Other Fuels

Most wood stoves can be used to burn a variety of solid fuels aside from wood or coal.  Charcoal is generally acceptable to use in a small stove, though it can be one of the more expensive options available.  Hardwood pellets or other solid fuels like corn or soybeans can be burned in a wood stove by adding a fireproof basket insert that fits inside the fire box.  We’ve even successfully used dried elk dung to fuel a Tiny Wood Stove, though it smells a bit like burning hair.

Unacceptable fuels for a wood stove stove include any liquid fuels, which could cause the stove or the flue to explode.  Do not burn plywood, OSB, or other wood products containing glue, since the burning glue can be toxic, and can cause hard to remove deposits inside the flue.  Pressed logs containing paraffin wax should also be avoided, since they can produce large amounts of flammable creosote.

Don’t burn trash, leaves or pine needles. Newsprint can be used as tinder for starting fires, but don’t burn large quantities of paper in the stove, since paper creates large amounts of fly ash that can clog up your flue system.