How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood Burner stoves can be a great method to reduce energy consumption and warm a room. They require some care.

Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker under or beside the grate to make sure your stove won't produce lots of harmful pollutants.

How to start a Wood Fire

The smell and the sound of a woodfire is a welcome addition in any home. It's important to understand how to build an effective fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques may lead to the fire not to burn well, and may produce creosote or smoke. The tips below will assist you in starting an fire that can heat your home with minimal effort and with the highest security.

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

Begin by putting a few small, dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help ignite the fire. Once they start to burn, add another layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done using a crosshatch design so that there is air between each piece.

If you own cheap wood burning stove stoves that have an automatic control of combustion, it will automatically feed an air stream that is controlled to your fire as it grows. This will help the fire to burn at a steady pace without the need to open the stove door to maintain it.

Do not use too much tinder, as it can cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and will not be able to use the fuel efficiently. If you have a solid fire and a bed of tinder in your stove, start the main fire by laying two large base logs on the grate. Then, add an additional layer of smaller logs that are perpendicular to them and on top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of creating a fireplace will result in an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't engulf larger base logs.

Close the damper when your fire is established, and keep it shut. If you open the damper too early, it could cause the fire to smother and will not allow for the correct air flow, which can lower the effectiveness of the fire.

Add Wood

Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and save you money. They can be used on their own or in conjunction with central heating or a furnace system to provide the extra heat required in large houses or homes with multiple rooms. 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 providing air at two distinct stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization and the second stage is to provide fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and helps reduce the odors.

The amount of heat that you can get from a stove will depend on the species and moisture content of the wood you use, and also the size of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, logs must be stored in a ventilated area for a few months prior to burning. If the logs are soaked with excessive moisture, they will create steam, which is basically wasted power.

During the burning of the fire, you should add more wood to the stack at intervals, not all at once. In addition, 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 your stove's efficiency.

Avoid the use of other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, because they are not wood and have very different physical properties and cannot be burned safely 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 composition to real firewood and aren't approved for use in wood burning stoves.

It is essential to have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician can test your stove to ensure it is safe and functional. They will also check that your chimney is functioning properly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in top condition. They can check 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 your home are aware of and adhere to the fire evacuation guidelines in case of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

If you're not making use of your stove, a damper controls how much heat is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to manage the flame. If the flue opens but the damper is too closed the fire will not be able to burn as it should and smoke will pour into your home. To get the best fire with your damper set correctly, you should experiment with different positions and observe how each affects the flames.

Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue when a fire is burning. This allows the fire to start a fire and keeps it lit so you can enjoy it for hours. The right opening will also prevent the fire from starving of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.

In order to properly adjust your damper you need to first make sure the fireplace is heated and the stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and that it has a strong draft. After this, the wood stove damper may be adjusted.

After the fire has burned for some time, you need to close the damper about three quarters of the way. This will stop the warm air from the room from getting into the chimney, while still allowing smoke to escape.

This is the most effective way to keep the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. If you close the damper too far it could block the draft from working, but should it be too wide, a cold breeze could blow into your home.

Holding your hand at the top of the flue pipe will show you how much the damper has opened. If you feel a small breeze pushing against your palm, the damper is likely to be open.

The damper settings can vary between stoves and even among different types of wood. Experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you may have to keep adjusting until you get the ideal setting for Wood Burner your stove.

Clean up

After an incident, it is essential to clean the stove and flue. This will lower the risk of a chimney fire, which is the main reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky substance that can build up within the stovepipe, can be very dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape from the fire. It can also happen when fires are not lit properly.

Regular cleaning helps keep away the buildup of creosote. This can be done by cleaning your chimney once a year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year.

It is also a good idea to clean the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is recommended to use only seasoned wood for burning, as this will result in less creosote and less ash. It is also a good idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper plastic, and other waste items. These items could release dangerous chemicals into the air and flue which could be released in your home.

It is also important to clean the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. A lot of modern wood stoves are made with self-cleaning glass, which means that they don't require a lot of scrubbing. If you are not able to clean the glass of your wood stove as clean as you'd like There are stove glass cleaners available that can be used on the window.

Other suggestions to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you aren't using it, and opening doors or windows to allow more airflow. This will keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, since it will not need to exert as much effort to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or place them in the flame for long periods of time as this could lead to splitting and warping. It is advised to avoid using compressed combustible wood in your wood stove as the paraffin that is contained in the logs can melt and leak into the flue and cause damage.