How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a warm way to heat a room and conserve energy. However, they require an amount of care.

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

How to start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a wood fire can be a pleasant addition to any home. It's crucial to learn how to properly build a fire in your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to a fire which does not burn effectively, and can produce smoke or creosote. The following tips can help you start the fire that will warm your home with minimal effort and maximum security.

Check the condition of your logs and coals before you begin a fire. If they're too damp they will choke the fire and prevent it from burning properly. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by putting a handful of small dry newspaper pieces into your stove. This will help ignite the tinder. Once the tinder and kindling have begun to burn, you can put a layer of larger kindling pieces on top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, so that there is air between each piece of wood.

If you have a wood stove with an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply an air stream that is controlled to your fire as it builds. This allows the fire to burn steadily without having to open the stove door constantly to tend to it.

It is important to not use too much tinder, as this can lead to an unburned fire that burns at an extremely high rate and fails to utilize the fuel as efficiently as it could. Once you've made a solid foundation in your stove that is made of sparks, tinder and kindling to start the main flame, you can do this by laying two large base logs on the grill. On top of these base logs, place a layer perpendicularly to them. This "top-down" method of creating a fireplace will result in a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't completely engulf larger base logs.

Close the damper once your fire has been established, and keep it shut. The fire can be smothered if you open the damper before it is fully established. It will also reduce the effectiveness of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves are not just beautiful home decor pieces - they can help you save money by supplying efficient wood heat. They can be used together with central heating systems or furnace to provide supplemental heating in large houses. A lot of the stoves that are clean-burning use a superior combustion principle that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from 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 enhances the combustion process and helps to reduce the odors.

The amount of heat you will get from a stove depends on the species and the moisture content of the wood you use and also the dimensions of the logs. The logs must be stored in a ventilated area for several months prior to when you try to burn them to allow the wood to dry. If the logs contain excessive moisture, they will create steam which is essentially wasted power.

During the burning of the fire, you should add more wood to the pile at intervals, and not all at one time. The addition of too much wood at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing an air vortex that pulls smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into flames. This can reduce the effectiveness of your stove.

Avoid using other combustibles inside your stove, such as paper or cardboard, as they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes as they have a completely different chemical and physical properties from real firewood and aren't approved for burning in wood burning stoves.

If you are installing wood-burning stoves into your home, it's important to have it properly installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician can test your stove to ensure it is safe and functional. They can also make sure whether your chimney is working properly. They offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to keep them in top condition. They can check the accessible areas of your chimney for leaks, and fix any issues found. They will also make sure that all house occupants know and stove Wood burning follow the fire evacuation procedures in case of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

When you're not using your stove, a damper regulates the amount of heat lost through the chimney. In addition to this it can also help control the fire. If the flue is 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. You can adjust the damper to get the best flames by testing different settings.

You want to keep your damper open to allow air to flow into and out of the flue when a flame is burning. This will allow the fire to begin and remain lit for a number of hours. The proper opening will prevent the fire from starving of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.

To adjust your damper properly it is important to first make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has an adequate draft. After this the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted.

After the fire has been burning for an extended period, close the damper about three quarters of the way. This will prevent warm air in the room from venturing into the chimney, while still allowing smoke to escape.

This is the best method to keep your fire burning and keep it from getting too hot. The draft could be stopped if you shut the damper too far, but a cold wind can enter your home when the damper is left open.

Holding your hand at the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a slight breeze rubbing against your hand the damper is probably in an open position.

The damper settings can vary from one stove to another and even between different kinds 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 it until you find 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 an ensuing fire in the chimney which is the main cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky material that builds up on the inside of the stovepipe and can be very dangerous. Moisture and unburned particles of wood that cannot escape the fire are responsible for this chemical. It can also be caused by improperly lit fires.

Regular cleaning can help prevent creosote buildup. This can be accomplished by sweeping your chimney once every year. It is also recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and checked at least every year.

It is also recommended to clean out the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is recommended to only burn wood that has been seasoned since it will create less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. 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 necessary to wash the glass of the wood-burning stove on a regular basis. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows so they don't require as much cleaning. If you are not able to clean the glass of your wood stove wood burning (their website) as clean as you'd like There are stove glass cleaners available that you can use on the window.