How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a great method to reduce energy consumption and also heat the room. However, they require some level of maintenance.

Many modern wood burner clearance sale stoves conform to EPA emissions guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or beneath it to ensure that your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a woodfire can be an enjoyable addition to any house. It's essential to know how to build a fire on your stove. Improper techniques can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn well, and may produce smoke or creosote. The following tips can help you start a fire that is safe and can heat your home quickly and efficiently.

Before you begin an fire, make sure you check the condition of your coals and logs. If they are wet it will dampen your fire and prevent the proper burning. You may want to open the chimney to get rid of any ash that's fallen into the stove.

Begin by putting a few small, dry newspaper pieces in your stove. This will help ignite the sparks. When the tinder and the kindling are beginning to ignite, you can add a layer of larger kindling pieces on top. This should be done with an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece.

If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic control for combustion, it will automatically pump air into the fire as it expands. This allows the fire to burn for a long time without having to open the stove door often to keep it in check.

Avoid using too much tinder, as this will cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and not use the fuel efficiently. If you have a solid bed of tinder and kindling in your stove, begin the main fire by laying two large base logs on the grate. Then, add a layer of smaller logs perpendicular to these and on top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will result in a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't completely engulf larger base logs.

Once your fire is well established Close the damper and keep it shut. The fire may be smothered if the user opens the damper before it has fully established. It will also reduce the effectiveness of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves are not just beautiful home decor pieces they can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used in conjunction with a central heating system or furnace to provide supplemental heating for large homes. Many of the new clean-burning stoves on the market employ a superior combustion process that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from the combustion of combustible gases and tar by providing air in two different stages. The first stage permits the combustion of volatile compounds and the second stage offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases the odors.

The amount of heat you will get from your stove will depend on both the species of wood and the amount of moisture and the size of the logs. The logs should be stored 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 are wet they will create lots of steam, which is in essence wasted energy.

While you're burning the fire, it is recommended to add more wood to the stack in intervals, but not all at one time. Adding too much wood at once 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 burning other combustibles in your stove, like paper or cardboard because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures. It is not recommended to burn compressed combustibles like wood briquettes since they are different in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be used in wood burning stoves.

If you're planning to install wood-burning stoves into your home, it is important to have it properly installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician can test your stove to ensure that it is safe and efficient. They can also make sure whether your chimney is working properly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to ensure they are in good condition. They will look for leaks in the areas accessible to your chimney and fix any problems they find. They will also ensure that the occupants of your home know and follow the fire evacuation guidelines in case in the event of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper controls how much heat escapes through the chimney when you're not using your stove. Additionally, it can also help control the fire. If the flue opens but the damper is too closed the fire won't be able to burn as it should and smoke will pour into your home. To ensure you have the most effective fire using your damper adjusted properly you should play around with different locations and observe how each affects the flames.

You should keep your damper open to let air enter and exit the flue when a fire is burning. This allows the fire to get a good fire going and helps it stay burning so that you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The right opening will prevent the fire from being starved of air and stop it from blowing smoke.

To properly adjust your damper first, make sure that the fireplace is heated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and it also has a strong draft. Once this is accomplished the damper for the wood stove can be adjusted.

After the fire has been burning for an extended period, close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will prevent the warm air from the room from going through the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

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

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

The damper settings can differ slightly from one stove to another and even between different types of wood. You can experiment with various settings to get an idea of the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean Up

It is essential to clean your flue and stove after an incident. This will lower the risk of a chimney fire, which is the most common cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky material which can build up in the stovepipe, is extremely hazardous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape the fire. This can also occur when fires are not lit properly.

A regular cleaning routine helps to prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be accomplished by sweeping your chimney once a year. It is also recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and checked at least yearly.

Also, it's a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is best to only burn wood that has been seasoned since it will create less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. They can release chemicals that can be dangerous for respiratory illnesses and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home.

It is also essential to clean the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows, so they don't require as much cleaning. You can make use of stove glass cleaners on the window if you're not getting the glass as clean as you would like on your wood stove.

Other helpful tips for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent off when you're not using it and cracking a window or door to increase the flow of air. This will keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently since it won't need to be as active to circulate air. It is advisable not to stack logs or let them sit on the fire for an extended duration. This could cause splitting and warping. It is best to avoid using compressed combustible wood in your wood stove since the paraffin in the logs can melt and leak into the flue, which could cause damage.