How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be an excellent method to reduce energy consumption and warm the room. However, they need an amount of care.

Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker on the underside or next to the grate to make sure your stove doesn't create many harmful pollutants.

How to start a Wood Fire

The scent and sound of a fire can be an excellent addition to any home. But it's important to learn the proper way to make a fire on your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn well, and may produce creosote or smoke. The tips below will help you begin a safe fire that can heat your home quickly and efficiently.

Before you start a fire, you should check the condition of your coals and logs. If they are too wet, they will smother the flame and stop it from burning properly. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by putting some small newspaper pieces that are dry in your stove. This will help spark the tinder and ignite your kindling. Once these begin to burn, add another layer of larger pieces of kindling to the top of the pile. This should be done with an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece.

If you have wood stoves that have an automatic control of combustion that will automatically deliver an air stream that is controlled to the flame as it heats. This will help the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to constantly open the stove's door to maintain it.

It is essential to avoid using excessive tinder as it can cause the fire burning at an extremely high rate and fails to utilize the fuel as efficiently as it can. Once you've got a good foundation in your stove that is made of igniters, tinder, and embers, start the main flame by placing two large logs of the base on the grill. Then, on the top of these base woods lay a layer parallel to them. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will result in a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't consume larger logs from the base.

Close the damper after your fire has been established, and keep it closed. Opening the damper too soon could cause the fire to be smothered, and it will not allow for double sided Wood Burner proper air flow, which will reduce its efficiency.

Adding Wood

Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and save you money. They can be utilized together with a central heating system or furnace to provide supplemental heating for large houses. A lot of the 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 is to aid in the vaporization and the second is to provide fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases odors.

The amount of heat you will get from a stove depends on the species and moisture content of the wood you use as well as the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, the logs should be kept in a ventilated location for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs are wet they will release lots of steam, which is basically wasted energy.

When you are burning the fire, add more wood to the stack in intervals, and not all at all at. The addition of too much wood all at once could cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, causing the formation of a vortex that pulls smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into flames. This could decrease the effectiveness of your stove.

You should avoid the use of other combustibles like cardboard or paper in your stove, because they are not wood and have different physical properties that cannot be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and excessive emissions. You should not burn compressed combustibles like wood briquettes because they differ in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be burned in wood-burning stoves.

It is essential that a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test the stove for safe operation and safety, as well as ensure that your chimney is operating properly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in good condition. They can inspect the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leakage, and repair any problems found. They will also ensure that all occupants of the house understand and follow the evacuation procedure in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper controls the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney when you're not using your stove. It can also be used to control the flame. If the flue opens but the damper is closed the fire will not burn properly and smoke will erupt into your home. To ensure you have the most efficient fire, with your damper set correctly, you must test different positions and observe how each affects the flames.

Typically, you should keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue while the fire is burning. This will let the fire start and stay lit for many hours. The proper opening will prevent the fire from starving of air and will keep it from blowing smoke.

To properly adjust your damper, you need to ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure the chimney is warm, and it also has a good draft. After this, the wood stove damper may be adjusted.

After the fire has smolder slightly, you need to close the damper to about three-quarters of its original position. This will prevent the warm room air from escaping into the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape out of the wood stove burning stove.

This is the best method to keep the fire from getting too hot, while also keeping it burning. The draft might be stopped if one closes the damper to far however a cold breeze could enter your home when the damper is not closed.

Holding your hand at the top of the flue pipe will tell you how much the damper has opened. If you can feel a slight breeze pushing on your hand it's likely to be in the open position.

The damper settings can differ a little from one stove to the next, and even between different kinds of wood. The process of experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you will need to adjust until you get the perfect setting for your stove.

Clean Up

After a fire, it is important to clean the flue and stove. This reduces the chance of a fire in the chimney which is the main cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky material that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and can be extremely hazardous. It is caused by the moisture and double sided Wood burner wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape the fire. It can also be caused by improperly lit fires.

A regular cleaning routine helps keep the buildup of creosote at bay. This can be accomplished by sweeping your chimney once a year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year.

It is also an excellent idea to clean the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is a good idea 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 trash items. These can release chemicals that can be dangerous for the respiratory tract and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home.

It is also essential to clean the glass of the wood-burning stove regularly. The majority of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, so they don't require as much scrubs. If you are not able to make the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like There are stove glass cleaners can be used on the window.

Other suggestions for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent down when you are not using it and slamming windows or doors to increase air flow. This will ensure that the fire is burning more hot and efficiently. The wood stove will not need to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is also a good idea to not stack logs or leave them in the fire for prolonged durations of time, since this can lead to warping and splitting. It is advised to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your Double Sided Wood Burner stove since the paraffin that is contained in the wood can melt and then flow into the flue which could cause damage.