flow of air in the stove and therefore the level of combustion and smoke produced If the pot
rests are too low the fire will not burn properly and in some cases it is difficult to light the stove.
Q My stove uses a lot of firewood. Why?
A Inefficiency may be caused by the height of the fire chamber. When the fire chamber is deeper
than required, the pot is high and far from the flames, making the stove inefficient. When it is
shallow the flames engulf the pot and much of the energy is wasted.
Q What size of firewood should I use in my stove?
A The sizes of firewood you use in your stove is to a large extent controlled by the stove’s door
size. This is a deliberate way of restricting a stove user to certain sizes in order to enhance
stove performance and improve efficiency. The size of the door therefore directly controls the
amount 9of firewood used. It also determines the amount of air entering the stove. |t has been
observed in some cases that cracking is caused by users trying to push big pieces of firewood
through small stove doors.
Q My stove developed so many cracks when I first used it. Why?
A Probably you did not give the stove enough time to dry before you started using it. It is
important to wait for at least two weeks for a mud stove to dry before use. This will help to
avoid cracks and disappointments.
Figure 7.3 Let the stove dry for at least two weeks before use to avoid cracks
Q My stove takes too long to light in the morning. Is there anything that can be done?
A One thing you can do is to keep the door of your stove closed when you are not using the
stove to keep it warm. If this is done overnight, lighting the stove in the morning becomes
easy.
Q Although I have reduced the amount of firewood that I use quite significantly, I would
like to know what other measures I can take to conserve more fuel.
A Simple cooking practises such as use of lids, chopping wood into small pieces, and soaking
dry grains before cooking also help in conserving fuel.
Q Does putting many pot holes in my mud stove make it more efficient?
A Experience has shown that mud stoves should not have more than two pot holes. The more
pot holes you have in a stove, the higher the chances that some will not be used. When the
extra pot holes are not ‘productively’ used, heat is lost through these unused holes.
Stoves with Chimneys
Q My chimney is clogged and my kitchen is very smoky these days. What can I do?
A Constant use of wet wood or firewood that is not well dried results in clogging of the chimney.
When a chimney is clogged, smoke is discharged from the firewood feeding door or from the
sides of the cooking pot. In some cases the stove does not light. Chimney cleaning is
essential, but with mud stoves dismantling the old one may be essential.
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