How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be an ideal option to conserve energy and warm rooms. They require some care.

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

How to Start a Wood Fire

The scent and sound of a wood fire can be a pleasant feature in any house. It's important to know how to create an effective fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn effectively and produces creosote or smoke. The following tips can help you start a fire that will heat your home with minimum effort and with the highest safety.

Examine the condition of your logs and coals before you start a fire. If they are wet, they will smother the fire and prevent it from burning properly. 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 in the stove. This will help ignite the tinder. Once the tinder and woodburners kindling have begun to burn, you can put a layer of larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern so there will be air between each piece of wood.

If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic control for combustion, it will automatically feed air to the fire as it grows. This will enable the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to open the stove door to tend it.

It is essential to avoid using excessive tinder as this could result in an unburned fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't use the fuel as efficiently as it could. When you have a good pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, begin the main fire by placing two large base logs across the grill. Then, on top of these base logs put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This method of constructing an ember known as a "top-down" fire will result in a powerful and long-lasting fire that doesn't overtake the larger base logs.

When your fire is established Close the damper and keep it closed. The fire may be smothered if the user opens the damper before it is fully established. It can also decrease the effectiveness of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves are not just beautiful home décor pieces they can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be utilized together with a central heating system or furnace to provide supplemental heating for large homes. A lot of the clean burning stoves that are available today utilize an advanced combustion principle which can separate the burning volatile substances from combustible gasses and tar. This is done by supplying air at two distinct stages. The first stage allows the combustion of volatile compounds, while the second step supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases smells.

The amount of heat you get from a stove will depend on the species and moisture content of the wood you use, and also the size of logs. The logs must be stored in a well-ventilated area for several months before you attempt to burn them, to allow the wood to dry. If the logs are wet they will release 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 at intervals, but not all at all at. The addition of too much wood at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, creating the formation of a vortex that pulls smoke and volatile compounds that are not burned back into the flames. This could decrease the efficiency of your stove.

It is recommended to stay clear of other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, since they are not wood and have different physical properties and cannot be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and excessive emissions. You should not burn compressed combustibles like wood burning stove uk briquettes as they differ in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be used in wood-burning stoves.

If you are installing wood-burning stoves into your home, it is important to have it properly installed and tested by a qualified. 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 also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in tip-top shape. They can check the accessible areas of your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues that are discovered. They will also ensure that the occupants of the house understand and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in the event of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper controls how much heat escapes through the chimney when you aren't using your stove. It can also be used to regulate the flame. If the flue is opened but the damper is too closed, the fire won't burn properly and it will release smoke into your living area. To ensure you have the most effective fire using the damper properly adjusted, you have to experiment with different positions and observe how each affects the flames.

Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air enter and out of the flue while a fire is burning. This lets the fire get a good fire going and also helps keep it lit so you can enjoy it for a long time. The right opening will also stop the fire from becoming starved of air and prevent it from blowing out smoke.

To properly adjust your damper, woodburners you must first ensure that the fireplace has been heated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has an adequate draft. Once these are done the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

Once the fire has smolder a bit you should shut the damper down to about three-quarters of its maximum. This will stop warm air from the room from going up the chimney while still allowing the smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

This is the best method to ensure that your fire is lit and keep it from getting too hot. The draft may be stopped if one closes the damper too tightly but a cold wind could enter your home in the event that the damper is not closed.

You can determine how much the damper is open by placing your hand on the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you feel a breeze pushing against your hand the damper is probably to be open.

The damper's setting can vary slightly from one stove to the next, and even between different kinds of wood. Playing around with different settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you might need to adjust until you get the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean Up

It is essential to clean your flue and stove after an incident. This can reduce the chance of a fire in the chimney which is the most common cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky material which can build up inside the stovepipe, is extremely hazardous. Moisture and unburned particles of wood that are unable to escape the fire are responsible for this chemical. This can also be caused when fires are not properly lit.

Regular cleaning helps to keep away the buildup of creosote. The best way to do this is by sweeping the chimney every year. It is also recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year.

It is also recommended to clean out the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is best to burn only wood that is well-seasoned because it produces less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. 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 on a regular basis. The majority of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they don't require as much scrubs. 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 you can use on the window.

Other tips to maintain your wood stove include turning down the vent when you're not using it, and opening doors or windows to allow more airflow. This will keep the fire burning more hot and efficiently. The wood stove will not have to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is a good idea not to stack logs, or place them on the fire for an extended period of time. This can lead to splitting and warping. It is advised to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your wood stove as the paraffin contained within the wood can melt and then flow into the flue which could cause damage.