How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a great option to conserve energy and heat a room. They will require some maintenance.

Many modern wood woodburning stoves; check these guys out, conform to EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or under it to ensure that your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The smell and the sound of a woodfire can be a welcome addition in any house. It's essential to know how to create a fire in your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to a fire that doesn't burn effectively and can cause creosote or smoke. The tips below can help you create a fire that is safe and will warm your home quickly and efficiently.

Before you start an fire, make sure you check the condition of your coals and logs. If they are too wet, they will smother the flame and stop it from burning properly. It is also possible to open the flue to let out any ash that has fallen into the stove.

Begin by putting a few small, dry newspaper pieces in your stove. This will help ignite the tinder and ignite the kindling. When the tinder and the kindling have started to ignite, you can add an additional layer of larger pieces on the top. This should be done using an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece.

If you have a wood stove with an automatic control for combustion it will automatically supply a controlled stream of air to your fire as it grows. This will help the fire to burn at a steady pace without having to open the stove door to keep it in check.

Do not use too much tinder as it can cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and not use the fuel effectively. 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 grill. Then, on the top of these base woods put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This method of building an ember called a "top-down" fire can result in a successful and long-lasting fire that will not overtake the larger base logs.

Close the damper once the fire is established and kept it closed. The fire could be smothered by opening the damper before it has fully established. This can also affect the effectiveness of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and save you money. They can be used on their own or together with central heating or a furnace system to provide the extra heat needed in large homes or houses with a lot of rooms. Many of the new stoves that are clean-burning utilize a superior combustion method that separates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage allows for the burning of volatile compounds and the second stage offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves the combustion process and helps to reduce the odors.

The amount of heat that you will get from your stove depends on the type of wood and the amount of moisture and the size of the logs. The logs should be stacked in a well-ventilated space for a period of time before you attempt to burn them to give the wood a chance to dry out. If the logs are soaked with excessive moisture, they will create steam which is essentially wasted power.

It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at once. In addition, adding too much wood at once can cause the temperature of the firebox to rise, and creates a vortex, which draws smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame which could reduce your stove's efficiency.

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

If you're installing wood-burning stoves in your home, it is essential to have it installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician will test the installation for proper operation and safety, as well as make sure that your chimney is working properly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to keep them in top condition. They will look for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney, and fix any problems they find. They will also make sure that all occupants of the house understand and follow the evacuation procedure in case of an accident.

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 regulate the flame. If the flue is open but the damper is closed too much the fire won't burn properly and it will release smoke into your living space. You can adjust the damper to get the best flames by experimenting with different positions.

Typically, you should keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue when the fire is burning. This allows the fire to get going and keeps it burning so that you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The right opening can stop the fire from being deprived of air and keep it from blowing smoke.

In order to properly adjust your damper, you need to first 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. Once this is done the damper for the wood stove may be adjusted.

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

This is the best method to ensure that your fire is lit and keep it from getting too hot. If you close the damper too much, it could block the draft from working, but if it is too open, a cold wind could blow through your home.

You can determine how much the damper is open by placing your hand on the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a breeze rubbing against your hand The damper is most likely to be open.

The damper settings can differ slightly from one stove to another and even between different types of wood. Experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you may need to adjust it until you find the perfect setting for your stove.

Clean Up

After a fire, it is essential to clean the stove and flue. This reduces the chance of an explosion in the chimney which is the most common reason for fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance which can build up inside the stovepipe, is extremely dangerous. The moisture and the unburned parts of wood that cannot escape the flame are the reason for this substance. It can also happen when fires aren't lit properly.

A regular cleaning routine helps prevent the buildup of creosote. The best way to do this is by sweeping the chimney every year. It is recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year, too.

It is also a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is best to burn only seasoned wood since it will create less creosote. It is also a good idea to avoid burning paper, cardboard, plastic and other trash items. These materials can release harmful chemicals to the air and flue, that could end up in your home.

It is also essential to clean the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows, which means they do not require as much scrubs. If you're not able to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like you can use stove glass cleaners available that can be used on the window.

Other ways to maintain your wood stove include lowering the vent when you're not using it and slamming doors or windows to improve airflow. This will keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently since it won't have to work as hard to circulate air. It is advisable not to stack logs, or place them on the fire for an extended time. This could cause warping and splits. In addition, it is a good idea to avoid using compressed combustible wood burning stoves for sale logs in your wood stove because the paraffin they contain can melt and then flow into the flue which could cause damage.