How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a cozy method to heat a room and conserve energy. However, they require some level of maintenance.

Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emission guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or under it to make sure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.

How to start a Wood Fire

The scent and sound of a woodfire is a welcome addition in any house. However, it is important to know the correct method to make a fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in the fire not burning efficiently and creates smoke or creosote. The tips below will aid you in starting a fire that will heat your home with minimum effort and with the highest safety.

Before you begin a fire, you should check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're damp they will choke your fire and prevent the proper burning. It is also possible to open the flue to let out any ash that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by putting a handful of small, dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help ignite the sparks. Once the tinder and kindling have started to burn, you can add an additional layer of larger pieces on the top. This should be done with a crosshatch design so that there is air between each piece.

If your wood stove has an automatic combustion control, it will automatically supply air to the fire as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn at a steady rate without the need to open the stove's door to maintain it.

Be careful not to use excessive tinder since it will cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and not use the fuel effectively. When you have a good fire and a bed of tinder in your stove, start the main fire by laying two large base logs across the grill. Then, on top of these base logs lay a layer parallel to them. This "top-down" method of building the fireplace will create a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't consume larger base logs.

Close the damper after the fire is established, and keep it shut. The fire may be smothered by opening the damper before it is fully established. It will also reduce the efficiency of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and save you money. They can be used by themselves or together with central heating or furnace system to provide the supplemental heat required in large houses or houses with a lot of rooms. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available today utilize advanced combustion technology that can separate the burning volatile substances from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by providing air at two distinct stages. The first stage allows for the vaporization of the volatile compounds, while the second step provides fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and reduces smells.

The amount of heat you will get from a stove is contingent upon the type and amount of moisture of the wood you use, and also the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, logs should be stored in a well ventilated space for a few months before burning. If the logs are wet they will create lots of steam, which is essentially wasted energy.

When you are burning the fire, add more wood to the pile at intervals, and not all at one time. Too much wood added at once causes the temperature inside the firebox to rise, and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame which could reduce the efficiency of your Stove Wood Burning.

It is recommended to stay clear of other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, as they are not wood and have very different physical properties that cannot be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and a lot of emissions. You should not burn combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes because they differ in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not approved by the type to be burned in wood burning stoves.

If you are installing a wood burning stove in your home, it's 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 as well as ensure that your chimney is working properly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in top condition. They can inspect the areas accessible to your chimney to determine if there is leakage and repair any problems discovered. They will also make sure that all occupants of the house understand and follow the evacuation procedure in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost up the chimney when you're not cooking on your woodburner stove. In addition, it can also help to control the flame. If the flue is open but the damper is too closed, the fire will not burn as efficiently and it will billow out smoke into your living area. You can adjust your damper to get the best flames by playing around with different locations.

Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air enter and out of the flue when a fire is burning. This will let the fire start and remain lit for a number of hours. The right opening will prevent the fire from becoming depleted of air and keep it from blowing smoke.

To properly adjust your damper first, make sure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm and it also has an adequate draft. After that, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

After the fire has burned for an extended period, close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will stop warm air in the room from escaping into the chimney, but still allowing smoke to escape.

This is the best method to keep your fire lit and prevent it from getting too hot. If you shut the damper too far it could stop the draft from working, however if it is too open a cold breeze could blow into your home.

You can determine how much the damper is opened by placing your hands near the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you feel a small breeze pushing against your hand the damper is probably in an open position.

The damper settings can vary from one stove to the next and even between different kinds of wood. The process of experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you may need to tweak until you get the perfect setting for your stove.

Clean Up

It is essential to clean your flue and stove after the start of a fire. This will help to reduce the chance of a chimney fire, stove Wood Burning which is the most common cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky material which can build up inside the stovepipe, is very dangerous. Moisture and unburned particles of wood that cannot escape the fire are responsible for this chemical. It could also be caused by improperly lit fires.

Regular cleaning can help prevent creosote buildup. The best method to do this is to sweep the chimney each year. It is also recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a yearly.

It is also recommended to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is recommended to burn only wood that is well-seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. They could release harmful chemicals for the flue and atmosphere, which may be released into your home.

It is also important to wash the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. The majority of newer wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means they do not require much cleaning. If you're not able to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like, there are stove glass cleaners can be used on the window.

Other suggestions to keep your wood stove in good condition include turning down the vent when you're not using it and slamming doors or windows to increase airflow. This keeps the fire burning hotter, and more efficiently. The wood stove will not have to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is a good idea not to stack logs or leave them on the fire for a long duration. This can lead to splitting and warping. It is also a good idea to avoid using compressed combustible indoor wood burner stove logs in your wood stove because the paraffin in them can melt and then flow into the flue which could cause damage.