How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a cozy method to heat a room and conserve energy. However, they need an amount of care.

A majority of modern wood burning stoves wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or underneath it to ensure your stove isn't releasing harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a woodfire is an enjoyable addition to any house. It's crucial to learn the correct method to build a fire in your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to the fire not to burn effectively, and can produce smoke or creosote. These tips will assist you in starting the fire that will warm your home with the least effort and maximum safety.

Before you start an fire, make sure you check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're damp they will choke your fire and hinder proper burning. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash out that has been deposited into the stove.

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

If you have wood stoves that have an automatic control for combustion it will automatically supply an air stream controlled to your fire as it grows. This will help the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to constantly open the stove door to keep it in check.

It's important to avoid using too much tinder, since this could result in a fire that burns at a high rate and doesn't utilize the multi fuel wood burning stoves as efficiently as possible. After you've built a solid bed in your stove of igniters, tinder, and embers, start the main flame by laying two large base logs on the grate. On the top of these base logs, place a layer perpendicularly to them. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will produce a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't engulf larger logs from the base.

Close the damper when your fire is established and keep it shut. Opening the damper too soon could cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for the proper airflow, which will decrease the efficiency of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and also save you money. They can be used in conjunction with a central heating system or furnace to provide additional heating in large homes. A lot of the stoves that are clean-burning utilize a superior combustion method that separates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage permits the burning of volatile compounds and the second stage supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves the combustion process and helps reduce the smell.

The amount of heat that you can get from your stove depends on both the species of wood and the moisture content, as well as the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, logs should be kept in a ventilated space for a few months prior to burning. If the logs are not dry enough they will release plenty of steam that is basically wasted energy.

It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals and not all at once. In addition, adding too much wood all at once could cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, creating a vortex which draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into flames. This can reduce the effectiveness of your stove.

Avoid burning other combustibles in your stove such as paper or cardboard because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles, such as wood briquettes as they have a distinct physical and chemical composition from real firewood and aren't suitable for use in wood burning stoves.

It is important that you have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation for proper operation and safety and also ensure that your chimney is working correctly. They provide maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they are in good condition. They can check for leaks in the areas accessible to your chimney and repair any problems they find. They will also make sure that all occupants of the house understand and follow the evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper controls how much heat is lost up the chimney when you aren't cooking on your stove. It can also be used to manage the fire. If the flue is open but the damper is closed the fire will not burn properly and smoke will billow into your home. To get the most effective fire using your damper set correctly, multi fuel Wood burning stoves you have to test different locations and observe how each one affects the flames.

It is important to keep your damper open to allow air to enter and exit the flue when a flame is burning. This will let the fire start and stay lit for many hours. The right opening will prevent the fire from becoming depleted of air and keep it from blowing smoke.

To be able to adjust your damper you need to ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has an adequate draft. After these steps are completed, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

After the fire has burned for some time, you need to close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will prevent the warm air from the room from going up the chimney while still allowing smoke to escape from the wood burner fireplace ideas stove.

This is the best way to stop the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. The draft might be stopped if you close the damper to far but a cold wind could enter your home when the damper is not closed.

Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will show you how much the damper has sunk. If you can feel a small draft pushing against your hand, it's probably in the open position.

The damper setting can vary a little from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. You can experiment with various settings to get a sense of the best setting for your stove.

Clean Up

It is crucial to clean your stove and flue after the start of a fire. This can reduce the chance of an explosion in the chimney which is the most common cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky material that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and is extremely dangerous. Unburned and moist particles of wood that are unable to escape the fire are the cause for this chemical. It could also be caused by improperly lit fires.

Regular cleaning helps prevent creosote buildup. The best method to do this is to sweep the chimney every year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once per year, too.

Also, it is an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is best to burn only wood that is well-seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals into the air and flue which could be released in your home.

The glass that is used on the wood burning stove needs to be regularly cleaned as well. The majority of newer wood stoves are designed with self-cleaning glass, meaning that they do not require any scrubs. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the window if you're able get the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove.

Other tips to maintain your wood stove include lowering the vent when you're not using it, and slamming doors or windows to increase airflow. This will keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently since it won't have to be as active to circulate air. It is a good idea not to stack logs or let them sit on the fire for an extended duration. This could cause warping and splits. It is advised to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove as the paraffin in the wood can melt and then flow into the flue and cause damage.