How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be a great option to conserve energy and heat rooms. They will require some maintenance.

Many modern wood burning stoves wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate, to ensure that your stove doesn't create a lot of harmful pollutants.

How to start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a fire made from wood can be a wonderful addition to any house. However, it is important to know the correct method to create a fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in a fire that doesn't burn efficiently and creates creosote or woodburner stove smoke. The following tips can aid you in starting a fire that will heat your home with minimum effort and with the highest safety.

Before you begin an fire, make sure you check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're too damp they could smother the flame and stop it from burning efficiently. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove.

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

If your wood stove has an automatic control for combustion, it will automatically pump air into the fire as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn for a long time without the need to open the door of your stove often to keep it in check.

It is essential to avoid using too much tinder, since this can lead to an unburned fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't utilize the fuel as efficiently as it could. When you have a good pile of tinder and some kindling in your Woodburner Stove, you can start the main fire by laying two large wood burning stove base logs across the grill. On the top of these base logs lay a layer parallel to them. This "top-down" method of creating a fireplace will result in an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't consume larger base logs.

Close the damper when the fire is established and keep it closed. Doing this too soon could cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for proper air flow, which will decrease the efficiency of the fire.

Add Wood

Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and also save you money. They can be used on their own or together with central heating or furnace system to provide the supplemental heating required in large homes or homes with many rooms. A lot of the stoves that are clean burning available use advanced combustion technology that separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by supplying air at two distinct stages. The first stage is for the vaporization and the second stage is to supply pre-heated fresh air. This improves combustion and reduces odors.

The amount of heat that you can get from a stove depends on the type and amount of moisture of the wood you use, and also the size of the logs. The logs should be stored in a well-ventilated area for a period of time before you attempt to burn them to give the wood a chance to dry. If the logs are not dry enough they will release lots of steam, which is basically wasted energy.

You should add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at once. Addition of too much wood all at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing an air vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into flames. This can reduce the effectiveness of your stove.

It is recommended to stay clear of any other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, because they are not wood and possess different physical properties and cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes as they have a distinct chemical and physical properties from actual firewood and are not suitable for burning in wood-burning stoves.

It is important to have a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician will test your installation to ensure it is safe and reliable. They will also ensure whether your chimney is working properly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in good condition. They will inspect the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leakage, and repair any problems discovered. They will also make sure that the occupants of the house are aware of and follow the evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper controls how much heat escapes to the chimney when you're not cooking on your stove. In addition, it can help you control the fire. If the flue is opened but the damper is too closed, the fire will not burn as efficiently and it will billow out smoke into your living area. To ensure that you get the most effective fire using your damper set correctly, you must test different positions and observe how each affects the flames.

Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue while the fire is burning. This lets the fire get a good fire going and keeps it burning so that you can enjoy it for a long time. The proper opening will keep the fire from being starved of air and will keep it from blowing smoke.

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

After the fire has been burning for a while, you should close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will prevent warm air from the room from venturing into the chimney, while still allowing smoke to escape.

This is the most effective way to stop the fire from getting too hot, while also keeping it burning. The draft may be stopped if you shut the damper too far however a cold breeze could enter your home if the damper is left open.

By placing your hands on the top of the flue pipe will tell you how much the damper has sunk. If you can feel a slight draft pressing against your hand, it's likely to be in the open position.

The damper settings can vary from one stove to the next and even among different types of wood. You can experiment with different settings to get a sense of the most suitable setting for your stove.

Clean Up

It is essential to clean your stove and flue after a fire. This will to reduce the chance of a chimney fire, which is the main reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky material that can build up inside the stovepipe, is extremely hazardous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that cannot escape the fire. This can also occur when fires aren't properly lit.

A regular cleaning routine can help prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by sweeping your chimney at least once every year. It is recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once per year.

It is also an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grate regularly. It is recommended to use only seasoned wood to burn, since this will result in less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These materials can release harmful chemicals into the air and flue that could end up in your home.

The glass that is used on the wood burning stove has to be regularly cleaned too. Many newer wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means they don't require a lot of scrubs. If you're not able to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like you can use stove glass cleaners available that you can use on the window.

Other helpful tips to maintain your wood stove include turning the vent off when you are not using it, and opening windows or doors to allow more air flow. This will help keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, as it will not need to exert as much effort to circulate the air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or keep them in the flame for long durations of time, since this could cause warping and splitting. It is best to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your wood stove as the paraffin that is contained in the logs can melt and leak into the flue which could cause damage.