How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a warm way to heat a space and save energy. They require some care.

Many modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission 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 sound and smell of a fire made from wood can be a pleasant feature in any home. It's crucial to learn the proper way to make a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques may lead to the fire not to burn efficiently, and produces smoke or creosote. The tips below can help you create a fire that is safe and will warm your home quickly and efficiently.

Before you start a fire, you should check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're damp, it will smother your fire and hinder proper burning. It is possible to open the chimney to get rid of any ash that has fallen into the stove.

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

If you own a wood stove with an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply an air stream that is controlled to your fire as it grows. This allows the fire to burn continuously without the need to open the stove door frequently to check on it.

It's important to avoid using too much tinder, as this can lead to a fire that burns at a high rate and doesn't use the multi fuel wood burning stoves as efficiently as it could. 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 grate. On the top of these base woods put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will produce a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't completely engulf larger logs from the base.

Once your fire is well established shut off the damper and keep it shut. Doing this too soon can cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for the proper airflow, which will lower the effectiveness of the fire.

Add Wood

outdoor stoves for sale aren't just beautiful home decor pieces They can also help you save money by supplying efficient wood heat. They can be used on their own or together with central heating or a furnace system to provide the supplemental heat needed in large homes or homes with many rooms. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available today utilize advanced combustion principles that separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar. This is achieved by supplying air at two different stages. The first stage is for the vaporization process, and the second stage is to provide fresh air that is pre-heated. This enhances the combustion process and helps to reduce the smell.

The amount of heat that you can get from a stove is contingent upon the species and moisture content of the wood you use, and also the size of the logs. The logs should be stacked in a well-ventilated area for a period of time before you try to burn them to give the wood time to dry. If the logs are too wet they will release a lot of steam that is in essence wasted energy.

While you're burning the fire, it is recommended to add more wood to the stack at intervals, not all at all at. Adding too much wood at once can cause the temperature of the firebox to rise, and creates a vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame, which can reduce your stove's efficiency.

You should avoid the use 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 safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and a lot of emissions. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles, such as wood briquettes as they have a very different chemical and physical properties from real firewood and aren't suitable for burning in wood burner stoves burning stoves.

It is essential that a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure safe operation and safety, as well as make sure that your chimney is functioning correctly. They provide maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they are in good shape. They will look for leaks in the areas that are accessible to your chimney and repair any problems they find. They will also ensure that all residents of the house understand and follow the evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper regulates how much heat is lost up the chimney when you aren't cooking on your stove. In addition, it can also help to control the flame. If the flue opens, but the damper is closed the fire won't burn properly and smoke will pour into your home. You can adjust the damper to ensure the best flames by playing around with different locations.

It is important to keep your damper open to let air be able to enter and exit the flue when a fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and also helps keep it in good shape so that you can enjoy it for a long time. The proper opening will keep the fire from being starved of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.

In order to properly adjust your damper you need to ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and that it has an adequate draft. Once this is accomplished the damper on the contemporary wood burning stoves stove may be adjusted.

Once the fire has smolder a bit you should reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its original position. This will stop the warm air from the room from venturing into the chimney, while still allowing smoke to escape.

This is the best way to keep your fire lit and prevent it from getting too hot. The draft might be stopped if one closes the damper to far but a cold wind could be able to enter your home when the damper is left open.

Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will tell you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a breeze pushing against your palm the damper is probably to be open.

The damper settings can differ a little from one stove to the next, and even between different types of wood. You can experiment with different settings to get an idea of the best setting for your stove.

Clean Up

After the fire, it's essential to clean the stove and flue. This can lower the risk of a chimney fire which is the most common reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky substance that can accumulate within the stovepipe, can be very dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape from the fire. It can also be caused by improperly lit fires.

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 inspected at least once a year.

Also, it's a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and the grates regularly. It is a good idea to use only seasoned wood for burning, as this will produce less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These materials can release harmful chemicals to the air and flue, which could be released in your home.

The glass on the wood burning stove has to be cleaned regularly too. The majority of newer wood stoves are designed with self-cleaning glass, which means that they do not require any scrubs. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the window if you're not getting the glass as clean as you would like on your wood stove.

Other tips for maintaining your wood stove are to turn the vent off when you are not using it, and opening a window or door to increase the flow of air. This will keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently, as it won't have to be as active to circulate air. It is advisable not to stack logs or let them sit on the fire for an extended duration. This could cause splits and warping. It is advised to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove as the paraffin contained within the wood can melt and then flow into the flue which could cause damage.