How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be an excellent method to reduce energy consumption and heat rooms. However, they require a certain amount of maintenance.

Many modern wood stoves meet EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or under it to make sure your stove isn't releasing harmful pollutants.

How to start a Wood Fire

The sound and smell of a wood fire could be a pleasant addition to any home. It is essential to know how to build a fire in your stove. Incorrect techniques may lead to a fire which does not burn efficiently, and produces creosote or smoke. These tips will help you begin a safe fire that will heat up your home quickly and effectively.

Make sure to check the condition of your logs and coals before you start a fire. If they are wet they could smother the fire and prevent it from burning efficiently. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash out that has fallen into the stove.

Begin by putting a handful of small dry pieces of newspaper into your stove. This will help to spark the tinder and ignite your kindling. When they begin to burn, add a layer of larger pieces of kindling to the top of the pile. This should be done with the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece.

If you have a wood stove that has an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply an air stream controlled to the fire as it builds. This allows the fire to burn steadily without you having to open the stove door frequently to check on it.

Avoid using excessive tinder since it will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and will not be able to use the fuel efficiently. When you have a good bed of tinder and kindling in your stove, you can start the main fire by placing two large base logs across the grate. On the top of these base logs put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will produce a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't engulf larger logs from the base.

Once your fire is well established, close the damper and keep it shut. Opening the damper too soon can cause the fire be smothered, and it will not allow for the proper air flow, which will reduce its efficiency.

Add Wood

Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and help you save money. They can be utilized together with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heat in large homes. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available on the market use advanced combustion technology that separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar. This is done by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage allows for the burning of volatile compounds and the second stage offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and reduces smells.

The amount of heat you can get from your stove will depend on the kind of wood and the amount of moisture in it as well as the size of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, the logs should be stored in a well ventilated location for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs are soaked with too much moisture, they will create steam that is in essence wasted power.

When you are burning the fire, you should add more wood to the stack at intervals, but not all at all at. Adding too much contemporary wood burning stoves at once causes the temperature in the firebox to rise, modern wood burning stove and creates a vortex, which draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame, which can decrease your stove's efficiency.

It is recommended to stay clear of other combustibles like cardboard or paper in your stove, as they are not wood and possess different physical properties and cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. Also, avoid using compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they have a completely different chemical and physical properties from real firewood, and are not type-approved for use in wood burning stoves.

If you're installing a wood burning stove in your home, it's crucial to have it installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure safe operation and safety, as well as ensure that your chimney is functioning correctly. They provide maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they remain in top condition. They can check for leaks in the areas accessible to your chimney and repair any issues they discover. They will also ensure that the occupants of the house understand and follow the evacuation procedure in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper controls how much heat is lost to the chimney when you're not cooking on your stove. Additionally, it can also help you control the fire. If the flue is open but the damper is too closed the fire will not burn properly and smoke will erupt into your home. To ensure you have the best fire with your damper set correctly, you have to experiment with different settings 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 will allow the fire to begin and stay lit for several hours. A proper opening will stop the fire from becoming starved of air and will keep it from blowing out smoke.

To properly adjust your damper, you need to ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure the chimney is warm and also that it has a strong draft. After this the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted.

After the fire has smolder for a while, you can reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its original position. This will prevent the warm air from the room from going into the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

This is the best method to ensure that your fire is lit and prevent it from getting too hot. The draft might be stopped if one closes the damper to far but a cold wind could enter your home when the damper is not closed.

Holding your hand at the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a slight breeze pushing against your palm the damper is probably to be open.

The damper settings can differ from one stove to another and even among different types of wood. You can experiment with different settings to get a sense of the best setting for your stove.

Clean Up

It is important to clean your stove and flue after an incident. This can reduce the chance of a fire in the chimney which is the main cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance which can build up inside the stovepipe, is extremely dangerous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that cannot escape the fire. This can also occur by fires that are not properly lit.

A regular cleaning routine can help to prevent the buildup of creosote. The best way to do this is to sweep the chimney at least once a year. It is also recommended that you get your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and checked at least every year.

It is also an excellent idea to clean out the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is best to burn only wood that is well-seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. It is also recommended to avoid burning paper, cardboard plastic, and other waste items. They could release harmful chemicals for respiratory illnesses and the air, which could be released into your home.

It is also important to clean the glass of the wood stove regularly. A lot of Modern wood burning stove wood stoves are designed with self-cleaning glass, meaning that they do not require much cleaning. If you're not able to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like There are stove glass cleaners available that you can use on the window.

Other suggestions to maintain your wood stove include lowering the vent when you aren't using it, and cracking windows or doors to increase airflow. This keeps the fire burning more hot and efficient. The wood stove won't have to be as active to circulate air. It is advisable not to stack logs, or place them on the fire for an extended time. This can lead to splits and warping. It is best to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your wood stove since the paraffin in the wood can melt and then flow into the flue and cause damage.