How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are an excellent way to save energy and heat a room. They do require some maintenance.

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

How to start a Wood Fire

The smell and the sound of a woodfire can be an excellent addition to any house. It's important to understand how to build an effective fire on your stove. Improper techniques can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn effectively and produces smoke or creosote. These tips will help you start an fire that can heat your home with minimum effort and with the highest safety.

Make sure to check the condition of your logs and best woodburners coals before you start a fire. If they're too damp they could smother the flame and stop it from burning properly. You might also want to open the flue to let out any ash that has fallen into the stove.

Begin by putting a few small dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help to ignite the fire. After the tinder and kindling are beginning to ignite, you can add the larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern so there is air between each piece of wood.

If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically pump air into the fire as it grows. This will help the fire to burn at a steady pace without the need to open the stove door to keep it in check.

Do not use excessive tinder since it will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and not utilize the fuel efficiently. If you have a nice pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, you can start the main fire by laying two large logs of the base across the grate. On the top of these base logs, place a layer perpendicularly to them. This "top-down" method of building the fireplace will create a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't consume larger base logs.

Once the fire is established, close the damper and keep it shut. The fire could be smothered by opening the damper before it is fully established. It can also decrease the effectiveness of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and save you money. They can be used together with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heating for large houses. The latest clean-burning stoves on the market utilize a superior combustion method that differentiates 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 stage is to provide pre-heated fresh air. This improves the combustion process and helps to reduce the odors.

The amount of heat that you can get from a stove will depend on the species and the moisture content of the wood you use as well as the size of logs. The logs should be stacked in a well-ventilated area for a period of time before you try to burn them to give the wood time to dry. If the logs have excessive moisture, they will create steam which is essentially wasted power.

When you are burning the fire, add more wood to the stack at intervals, and not all at all at. In addition, adding too much wood at once causes the temperature inside the firebox to rise and creates a vortex that draws smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame, which can decrease your stove's efficiency.

Avoid burning other combustibles in your stove such as cardboard or paper, because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures. It is not recommended to burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes because they differ in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not approved by the type to be used in wood-burning stoves.

If you're planning to install a wood burning stove in your home, it is essential to have it installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician can test your installation to ensure it is safe and functional. They can also make sure that your chimney works correctly. These experts can also provide maintenance services to keep your stove and best Woodburners chimney in tip-top shape. They will look for leaks in the areas that are accessible to your chimney and repair any issues they spot. They will also make sure that the occupants of the house are aware of and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in the event of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

When you're not cooking on your stove, a damper controls how much heat is lost through the chimney. In addition to this it can also help you manage the fire. If the flue is opened but the damper is too closed, the fire won't be able to burn properly and it will release smoke into your living space. You can adjust your damper to ensure the best woodburners (read more on Scientific Programs`s official blog) flames by testing different locations.

You should keep your damper open to let air be able to enter and exit the flue while a fire is burning. This will let the fire start and remain lit for a number of hours. The right opening will prevent the fire from being deprived of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.

To properly adjust your damper, you need to first ensure that the fireplace is heated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has an adequate draft. After this, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

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

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

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 pushing against your hand, it is probably in the open position.

The damper setting can vary a little from one stove to the next, and even between different kinds of log wood burner. You can experiment with different settings to get an idea of the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean up

It is essential to clean your chimney and stove after the start of a fire. This will reduce the risk of a fire in the chimney which is the main reason for fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky material that builds up on the stovepipe's interior and can be extremely hazardous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape from the fire. It could also be caused by improperly lit fires.

Regular cleaning can help prevent creosote buildup. This can be done by sweeping your chimney at least once a year. It is also recommended that you get your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and checked at least yearly.

It is also an excellent idea to clean out the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is best to only burn wood that has been seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. They could release chemicals that can be dangerous for the respiratory tract and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home.

The glass in the wood stove has to be regularly cleaned too. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows so they do not require as much scrubbing. If you're not able to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like, there are stove glass cleaners that can be used on the window.

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