How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a comfortable way to heat a room and also save energy. However, they require an amount of care.

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

How to Start a Wood Fire

The scent and sound of a woodfire can be a welcome addition in any house. However, it is important to know the correct method to make a fire on your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to a fire which does not burn effectively, and can produce smoke or creosote. The tips below will assist you in starting a fire that will heat your home with minimal effort and with the highest safety.

Check the condition of your logs and coals before you start an fire. If they're damp it will dampen your fire and prevent the proper burning. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash out that has fallen into the stove.

Begin by putting a handful of small wood burning stoves dry newspaper pieces in your stove. This will help ignite the tinder. When the tinder and the kindling are beginning to burn, you can add the larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done using an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece.

If you own a wood stove with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically feed a controlled stream of air to your fire as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn continuously without having to open the stove door constantly to tend to it.

Do not use too much tinder, as it can cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and will not be able to use the multi fuel wood burner effectively. After you've built a solid foundation in your stove that is made of tinder, kindling and embers begin the main flame by laying two large base logs on the grill. Then, you can lay small logs that are perpendicular to them and on top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will produce an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't consume larger base logs.

Close the damper after your fire has been established, and keep it closed. The fire could be smothered by opening the damper before it has fully established. This can also affect the effectiveness of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves aren't only beautiful pieces of home decor they can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be used on their own or in conjunction with central heating or furnace system to provide the extra heating required in large homes or homes with many rooms. Many of the latest stoves that are clean burning available use advanced combustion technology that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by supplying air at two distinct stages. The first stage allows for the vaporization of the volatile compounds, while the second step offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves the combustion process and reduces the smell.

The amount of heat that you will get from your stove will depend on the type of wood and the moisture content, as well as the size of the logs. The logs should be stored in a well-ventilated area for a period of time before you attempt to burn them to allow the wood to dry out. If the logs are not dry enough, they will produce lots of steam, which is basically wasted energy.

It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals and not all at all at. Adding too much wood 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 could reduce the efficiency of your stove.

Avoid burning other combustibles in your stove, such as cardboard or paper, because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and are unable to be burned without producing dangerously high temperatures. You should not burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes since they are different in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be used in wood burning stoves.

It is crucial to have a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician can examine your stove to make sure it is safe and functional. They can also make sure that your chimney is functioning properly. They offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they remain in top shape. They can look for leaks in the areas that are accessible to your chimney and repair any issues they spot. They will also ensure that the occupants of the home understand and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

When you're not cooking on your stove, a damper controls how much heat is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to regulate the flame. If the flue opens but the damper is closed, the fire will not ignite properly and smoke will pour into your home. You can adjust your damper to ensure the best flames by playing around with different positions.

It is important to keep your damper open to allow air to be able to enter and exit the flue while a fire is burning. This will let the fire start and stay lit for many hours. The right opening will prevent the fire from being deprived of air and stop it from blowing smoke.

To properly adjust your damper first, make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has a good draft. After this the damper on the wood stove may be adjusted.

After the fire has been burning for an extended period, close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will stop the warm room air from escaping into the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape from the wood stove.

This is the best way to prevent the fire from becoming too hot while keeping it lit. The draft might be stopped if you shut the damper to far however a cold breeze could be able to enter your home when the damper is left open.

Holding your hand at the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has opened. If you can feel a slight breeze pressing against your hand, it's probably in the open position.

The damper settings may differ from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. Playing around with different settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you might need to adjust it until you find the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean Up

It is important to clean your flue and stove after the start of a fire. This can to reduce the chance of a chimney fire, which is the primary reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance that builds up on the inside of the stovepipe and can be very dangerous. Unburned and moist particles of wood that are unable to escape the flame are the reason for this substance. It can be caused by improperly lit fires.

Regular cleaning helps to stop the buildup of creosote. The best way to do this is by sweeping the chimney each year. It is also recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and checked at least year.

It is also an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and the grates regularly. It is recommended to only burn wood that has been seasoned because it produces less creosote. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and Wood Burning Fire plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals for the air and flue that could end up in your home.

It is also necessary to clean the glass of the wood-burning stove regularly. Many 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 able get the glass as clean as you want on your wood stove.

Other tips for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent down when you're not using it and cracking windows or doors to allow more air flow. This keeps the fire burning more hot and efficiently. The wood burning fire stove won't have to be as active to circulate air. It is also a good idea to not stack logs or leave them in the flame for long periods of time as this could cause warping and splitting. In addition, it is best to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove as the paraffin they contain can melt and then flow into the flue which could damage it.