How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are an excellent way to save energy and warm the room. They do require some maintenance.

Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emissions guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker on the underside or next to the grate, to ensure that your stove doesn't generate a lot of harmful pollutants.

How to start a Wood Fire

The sound and smell of a wood fire can be a wonderful feature in any home. It's important to understand how to build an effective fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to a fire that doesn't burn effectively and produces creosote or smoke. The following tips will help you begin a fire that is safe and will warm your home quickly and efficiently.

Examine the condition of your logs and coals before you start a fire. If they're damp they will choke your fire and hinder proper burning. It is also possible to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by placing several small, dry newspaper pieces into your stove. This will help to ignite the tinder. Once these begin to burn, add another layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, so that there is air between each piece of wood.

If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically pump air into the flame as it grows. This will enable the fire to burn at a steady pace without having to open the stove door to tend it.

It's important to avoid using too much tinder, since this can lead to a fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't make use of the fuel as efficiently as possible. Once you've made a solid base in your stove with sparks, tinder and kindling begin the main flame by placing two large base logs on the grate. On top of these base logs put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will produce a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't consume larger base logs.

Close the damper when your fire has been established and kept it closed. If you open the damper too early, it could cause the fire to be smothered, and it will not allow for the correct airflow, which will lower the effectiveness of the fire.

Add Wood

Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and Stove wood burning also save you money. They can be used together with a central heating system or furnace to provide supplemental heating for large homes. The latest stoves that are clean-burning utilize a superior combustion method that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from the combustion of combustible gases and tar by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization process, and the second is to provide pre-heated fresh air. This improves combustion and reduces odors.

The amount of heat you get from a stove depends on the species and the moisture content of the wood and also the dimensions of the logs. To let the wood dry, the logs should be stored in a well ventilated location for a few months prior to burning. If the logs are not dry enough they will create plenty of steam that is in essence wasted energy.

You should add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at once. The addition of too much wood all at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing an air vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flames. This could decrease the efficiency of your stove.

You should avoid the use of other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, as they are not wood and have very different physical properties and cannot be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. It is not recommended to burn compressed combustibles like wood briquettes since they are different in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not approved to be burned in wood-burning stoves.

If you are installing wood-burning stoves into your home, it is important to have it properly installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure proper operation and safety and also ensure that your chimney is working correctly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in tip-top shape. They can inspect the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues that are found. They will also ensure that the occupants of your home understand and comply with the evacuation procedures for fire in case of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper regulates how much heat is lost through the chimney when you're not using your stove. It can also be used to manage the flame. If the flue is not open but the damper is too closed, the fire will not burn as efficiently and it will release smoke into your living area. You can adjust the damper to achieve the most effective flames by experimenting with different positions.

It is important to keep your damper open to let air flow into and out of the flue when a fire is burning. This will allow the fire to start and remain lit for a number of hours. The right opening will prevent the fire from being starved of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.

To adjust your damper correctly it is important to first make sure that the fireplace is heated and that the wood Stove Wood burning is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has an adequate draft. Once these are done the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

After the fire has burned for an extended period, shut the damper around three quarters of the way. This will stop the warm air from the room from going through the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

This is the best method to keep your fire lit and to prevent it from becoming too hot. The draft might be stopped if you shut the damper too far but a cold wind could be able to enter your home when the damper is left open.

Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a slight breeze pushing against your hand the damper is probably in an open position.

The damper settings can vary between stoves and even among different types of wood. Experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you may need to adjust until you get the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean Up

It is crucial to clean your flue and stove after the start of a fire. This can reduce the risk of a chimney fire which is the main reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky material that forms on the stovepipe's interior and is extremely dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape the fire. It could also be caused by improperly lit fires.

Regular cleaning helps to stop the buildup of creosote. The best way to do this is to sweep the chimney each year. It is recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year as well.

It is also recommended to clean out the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is recommended to use only wood that is seasoned for burning, as this will produce less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items can release dangerous chemicals into the air and flue which can be released into your home.

The glass on the wood burning stove needs to be regularly cleaned as well. Many modern wood burning stoves wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows so they do not require as much scrubbing. If you're unable to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like you can use stove glass cleaners available that can be used on the window.

Other ways to maintain your wood stove include lowering the vent when you're not using it and opening doors or windows to allow more airflow. This will keep the fire burning more hot and more efficiently, since it won't need to work as hard to circulate air. It is also a good idea to not stack logs or keep them in the fire for prolonged durations of time, since this could lead to splitting and warping. In addition, it is best to not use compressed combustible logs in your wood stove as the paraffin they contain could melt and spill into the flue which could cause damage to the stove.