How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be a great option to conserve energy and warm rooms. However, they need an amount of care.

Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emissions guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or underneath it to ensure that your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The sound and smell of a fire made from wood can be a welcome addition to any home. But it's important to learn how to properly build a fire in your stove. Incorrect methods can result in a fire that doesn't burn effectively and can cause smoke or creosote. The following tips can help you start a fire that will heat your home with minimum effort and with the highest safety.

Check the condition of your coals and logs before you start the fire. If they're damp they will choke your fire and prevent the proper burning. You may want to open the chimney to remove any ash that falls into the stove.

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

If you have a wood stove that has an automatic control for combustion it will automatically supply a controlled stream of air to your fire as it builds. This will enable the fire to burn at a steady rate without the need to open the stove's door to maintain it.

It is important to not use excessive tinder as it can cause a fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't make use of the fuel as efficiently as possible. Once you've got a good base in your stove with tinder, kindling and embers begin the main flame by laying down two large logs of the base on the grill. Next, place small logs that are perpendicular to them and on top of the base logs. This method of constructing the fire is known as a "top-down" fire will result in a powerful and long-lasting fire that will not engulf the larger base logs.

Close the damper after your fire has been established and kept it closed. Doing this too soon can cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for proper air flow, which can reduce its efficiency.

Adding Wood

Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and help you save money. They can be used alone or in conjunction with a furnace or central heating system to provide the additional heating required in large homes or houses with a lot of rooms. Many of the new stoves that are clean burning available today utilize advanced combustion principles that can separate the burning volatile substances from combustible gasses and tar. This is achieved by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage allows the combustion of volatile compounds and the second supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and helps to reduce odors.

The amount of heat that you can get from your stove is contingent on the type of wood and the amount of moisture in it and the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, logs must be stored in a ventilated area for a few months prior to burning. If the logs are too wet they will create a lot of steam that 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. Addition of too much wood all at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing an air vortex that pulls smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into flames. This could decrease the effectiveness of your stove.

Avoid using other combustibles in your stove, such as paper or cardboard, as they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures. You should not burn compressed combustibles like wood briquettes since they differ in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not approved by the type to be burned in wood burners garden-burning stoves.

It is important 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 reliable. They can also make sure that your chimney is functioning properly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in good condition. They can check the accessible areas of your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues discovered. They will also ensure that the occupants of your home understand and comply with the fire evacuation guidelines in case in the event of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

When you're not making use of your Stove Wood Burning, a damper can control how much heat is lost through the chimney. In addition, it can also help you manage the fire. If the flue is open but the damper is too closed, the fire will not burn properly and smoke will pour into your home. You can adjust your damper to ensure the best flames by playing around with different positions.

Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue while the fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and keeps it in good shape so that you can enjoy it for hours. The proper opening will keep the fire from being starved of air and will keep it from blowing out smoke.

To be able to adjust your damper, you have to ensure that the fireplace is heated and the stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has an adequate draft. After this, the wood stove damper may be adjusted.

Once the fire has burned slightly, you need to reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its full position. This will stop warm air in the room from venting through the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape from the wood stove.

This is the best method to keep your fire lit and to prevent it from becoming too hot. If you shut the damper too tightly, it could block the draft from working, however when it's too open, a cold wind could blow through your home.

Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will tell you how much the damper has sunk. If you can feel a small draft pushing on your hand it's probably in the open position.

The damper settings can differ between stoves and even among different types of wood. You can play around with different settings to get a sense of the best setting for your stove.

Clean Up

After the fire, it's important to clean the stove and flue. This will help reduce the risk of a chimney fire which is the most common reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky substance that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and is extremely dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape from the fire. This can also be caused by fires that are not lit properly.

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

Also, it's an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is recommended to only burn wood burners near me that has been seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. It is also recommended to avoid burning paper, cardboard plastic, and other waste items. These can release chemicals that can be dangerous for respiratory illnesses and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home.

It is also necessary to wash the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. The majority of newer wood stoves are designed with self-cleaning glass, which means that they don't require a lot of scrubs. If you're unable to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like you can use stove glass cleaners can be used on the window.

Some other helpful suggestions for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent off when you're not using it and slamming windows or doors to increase air flow. This will help keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently, as it won't need to work as hard to circulate air. It is recommended not to stack logs, or leave them on the fire for a long duration. This can lead to splitting and warping. In addition, it is a good idea to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove because the paraffin in them can melt and then flow down into the flue, which could cause damage.