constantly aware of your wood stove temperature. An alarm can be set to warn you if your stove is too hot or too cold. This will change the way you adjust and burn your stove making it more efficient and safer.
4. Wood Rack
Keeping your wood off the ground allows it to dry faster and stay dry longer. Wood racks come in every size and shape, but a typical rack will hold 16″ – 18″ split wood and will be 8′ long and 4′ tall. This size rack will hold 1/3 of a cord or typically 10% of a season’s wood supply.
A rack like this can be self-made of wood or welded together from tube steel. Smaller sizes can be purchased from local dealers or from a big box store.
I recommend at least one wood rack for storing wood off the ground. Dry firewood is key to the safe, efficient burning of a stove. Burning wood that is too wet causes slow burning, creosote buildup, and the possibility of a chimney fire.
5. Wood Stove Fan
One of the coolest accessories for a stove is a fan powered by the heat of the wood burner. Two semiconductors at different temperatures on the device create a voltage which powers the fan. These fans will blow between 50 CFM (cubic feet per minute) to up to 220 CFM of air. It depends on the unit and the heat of the stove. I have seen
It is an inexpensive way to move the heat away from the stove. The fans run between $39.00 to up to $120.00 for the more powerful models
6. Ash Shovel
This needs little explanation except that a good shovel is indispensable when cleaning out your stove. A 4″ wide by 6″ deep shovel is plenty big when picking up loose ashes. A long handle is helpful to keep your hand from getting too hot. Expect to spend $10.00 – $30.00 for a good shove.
The sheet metal formed shovels are less expensive but generally are too short for my liking. Look for a forged handle with a metal rod welded to the shovel. It cost a little more but will last longer.
7. Ash Bucket
An ash bucket does need some explanation. They are a specialized product that is not found in most big box stores. They are a steel bucket with a strong handle and an oval-shaped top with a pouring spout. This allows you to place the spout into the stove when shoveling ashes and helps keep the ash dust in the stove or up the chimney instead of in the house and on the furniture!
The last ash bucket I found was in an Amish hardware store. They run between $15.00 – $50.00 depending on the size and weight. I would recommend a heavier bucket with a sturdy handle that won’t burn through as quickly.
8. Welders Gloves
If you clean or work on your stove when it is hot, welders gloves are a required piece of safety gear. They will protect your hands and forearms from heat and sparks while scooping hot ashes or adjusting the tension of the door latch with the stove at 100+ degrees F.
Whether online or at a big box store you can expect to pay $15.00 – $25.00 for a pair that will adequately protect you from the heat and flying sparks. They do not need to be as long as your elbow, but that extra length does help when working on the stove or reaching in to adjust a chimney vent when the stove is 150+ degrees F.
9. Ash Vacuum
I have never owned an ash vacuum. If you clean your stove out and remove all the ash dust the all-metal stove vacuum is a must-have product. Any other vacuum could get
The one time I used a stove vacuum, it was a quick process to vacuum out the stove and then clean out the vacuum drum. They run from $49.00 to $149.00.
10. Wood Maul
Wood maul is a term for an ax that is designed to split a piece of wood in one chop. It is heavier than an ax and wider at the back. This enables the maul (with the correct power stroke) to strike the wood and push it apart as it passes down through the wood.
A well-built wood maul will last many years splitting hundreds or thousands of pieces of wood in its useful life. A rubber protector added just below the head will extend the life of the maul, protecting the handle from being broken by missed strokes. A wood maul will cost $30.00 – $70.00.
Using a wood maul to split wood takes some practice. Striking the wood in the correct spot to make it split in one hit is a learned exercise, and it is exercise!
You need to hit the wood with the grain and at a check mark (small split in the wood for drying). Smaller pieces of wood can be split in half across the grain. It takes time and practice; your arms will feel it the next day.
11. Log Splitter
If you are cutting and splitting three or more cords a season, a log splitter is an excellent investment in time and labor. A log splitter will make short work of splitting wood to the size you need to fit in a stove, so it is easier to handle.
