How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a cozy way to heat a space and also save energy. However, they need some level of maintenance.

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

How to Start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a fire made from wood can be a welcome addition to any house. It's essential to understand how to build a fire in your stove. Incorrect techniques may lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn efficiently, and produces smoke or creosote. These tips will help you start an fire that can heat your home with the least effort and ensure your security.

Before you begin a fire, check the condition of your coals and logs. If they are too wet they could smother the fire and prevent it from burning properly. You may want to open the chimney to eliminate any ash that has fallen into the stove.

Begin by placing a few small wood burner stoves, dry newspaper pieces in the stove. This will help to ignite the tinder and ignite the kindling. Once they start to burn, add a layer of larger pieces of kindling to the top of the pile. 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 for combustion that will automatically deliver an air stream controlled to your fire as it builds. This will allow the fire to burn for a long time without having to open the stove's door frequently to check on it.

Do not use excessive tinder since this will cause the fire to burn at a fast 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 placing two large wood burner base logs across the grill. On the top of these base logs put a layer of cheap wood burning stove perpendicular to them. This method of building a fire called a "top-down" fire can result in a successful and long-lasting fire that doesn't completely consume the larger base logs.

When your fire is established Close the damper and ensure it stays closed. If you open the damper too early, it could cause the fire to smother and will not allow for the correct air flow, which will decrease the efficiency of the fire.

Add Wood

Stoves are not just beautiful home décor pieces they can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used by themselves or in conjunction with central heating or furnace system to provide the extra heat required in large houses or homes with multiple rooms. A lot of the stoves that burn cleanly available today utilize advanced combustion principles that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by providing air at two different stages. The first stage allows for the burning of volatile compounds and the second supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and reduces the odors.

The amount of heat that you get from your stove is contingent on the kind of wood used and the amount of moisture, as well as the size of the logs. The logs should be stored in a ventilated area for a period of time before you attempt to burn them, to give the wood time to dry. If the logs are soaked with excessive moisture, they will create steam which is essentially wasted power.

It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at all at. Too much wood added at one time causes the temperature inside the firebox to increase and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame which could reduce your stove's efficiency.

Avoid burning other combustibles in your stove, like paper or cardboard, as they are not wood. They have different physical properties and are unable to be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures. You should also not use compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes, as they have a completely different chemical and physical composition to real firewood and aren't type-approved for use in wood burning stoves.

It is essential 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 ensure whether your chimney is working properly. They provide maintenance services for your chimney and stove to ensure they are in good shape. They can check the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues that are discovered. They will also make sure that the occupants of the house are aware of and follow the fire evacuation procedure in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

If you're not making use of your stove, a damper can control how much heat is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to control the fire. If the flue is not open but the damper is not closed enough, the fire won't burn properly and will release smoke into your living space. You can adjust the damper to achieve the most effective flames by testing different positions.

Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue while a fire is burning. This will allow the fire to begin and stay lit for many hours. A proper opening will prevent the fire from starving of air and will keep it from blowing smoke.

To adjust your damper properly it is important to first make sure that the fireplace is heated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has an adequate draft. Once this is accomplished, the wood stove burners stove damper can be adjusted.

After the fire has been burning for a while, you should shut the damper around three quarters of the way. This will stop warm room air from escaping up the chimney while still allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

This is the best way to stop the fire from getting too hot while still keeping it lit. If you shut the damper too far it could block the draft from working, however when it's too open a cold breeze could blow through your home.

You can test how much the damper is opened by placing your hands near the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a breeze rubbing against your hand, the damper is likely in the open position.

The damper's setting can vary slightly from one stove to the next and even between different types of wood. The process of experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you might have to keep adjusting it until you find the perfect setting for your stove wood burning.

Clean up

It is crucial to clean your stove and flue after an incident. This will reduce the risk of a chimney fire, which is the main reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance that forms on the stovepipe's interior and is extremely dangerous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape the fire. It can be caused by improperly lit fires.

Regular cleaning can help keep away the buildup of creosote. This can be accomplished by sweeping your chimney once every year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally inspected and cleaned at least once a year as well.

Also, it's a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and the grates regularly. It is recommended to burn only seasoned wood because it produces less creosote. It is also a good idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper or plastic items. These items could release dangerous chemicals into the flue and air, that could end up in your home.

It is also essential to clean the glass of the wood stove regularly. The majority of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning windows so they do not require as much scrubs. You can make use of stove glass cleaners on the glass if you aren't getting the glass as clean as you'd like on your outdoor wood burning stove stove.

Other helpful tips to maintain your wood stove include turning the vent down when you're not using it and cracking a window or door to increase air flow. This will ensure that the fire is burning more hot and efficient. The wood stove won't have to perform as hard to circulate air. It is advisable not to stack logs, or let them sit on the fire for a long period of time. This can cause splitting and warping. It is advised to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove because the paraffin contained within the wood can melt and then flow into the flue, which could cause damage.