How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be a great way to save energy and warm rooms. They will require some maintenance.

A majority of modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or beneath it to ensure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The smell and the sound of a woodfire is an excellent addition to any house. But it's important to learn the proper way to build a fire in your stove. Improper techniques can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn efficiently, and produces creosote or smoke. The following tips can help you create a fire that is safe and will warm your home quickly and effectively.

Check the condition of your logs and coals before you start an fire. If they are wet it will dampen your fire and hinder proper burning. You might want to open the chimney to get rid of any ash that has fallen into the stove.

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

If your wood stove has an automatic combustion control it will automatically feed air to the flame as it grows. This allows the fire to burn continuously without you having to open the stove door often to keep it in check.

It's important to avoid using too much tinder, since it can cause an unburned fire that burns at an extremely high rate and fails to utilize the fuel as efficiently as it could. When you have a good pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, you can start the main fire by placing two large base logs on the grill. On the top of these base logs lay a layer parallel to them. This method of constructing a fire known as a "top-down" fire will result in an effective and long-lasting fire that does not overtake the larger base logs.

Close the damper after your fire has been established and keep it closed. The fire could be smothered if you open the damper before it is fully established. It can also decrease the efficiency of the fire.

Add Wood

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

The amount of heat you will get from a stove is contingent upon the species and the moisture content of the wood stove Parts you use and also the dimensions of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, logs must be stored in a ventilated area for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs are soaked with too much moisture, they will create steam that is in essence wasted energy.

It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals and not all at one time. In addition, adding too much outdoor wood burner at once causes the temperature inside the firebox to rise and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame, which can reduce your stove's efficiency.

Avoid the use of any other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, because they are not wood and have very different physical properties that cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures and a lot of emissions. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they have a completely different chemical and physical properties from real firewood and aren't suitable for burning in wood-burning stoves.

It is crucial that you have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will examine your stove to make sure it is safe and reliable. They will also ensure whether your chimney is working properly. These experts can also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in good condition. They can check for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney and fix any issues they discover. They will also ensure that the residents of the house understand and comply with the fire evacuation guidelines 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 that is lost through the chimney. Additionally, it can help you control the fire. If the flue opens, but the damper is closed the fire will not burn properly and smoke will erupt into your home. You can adjust your damper to get the best flames by experimenting with different settings.

Typically, you should keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue when the fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and also helps keep it lit so you can enjoy it for hours. The right opening can stop the fire from being deprived of air and stop it from blowing smoke.

To be able to adjust your damper, you need to first make sure the fireplace is heated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has a good draft. After that, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

After the fire has burned for a while, you should close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will stop the warm air from the room from going up the chimney while still allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

This is the best method to keep your fire lit and prevent it from getting too hot. If you shut the damper too far it may stop the draft from working, however when it's too wide, a cold breeze could blow through your home.

You can check to see how much the damper is opened by holding your hand near the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you feel a slight draft pressing against your hand, it's probably in the open position.

The damper setting can vary a little from one stove to another and even between different types of wood. Experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you will need to adjust until you get the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean up

After an incident, it is essential to clean the flue and stove. This will help to reduce the chance of a chimney fire which is the most common reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky material that builds up on the inside of the stovepipe and can be very dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape the fire. This can also be caused when fires are not properly lit.

A regular cleaning routine helps to prevent the buildup of creosote. The most effective method for doing this is by sweeping the chimney at least once a year. It is recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year, too.

It is also an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grate regularly. It is recommended to burn only seasoned wood since it will create less creosote. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. They can release chemicals that can be dangerous for respiratory illnesses and the air, and could be released into your home.

It is also important to clean the glass of the wood burning stove on a regular basis. Many newer wood stoves are made with self-cleaning glass, which means they do not require any scrubbing. If you're not able to clean the glass of your wood stove as clean as you'd like, there are stove glass cleaners that you can use on the window.

Other tips to maintain your wood stove are to turn the vent down when you're not using it, Wood stove parts and opening a window or door to allow more air flow. This will keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, as it won't have to work as hard to circulate the air. It is a good idea not to stack logs or leave them on the fire for a long time. This could cause splits and warping. It is advised to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove since the paraffin that is contained in them can melt and flow into the flue, which could cause damage.