How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are an ideal way to save energy and warm rooms. They will require some maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker on the underside or next to the grate to ensure your stove won't produce lots of harmful pollutants.
How to Start a Wood Fire
The smell and the sound of a woodfire is an excellent addition to any house. It's important to know how to build a fire on your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to the fire not to burn well, and may produce creosote or smoke. These tips will assist you in starting an fire that can heat your home with minimum effort and with the highest safety.
Before you start a fire, check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're too damp, they will smother the fire and prevent it from burning efficiently. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash out that has fallen into the stove.
Begin by putting some small newspaper pieces that are dry and clean into your stove. This will help spark the tinder and ignite your kindling. Once the tinder and kindling are beginning to ignite, you can add an additional layer of larger pieces on the top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, so that there will be air between each piece of wood.
If you have a wood stove with an automatic combustion control that will automatically deliver an air stream controlled to your fire as it grows. This will help the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to open the stove's doors to keep it in check.
Do not use too much tinder as it will cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and not utilize the fuel effectively. When you have a good pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, start the main fire by placing two large base logs across the grill. Next, place small logs perpendicular to these and on the top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of building the fireplace will create a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't engulf larger logs from the base.
Close the damper after your fire is established and keep it closed. If you open the damper too early, it could cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for the correct airflow, which will decrease the efficiency of the fire.
Add Wood
Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and save you money. They can be utilized in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide supplemental heating in large houses. The latest stoves that burn clean employ a superior combustion process that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization and the second stage is to provide fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves the combustion process and reduces the odors.
The amount of heat that you can get from a stove depends on the species and moisture content of the wood, and also the size of logs. The logs must be stored in a well-ventilated area for a period of time before you attempt to burn them to give the wood time to dry out. If the logs are soaked with too much moisture, they will produce steam, which is basically wasted power.
You should add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at one time. Too much wood added at one time causes the temperature in the firebox to increase and creates a vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame, which can decrease the efficiency of your stove.
Avoid using other combustibles inside your stove such as cardboard or paper, because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and are unable to be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they have a completely different chemical and physical composition to real firewood and aren't type-approved for burning in wood burning stoves.
It is important to have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician can examine your stove to make sure that it is safe and efficient. They will also ensure that your chimney works correctly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in top condition. They will inspect the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leaks, and fix any issues that are discovered. They will also ensure that all residents of the home understand and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in case of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper controls how much heat is lost to the chimney when you're not using your stove. In addition, it can also help manage the fire. If the flue is opened but the damper is too closed, the fire won't be able to burn properly and it will billow out smoke into your living space. To ensure that you get the best fire with your damper adjusted properly you should experiment with different locations and observe how each affects the flames.
You want to keep your damper open to let air enter and exit the flue when a fire is burning. This allows the fire to start a fire and also helps keep it burning so that you can enjoy it for hours. The right opening will also stop the fire from becoming starved of air and will keep it from blowing out smoke.
To adjust your damper properly it is important to first make sure that the fireplace has been heated and that the wood stove is hot. woodburner stove will ensure that the chimney is warm and that it has a good draft. After that, the damper for wood stoves can be adjusted.
After the fire has smolder slightly, you need to close the damper to about three-quarters of its full position. This will prevent the warm air in the room from venting up the chimney while still allowing smoke to escape from the wood stove.
This is the most effective way to keep your fire lit and keep it from getting too hot. If wood burner fireplace shut the damper too tightly, it could block the draft from working, but should it be too wide, a cold breeze could enter your home.
You can check to see how much the damper is open by placing your hand on the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a breeze pushing against your palm The damper is most likely to be open.
The damper settings can differ a little from one stove to the next and even between different kinds of wood. Experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you will need to adjust it until you have found the perfect setting for your stove.
Clean up
It is important to clean your flue and stove after a fire. This will help to reduce the chance of a chimney fire, which is the main reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance that can build up inside the stovepipe, is very dangerous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape the fire. It could also be caused by improperly lit fires.
A regular cleaning routine helps to prevent the buildup of creosote. The best method to do this is by sweeping the chimney each year. It is recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year as well.
It is also a good idea to clean the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is recommended to only use seasoned wood for burning, as this will result in less creosote and ash. It is also a good idea to avoid burning paper, cardboard plastic, and other waste items. These can release chemicals that can be dangerous for respiratory illnesses and the air, which could be released into your home.
It is also necessary to wash the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, so they don't require as much cleaning. You can make use of stove glass cleaners on the window if you're capable of getting the glass as clean as you would like on your wood stove.
Some other helpful tips to maintain your wood stove include turning the vent off when you are not using it and cracking a window or door to allow more air flow. This will help keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently since it won't need to exert as much effort to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or keep them in the flame for long durations of time, since this could cause warping and splitting. It is best to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your wood stove as the paraffin that is contained in them can melt and flow into the flue, which could cause damage.