Today’s versions will even allow you to leave the log on the ground and split it vertically instead of horizontally. This saves lifting every log, including the large ones 12″ – 14″ up to the splitter surface.
Base your splitter on the size wood you have available. Large logs, large splitter! Typical price range is $250.00 – $4,000.00 depending on how many tons of pushing power.
Another option, if you do not want to spend the money to purchase a log splitter or do not have a place to store one, is to rent a log splitter. Many equipment rental stores have log splitters for rent. This way you do not have to purchase, maintain, or store it. Just use it.
12. Chain Saw
If you cut your own wood, nothing is more frustrating than getting to the woods and having your chain saw not start. Pulling that rope 100 times will make you exhausted and frustrated. A good, reliable saw is a must. I have used a Jonsered for the past 10 years and have rarely had that disappointment. They are a well-built piece of equipment that runs in hot or cold weather.
The saw should be sized to the logs you typically cut, plus about 4″. If you cut 16″ trees get a 20″ saw. This gives you the clearance you need to cut cleanly. I also recommend professional quality saws purchased from a chainsaw dealer, not a big box store. They run a little more, but you get a professional quality saw!
Always have two additional sharp chains when you are going to cut wood for 3-4 hours. It only takes a quick touch of the running chain to hit the ground, and the chain will be dull. A dull chain will double the time it takes to cut through a log and triple the work your muscles have to do. Keeping a sharp chin on the saw is a must.
Additional equipment recommended if you are going to use a chain saw, would be safety glasses or goggles. I wear safety glasses with side shields. In the summer, I wear safety sunglasses. The chips fly everywhere, and the fine dust will blow into the eye constantly with no protection.
Hearing protection is also a must. Ear plugs, ear muffs, or my favorite, a Bluetooth headset. They are not doing much good though if you are playing the music loud enough to hear over the chainsaw!
13. Stove Cleaner
A wood stove is not a piece of furniture that you can easily remove from the house and resurface and move back in. I have found some great ways to restore a nasty looking stove right in the house where it sits!
For an occasional surface cleaning, a mixture of water and vinegar works great to wipe down a wood stove. Mix two parts water with one part white vinegar in a bucket and use an old rag towel to wipe the outside surface. Just be sure the stove has cooled down because the heat from a hot surface will quickly go through a wet rag.
For an end of the season polish, you can purchase stove pastes on the internet. Be sure the stove surface is cold. Sand any areas of the stove where paint may have bubbled up with coarse sandpaper first then fine sandpaper. Wipe down the entire stove with the vinegar mixture. Let the stove dry and then apply a thin layer of stove polish to the entire stove. Let that dry for an hour and buff out with a clean, dry rag. A jar of stove paste is under $10.00.
14. Fire Extinguisher
It is number 14 on the list but should be number 1 if it comes to safety! It is that piece of equipment that you hope you never use, but if you do, you will be extremely thankful. Get one big enough and the correct type. Type A is for wood, papers, and solids. It will work. I would recommend at least a 5 lb. extinguisher at the minimum.
If a spark shoots out unexpectedly or
15. Chimney Brush
Keeping the chimney clean is more than a second thought when it comes to wood burning stoves. The chimney should be inspected for creosote or soot build up every month during the
If you have a professional chimney cleaner clean your chimney, great, you don’t need these tools. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, like me, you will need a couple of things.
A chimney brush that fits your flue size, most steel chimneys are 6″ or 8″ round. Masonry chimneys are rectangular and vary in size and shape. Measure your chimney and purchase the wire brush sweep to match the flue size.
A set of fiberglass rods that thread together and attach to the flue
16. Hot Dog and Marshmallow Roaster
Why have a wood burner if you can’t occasionally enjoy a hot dog and a s’more from it. A good 3′ metal roaster with double spikes is about $6.00. Worth every penny!