How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a warm way to heat a space and conserve energy. They will require some maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or beneath it to make sure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The smell and sound of a wood fire could be a welcome feature in any house. It's essential to know how to build a fire on your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to a fire which does not burn well, and may produce smoke or creosote. The tips below will aid you in starting a fire that will heat your home with minimum effort and with the highest security.
Before you start a fire, you should check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're wet they will choke your fire and prevent the proper burning. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash that has fallen into the stove.
Begin by placing some small newspaper pieces that are dry and clean in the stove. This will help to ignite the sparks. After the tinder and kindling are beginning to ignite, you can add the larger kindling pieces on top. This should be done in a crosshatch fashion so that there is air between each piece of wood.
If your wood stove has an automatic combustion control, it will automatically pump air into the fire as it expands. This will help the fire to burn at a consistent pace without having to constantly open the stove's door to tend it.
Be careful not to use too much tinder, as this will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and will not be able to use the fuel efficiently. Once you've got a good foundation in your stove that is made of sparks, tinder and kindling to start the main flame, you can do this by placing two large logs of the base on the grate. On top of these base logs lay a layer parallel to them. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will produce a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't completely engulf larger base logs.
Close the damper after your fire is established and kept it closed. If you open the damper too early, it could cause the fire to be smothered, and it will not allow for the proper air flow, which can reduce its efficiency.
Adding Wood
Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and save you money. They can be used alone or in conjunction with central heating or furnace system to provide the extra heating required in large homes or homes with multiple rooms. A lot of the clean-burning stoves on the market utilize a superior combustion method that separates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar by providing air in two distinct stages. The first stage is for the vaporization, while the second step is to provide fresh air that has been pre-heated. This enhances the combustion process and reduces the smell.
The amount of heat you will get from a stove depends on the type and amount of moisture of the wood as well as the size of logs. To let the wood dry, logs should be stored in a ventilated area for a few months before burning. If the logs are soaked with excessive moisture, they will produce steam, which is basically wasted energy.
It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at all at. The addition of too much wood at once could cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing the formation of a vortex that pulls smoke and volatile compounds that are not burned back into the flames. This could reduce the efficiency of your stove.
Avoid using other combustibles in your stove such as cardboard or paper, because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without producing dangerously high temperatures. You should not burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes because they differ in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not 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 will examine your stove to make sure it is safe and reliable. They can also make sure that your chimney works correctly. They offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to ensure they are in good condition. They can look for leaks in the areas that are accessible to your chimney and repair any problems they find. They will also ensure that the occupants of the home understand and follow the evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper controls how much heat is lost up the chimney when you're not using your stove. Additionally, it can help you to control the flame. If the flue is opened but the damper is too closed, the fire will not burn as efficiently and it will release smoke into your living area. To ensure you have the most effective fire using your damper adjusted properly you have to play around with different settings and observe how each affects the flames.
It is important to keep your damper open to let air flow into and out of 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 keep it from blowing smoke.
To adjust your damper correctly, you must first ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is hot. fireplaces wood burning stoves will ensure that the chimney is warm and it also has a strong draft. After that, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.
After the fire has burned for an extended period, close the damper about three quarters of the way. This will stop warm air in the room from getting into the chimney, while still permitting smoke to escape.
This is the best method to prevent the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. If you close the damper too tightly, it could stop the draft from working, but if it is too wide, a cold breeze could blow into your home.
You can test how much the damper is open by placing your hands near the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a small draft pushing on your hand it is probably in the open position.
The damper settings can differ slightly from one stove to the next, and even between different types of wood. You can experiment with various settings to get a sense of the best setting for your stove.
Clean Up
It is crucial to clean your chimney and stove after a fire. This will help to reduce the chance of a chimney fire, which is the primary cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky substance which can build up inside the stovepipe, is very dangerous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that cannot escape the fire. This can also occur when fires are not lit properly.
Regular cleaning helps to stop the buildup of creosote. This can be done by sweeping your chimney at least once every year. It is recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year as well.
It is also a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and the grates regularly. It is best to burn only seasoned wood because it produces less creosote. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These materials can release harmful chemicals for the air and flue which can be released into your home.
It is also essential to wash the glass of the wood stove on a regular basis. A lot of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means they don't require a lot of cleaning. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the glass if you aren't getting the glass as clean as you want on your wood stove.
Other tips to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you aren't using it, and cracking windows or doors to allow more airflow. This will ensure that the fire is burning hotter, and more efficiently. The wood stove will not need to perform as hard to circulate air. It is recommended not to stack logs or let them sit on the fire for an extended time. This could cause warping and splits. It is advised to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your wood stove since the paraffin in the logs can melt and leak into the flue, which could cause damage.