How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

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

Many modern indoor wood burner stove stoves meet EPA emissions guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate to ensure your stove won't produce lots of harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a woodfire is an excellent addition to any home. It's important to know how to build a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques may lead to a fire which does not burn efficiently, and produces smoke or creosote. The tips below will help you start a fire that will heat your home with the least effort and ensure your security.

Before you start a fire, check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're too damp they could smother the flame and stop it from burning efficiently. It is also possible to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by putting a handful of small wood burning stove dry newspaper pieces in the stove. This will help to ignite the fire. When they begin to burn, add a layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done with a crosshatch design so that there is air between each piece.

If your wood stove comes with an automatic combustion control it will automatically feed air to the flame as it grows. This will help the fire to burn at a steady pace without the need to open the stove door to keep it in check.

It is essential to avoid using too much tinder, as it can cause a fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't utilize the fuel as efficiently as possible. Once you've made a solid bed in your stove of tinder, kindling and embers to start the main flame, you can do this by laying two large logs of the base on the grill. Then, add an additional layer of smaller logs that are perpendicular to them and on the top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of building the fireplace will create an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't engulf larger base logs.

When your fire is established shut off the damper and keep it closed. The fire can be smothered by opening the damper before it has fully established. It will also reduce the efficiency of the fire.

Add Wood

Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and save you money. They can be used by themselves or together with a furnace or central heating system to provide the additional heat required in large houses or houses with a lot of rooms. Many of the latest clean burning stoves that are available use advanced combustion technology that separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar. This is accomplished by providing air at two distinct stages. The first stage is for the vaporization and the second is to supply pre-heated fresh air. This improves combustion and reduces smells.

The amount of heat that you can get from a stove is contingent upon the type and amount of moisture of the wood and also the dimensions of the logs. The logs should be stored in a well-ventilated space for a period of time before you attempt to burn them, to allow the wood to dry out. If the logs are too wet they will create plenty of steam that is basically wasted energy.

When you are burning the fire, it is recommended to add more wood to the pile at intervals, and not all at once. In addition, adding too much wood at once can cause the temperature of the firebox to increase and creates a vortex, which draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame, which could reduce your stove's efficiency.

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

If you're planning to install a wood burning stove in your home, it's crucial to have it installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician will test your installation to ensure it is safe and functional. They will also ensure that your chimney works correctly. These experts can also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in tip-top shape. They will look for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney, and fix any issues they spot. They will also ensure that all occupants of the home understand and follow the evacuation procedure in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

If you're not cooking on your stove, a damper controls the amount of heat lost through the chimney. It can also be used to control the flame. If the flue is opened but the damper is closed too much the fire will not burn as efficiently and will release smoke into your living area. To ensure that you get the most effective fire using your damper set correctly, you should test different settings and observe how each one affects the flames.

Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air enter and out of the flue while the fire is burning. This lets the fire get a good fire going and helps it stay burning so that you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The right opening will prevent the fire from becoming depleted of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.

To adjust your damper correctly, you must first ensure that the fireplace is heated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm, and also that it has an adequate draft. Once these are done the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

After the fire has smolder slightly, you need to reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its original position. This will prevent the warm air in the room from venting up the chimney while still allowing the smoke to escape from the wood stove.

This is the most effective way to ensure that your fire is lit and prevent it from getting too hot. The draft might be stopped if you close the damper to far, but a cold wind could enter your home if the damper is left open.

You can check to see how much the damper is opened by placing your hands near the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a slight breeze pushing against your hand, the damper is likely to be open.

The damper settings can differ 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 to look for, but you might have to keep adjusting until you get the perfect setting for your stove.

Clean up

After the fire, it's essential to clean the flue and stove. This can reduce the risk of a chimney fire which is the primary reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance that can build up inside the stovepipe, is very dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape the fire. This can also occur when fires aren't lit properly.

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

It is also an excellent idea to clean the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is recommended to use only wood that is seasoned for burning, as it will create less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These can release chemicals that are dangerous for the respiratory tract and the air, and could be released into your home.

It is also essential to clean 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 scrubbing. You can make use of stove glass cleaners on the window if you're capable of getting the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove.

Some other helpful suggestions for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent down when you're not using it and slamming a window or door to allow more air flow. This will keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, as it will not need to exert as much effort to circulate the air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or keep them in the fire for long durations of time, since this could cause warping and splitting. It is recommended to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove as the paraffin contained within the logs can melt and leak into the flue and cause damage.