How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a comfortable way to heat a room and also save energy. However, they need an amount of care.
Many modern wood stoves meet EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker under or beside 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 welcome addition to any home. It's crucial to learn the correct method to create a fire on your stove. Improper techniques can result in a fire that doesn't burn effectively and produces smoke or creosote. These tips will help you begin an efficient fire that can heat your home quickly and effectively.
Before you begin a fire, you should check the condition of your logs and coals. If they are too wet they will choke the flame and stop it from burning properly. You may want to open the chimney to remove any ash that has fallen into the stove.
Begin by putting several small newspaper pieces that are dry into your stove. This will help to spark the tinder and ignite your kindling. When the tinder and the kindling have begun 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 your wood stove comes with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically pump air into the fire as it expands. This will enable the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to constantly open the stove's doors to keep it in check.
It is important to not use too much tinder, as this can lead to a fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't utilize the fuel as efficiently as possible. After you've built a solid base in your stove with sparks, tinder and kindling, start the main flame by placing two large base logs on the grate. On top of these base logs, place a layer perpendicularly to them. This "top-down" method of creating a fireplace will produce an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't completely engulf larger base logs.
Close the damper once the fire is established and kept it closed. If you open the damper too early, it could cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for the proper air flow, which will lower the effectiveness of the fire.
Adding Wood
Stoves aren't only beautiful pieces of home decor they can also help you save money by supplying efficient wood heat. They can be utilized together with a central heating system or furnace to provide supplemental heating in large houses. Many of the new clean-burning stoves on the market use a superior combustion principle that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar by providing air in two different stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization process, and the second stage is to provide fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases odors.
The amount of heat you get from a stove depends on the species and moisture content of the wood as well as the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, the logs should be stored in a well ventilated area for a few months prior to burning. If the logs contain excessive moisture, they will create steam which is essentially wasted energy.
You should add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at all at. Adding too much wood at once can cause the temperature of the firebox to rise, and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame, which can decrease your stove's efficiency.
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 causing dangerously high temperatures. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles, such as wood briquettes because they have a distinct chemical and physical properties from actual firewood and are not type-approved for burning in wood burning stoves .
If you're installing wood-burning stoves in your home, it's important to have it properly installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician can test your installation to ensure that it is safe and efficient. They can also make sure that your chimney is functioning properly. They provide maintenance services for your stove and chimney to keep them in top shape. They can inspect the areas accessible to your chimney to determine if there is leakage and fix any issues discovered. They will also make sure that all residents of the house understand and follow the evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
When you're not cooking on your stove, a damper can control how much heat is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to manage the fire. If the flue opens, but the damper is too closed the fire will not ignite properly and smoke will pour into your home. You can adjust the damper to ensure the best flames by playing around with different positions.
It is important to keep your damper open to allow air to flow into and out of the flue when a fire is burning. This will let the fire start and remain lit for a number of hours. The proper opening will stop the fire from being deprived of air and stop it from blowing smoke.
To adjust your damper correctly first, make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has an adequate draft. After that, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.
After the fire has been burning for an extended period, close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will prevent warm air in the room from venturing into the chimney, but still permitting smoke to escape.
This is the most effective way to prevent the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. The draft may be stopped if one closes the damper too far but a cold wind could be able to enter your home when the damper is left open.
You can determine how much the damper is opened by placing your hand on the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you can feel a slight draft pushing against your hand, it is probably in the open position.
The damper settings can differ from one stove to another and even among different types of wood. The process of experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you may need to adjust until you get the ideal setting for your stove.
Clean Up
It is crucial to clean your stove and flue after a fire. This reduces the chance of an explosion in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky material that forms on the inside of the stovepipe and is extremely dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape the fire. It can also happen when fires are not properly lit.
A regular cleaning routine can help prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by sweeping your chimney once a year. It is recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year, too.
Also, it is a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is best to burn only seasoned wood, as it will produce less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These can release chemicals that are dangerous for respiratory illnesses and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home.
It is also important to clean the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. The majority of newer wood stoves are made with self-cleaning glass, which means that they do not require any scrubs. You can make use of stove glass cleaners on the window if you're not getting the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove.
Other ways to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you're not using it and slamming doors or windows to improve airflow. This keeps the fire burning hotter, and more efficient. The wood stove will not need to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is advisable not to stack logs, or leave them on the fire for a long time. This can lead to splits and warping. It is best to avoid using compressed combustible wood in your wood stove as the paraffin in the logs can melt and leak into the flue, which could cause damage.