How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a warm method to heat a room and conserve energy. They will require some maintenance.

A majority of modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker under or beside the grate to make sure your stove doesn't generate a lot of harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a woodfire is an excellent addition to any home. It's essential to know how to create a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to a fire that doesn't burn efficiently and creates smoke or creosote. These tips can help you start a safe fire that can heat your home quickly and efficiently.

Examine the condition of your coals and logs before you start the fire. If they're damp, it will smother 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 putting a few small dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help to ignite the tinder and kindling. When the tinder and the kindling are beginning to ignite, you can add the larger kindling pieces on top. This should be done using a crosshatch design so that there is air between each piece.

If you own a wood stove that has an automatic control of combustion, it will automatically feed an air stream that is controlled to the flame as it heats. This will allow the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to open the stove's doors to tend it.

It's important to avoid using excessive tinder as this can lead to an unburned fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't utilize the multi fuel wood Burning stoves as efficiently as it could. Once you've made a solid base in your stove with igniters, tinder, and embers, start the main flame by laying down two large logs of the base on the grate. On the top of these base logs lay a layer parallel to them. This method of constructing an ember known as a "top-down" fire will result in an effective and long-lasting fire that does not engulf the larger base logs.

Once the fire is established, close the damper and keep it closed. If you open the damper too early, it can cause the fire get smothered and not allow for proper air flow, which can lower the effectiveness of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves are not only beautiful pieces of home decor they can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used on their own or together with central heating or a furnace system to provide the extra heat required in large houses or houses with a lot of rooms. A lot of the stoves that are clean-burning utilize a superior combustion method that separates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gasses 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 enhances the combustion process and reduces the smell.

The amount of heat you will get from a stove is contingent upon the type and amount of moisture of the wood, and also the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, logs should be kept in a ventilated space for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs have excessive moisture, they will create steam that is in essence wasted energy.

It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals and not all at all at. Adding too much wood at once can cause the temperature of the firebox to rise and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame which could reduce the efficiency of your stove.

Avoid using 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, avoid using compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes as they have a distinct chemical and physical properties from real firewood and aren't type-approved for burning in wood-burning stoves.

It is important that a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician can examine your stove to make sure that it is safe and efficient. They will also check whether your chimney is working properly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they remain in top condition. They can check the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues that are found. They will also make sure that all house occupants understand and comply with the fire evacuation procedures in case in the event of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

If you're not making use of your stove, a damper can control the amount of heat lost through the chimney. In addition, it can also help you manage the fire. If the flue opens, but the damper is too closed the fire won't ignite properly and smoke will erupt into your home. To get the best fire with your damper adjusted properly you must test different settings and observe how each affects the flames.

You should keep your damper open to let air be able to enter and exit the flue when a fire is burning. This lets the fire start a fire and keeps it burning so that you can enjoy it for a long time. The right opening will prevent the fire from being deprived of air and stop it from blowing smoke.

To adjust your damper correctly it is important to first make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm and also that it has a strong draft. After these steps are completed, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

After the fire has been burning for some time, you need to close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will stop warm air in the room from venting up the chimney while still allowing the smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

This is the best method to prevent the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. The draft might be stopped if you close the damper to far however a cold breeze could enter your home when the damper is left open.

You can test how much the damper is open by placing your hand on the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you feel a small draft pushing on your hand it's likely to be in the open position.

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

Clean up

It is essential to clean your flue and stove after a fire. This will to reduce the chance of a chimney fire, which is the main cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance that builds up on the inside of the stovepipe and can be extremely hazardous. The moisture and the unburned parts of wood that are unable to escape the fire are the cause for this substance. It could also be caused by poorly lit fires.

A regular cleaning routine helps to prevent the buildup of creosote. The best method to do this is by sweeping the chimney every year. It is also recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year.

It is also an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is recommended to use only seasoned wood burner stoves to burn, since it will create less creosote as well as ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. They could release chemicals that can be dangerous for multi fuel wood burning stoves respiratory illnesses and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home.

The glass on the wood stove has to be regularly cleaned too. Many newer wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means that they do not require much scrubs. If you are not able to make the glass on your wood stove as clean as you would like There are stove glass cleaners you can use on the window.

Other suggestions to maintain your wood stove include lowering the vent when you're not using it and cracking windows or doors to increase airflow. This will keep the fire burning more hot and more efficiently, since it won't have to exert as much effort to circulate air. It is advisable not to stack logs, or place them on the fire for a long time. This can lead to splitting and warping. It is recommended to avoid using compressed combustible wood in your wood stove because the paraffin that is contained in them can melt and flow into the flue, which could cause damage.