How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be an ideal option to conserve energy and also heat rooms. They will require some maintenance.

Many modern wood burning stoves wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker on the underside or next to the grate, to ensure that your stove won't produce many 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's important to know how to create a fire in your stove. Improper techniques can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn effectively and produces smoke or creosote. The following tips can help you start an efficient fire that will warm your home quickly and efficiently.

Make sure to check the condition of your logs and coals before you begin a fire. If they are wet they will choke the flame and stop it from burning efficiently. It is also possible to open the flue to let out any ash that has fallen into the stove.

Begin by placing a handful of small dry pieces of newspaper in the stove. This will help ignite the tinder and kindling. When they begin to burn, add another 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 own a wood stove with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically feed a controlled stream of air to the flame as it heats. This will allow the fire to burn steadily without the need to open the stove door constantly to tend to it.

It's important to avoid using too much tinder, as this can lead to an unburned fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't make use of the fuel as efficiently as it could. Once you've got a good base in your stove with sparks, tinder and kindling to start the main flame, you can do this by laying down two large logs of the base on the grill. Then, on top of these base logs, place a layer perpendicularly to them. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will produce an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't completely engulf larger base logs.

Close the damper after the fire is established and kept it closed. The fire could be smothered by opening the damper before it is fully established. It can also decrease the efficiency of the fire.

Add Wood

Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and help you save money. They can be used alone or together with central heating or furnace system to provide the supplemental heating required in large homes or homes with many rooms. The latest stoves that burn clean employ a superior combustion process that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar by providing air in two different stages. The first stage allows for the combustion of volatile compounds and the second stage offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and helps to reduce odors.

The amount of heat you will get from a stove depends on the type and amount of moisture of the wood you use as well as the size of logs. The logs should be stored in a well-ventilated space for several months 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, you should add more wood to the pile at intervals, and not all at one time. The addition of too much wood all at once could cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, creating an air vortex that draws smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into flames. This could decrease the effectiveness 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 combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes because they are different in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be used in wood-burning stoves.

If you're installing wood-burning stoves into your home, it is crucial 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 chimney in good condition. They can look for leaks in the areas accessible to your chimney, and Stove Wood Burning fix any issues they spot. They will also ensure that the occupants of your home know and follow the fire evacuation procedures in the event in the event of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

When you're not making use of your stove, a damper can control the amount of heat lost through the chimney. It can also be used to manage the flame. If the flue is not open but the damper is not closed enough, the fire will not burn as efficiently and it will billow out smoke into your living area. To get the best fire with your damper adjusted properly you should test different locations and observe how each one affects the flames.

Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue when a fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and keeps it lit so you can enjoy it for a long time. The right opening will prevent the fire from being starved of air and stop it from blowing smoke.

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

Once the fire has smolder for a while, you can reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its maximum. This will stop warm room air from escaping through the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape from the wood stove.

This is the best way to ensure that your fire is lit and to prevent it from becoming too hot. The draft could be stopped if you shut the damper too far, but a cold wind can enter your home if the damper is not closed.

By placing your hands on the top of the flue pipe will show you how much the damper has sunk. If you can feel a slight breeze pressing against your hand, it is probably in the open position.

The damper's setting can vary a little from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. The process of experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you may need to tweak it until you have found the perfect setting for your Stove Wood Burning.

Clean up

After a fire, it is important to clean the flue and Stove Wood Burning stove. This reduces the chance of an ensuing fire in the chimney, which is the primary reason for fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky substance which can build up in the stovepipe, is extremely dangerous. Moisture and unburned particles of wood that cannot escape the flame are the reason for this substance. It can also be caused by poorly lit fires.

Regular cleaning can help prevent creosote buildup. This can be done by sweeping your chimney once every year. It is recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year, too.

It is also recommended to clean the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is best to burn only seasoned wood since it will create less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These can release chemicals that are dangerous for the flue and air, which could be released into your home.

The glass in the wood burning stove has to be regularly cleaned too. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they do not require as much cleaning. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the glass if you aren't getting the glass as clean as you would like on your wood stove.

Other suggestions to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you're not using it, and opening doors or windows to increase airflow. This keeps the fire burning hotter, and more efficiently. The wood stove will not need to be as active to circulate air. It is recommended not to stack logs, or let them sit on the fire for a long period of time. This could cause splitting and warping. It is best to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove because the paraffin that is contained in the wood can melt and then flow into the flue and cause damage.