How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a warm way to heat a room and also save energy. However, they require some level of maintenance.

Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or under it to ensure your stove doesn't emit harmful pollutants.

How to start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a fire can be an enjoyable addition to any house. It is essential to know how to create a fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in a fire that doesn't burn effectively and produces smoke or creosote. These tips will aid you in starting a fire that will heat your home with the least effort and maximum safety.

Before you begin an fire, make sure you check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're too damp, they will smother the fire and prevent it from burning efficiently. You might want to open the chimney to remove any ash that has fallen into the stove.

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

If you have wood stoves that have an automatic control of combustion, it will automatically feed a controlled stream of air to the fire as it builds. This will allow the fire to burn for a long time without you having to open the stove door often to keep it in check.

It is essential to avoid using too much tinder, since this could result in the fire burning at an excessive rate and doesn't use the fuel as efficiently as it could. If you have a nice pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, start the main fire by placing two large base logs across the grill. Then, on the top of these base woods lay a layer parallel to them. This method of creating the fire is called a "top-down" fire will result in an effective and long-lasting fire that will not completely consume the larger base logs.

Close the damper when your fire is established and keep it closed. The fire may be smothered if you open the damper before it has fully established. It can also decrease the efficiency of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and also save you money. They can be used by themselves or together with central heating or a furnace system to provide the extra heat required in large houses or homes with multiple rooms. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available today utilize advanced combustion technology that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar. This is accomplished by supplying air at two distinct stages. The first stage allows for the combustion of volatile compounds and the second offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases smells.

The amount of heat that you can get from a stove will depend on the type and amount of moisture of the wood, and also the size of logs. To let the wood dry, the logs should be stored in a ventilated location for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs are soaked with too much moisture, they will produce steam, which is basically wasted power.

It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at all at. Adding too much wood at one time causes the temperature inside the firebox to increase and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame, which can decrease the efficiency of your stove.

Avoid the use of other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, because they are not wood and have different physical properties that cannot be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures and a lot of emissions. Also, avoid using compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they have a very different physical and chemical composition from real firewood, and are not suitable for burning in wood-burning stoves.

If you're installing a wood burning stove in your home, it's essential to have it installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure safe operation and safety, and also ensure that your chimney is functioning properly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in good condition. They can look for leaks in the areas that are accessible to your chimney and repair any problems they find. They will also make sure that the occupants of the house are aware of and follow the evacuation procedure in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

When you're not making use of your stove, a damper can control the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. In addition to this it can help you to control the flame. If the flue opens but the damper is closed, the fire will not burn properly and smoke will erupt into your home. To ensure you have the most effective fire using your damper set correctly, you should test different settings and observe how each affects the flames.

Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue while a fire is burning. This will let the fire start and stay lit for many hours. The proper opening will stop the fire from being starved of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.

To properly adjust your damper it is important to first make sure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm, and also that it has a good draft. Once these are done the damper for wood stoves can be adjusted.

Once the fire has smolder a bit you should reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its original position. This will prevent the warm room air from escaping into the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape from the wood stove.

This is the best way to keep your fire lit and prevent it from getting too hot. If you shut the damper too tightly, it could stop the draft from working, however should it be too open, a cold wind could blow through your home.

Holding your hand at the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has sunk. If you can feel a small draft pushing on your hand it's likely to be in the open position.

The damper settings may differ 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 will have to keep adjusting it until you find the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean Up

It is important to clean your chimney and stove after a fire. This will help to reduce the chance of a chimney fire, which is the main cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky material which can build up in the stovepipe, is very dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape the fire. It can also be caused by poorly lit fires.

A regular cleaning schedule can help prevent the buildup of creosote. The best method to do this is by sweeping the chimney each year. It is also recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and checked at least yearly.

It is also recommended to clean out the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is best to only burn Wood Burning Stove Modern that has been seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. It is also a good idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper plastic, and other waste items. These materials can release harmful chemicals into the flue and air, that could end up in your home.

The glass on the wood burning stove uk burning stove has to be regularly cleaned too. A lot of modern wood stoves are made with self-cleaning glass, meaning that they do not require much scrubbing. If you're not able to make 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.

Some other helpful tips for maintaining your wood stove are to turn the vent off when you're not using it, and opening the door or window to allow more air flow. This will keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, as it won't have to be as active to circulate the 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 recommended to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your wood stove because the paraffin that is contained in the logs can melt and leak into the flue which could cause damage.