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 meet EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or underneath it to make sure your stove doesn't release 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 is essential to know how to build a fire in your stove. Improper techniques can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn efficiently, and produces creosote or smoke. The tips below can help you start an efficient fire that will heat up your home quickly and efficiently.

Before you start a fire, check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're too damp they could smother the fire and prevent it from burning efficiently. You may want to open the chimney to get rid of any ash that falls 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 burn, you can put a layer of larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done in a crosshatch fashion so that there will be air between each piece of wood.

If your wood stove has an automatic combustion control, it will automatically supply air to the fire as it expands. This will allow the fire to burn for a long time without having to open the stove door constantly to tend to it.

It's important to avoid using too much tinder, as this could result in a fire that burns at an extremely high rate and fails to make use of the fuel as efficiently as it can. Once you've made a solid foundation in your stove that is made of igniters, tinder, and embers, start the main flame by laying two large logs of the base on the grill. Then, add an additional layer of smaller logs parallel to these and on the top of the base logs. This method of building an ember called a "top-down" fire can result in a successful and long-lasting fire that does not completely consume the larger base logs.

Close the damper once the fire is established and kept it closed. Doing this too soon can cause the fire get smothered and not allow for proper air flow, which can decrease the efficiency of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and save you money. They can be used in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide supplemental heat in large homes. Many of the new stoves that are clean burning available today utilize advanced combustion principles that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar. This is achieved by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage permits the combustion of volatile compounds, while the second step supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves combustion and reduces odors.

The amount of heat you get from your stove is contingent on both the species of wood used and the amount of moisture in it as well as the size of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, the logs should be stored in a well ventilated location for a few months before burning. If the logs contain excessive moisture, they'll produce steam that is in essence wasted energy.

You should add wood to the pile in intervals and not all at once. In addition, adding too much wood all at once could cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, causing a vortex which draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flames. This could decrease the efficiency of your stove.

Avoid the use of other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, since they are not wood and have very different physical properties that cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. You should not burn combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes since they are different in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not approved by the type to be used in wood-burning stoves.

It is crucial that you have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test your stove to ensure it is safe and reliable. They will also check that your chimney is functioning properly. They provide maintenance services for your chimney and stove to keep them in top shape. They can check for leaks in the areas accessible to your chimney and fix any issues they spot. They will also ensure that the residents of the house are aware of and adhere to the evacuation procedures for fire in case in the event of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

When you're not using your stove, a damper controls the amount of heat lost through the chimney. In addition to this it can help you to control the flame. If the flue is not open but the damper is too closed, the fire won't burn properly and it will release smoke into your living space. To get the best fire with your damper adjusted properly you must experiment with different locations and observe how each one affects the flames.

Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue while the fire is burning. This allows the fire to get going and also helps keep it lit so you can enjoy it for hours. The right opening can stop the fire from becoming depleted of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.

To adjust your damper correctly 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. Once this is accomplished the damper for the wood stove can be adjusted.

Once the fire has smolder for a while, you can close the damper to about three-quarters of its full position. This will prevent warm air from the room from escaping into the chimney, while still permitting smoke to escape.

This is the best way to stop the fire from getting too hot, while also keeping it burning. The draft could be stopped if one closes the damper too far however a cold breeze can enter your home if the damper is left open.

You can determine how much the damper is opened by placing your hands near the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a slight breeze pushing against your hand, it's probably in the open position.

The damper settings can differ slightly from one stove to the next and even between different types of wood. Experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you will need to tweak until you get the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean Up

After an incident, it is crucial to clean the flue and stove. This can lower the risk of a chimney fire, which is the main reason for Ashley Hearth 3200 Sq. Ft. Wood Stove - Buy Now! stove-related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky material which can build up within the stovepipe, can be extremely hazardous. 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 poorly lit fires.

A regular cleaning routine can help keep the buildup of creosote at bay. The most effective method for doing this is to sweep the chimney each year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year as well.

Also, it is a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is a good idea to use only wood that is seasoned to burn, www.Fireplacesandstove.com since this will result in less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These items can release dangerous chemicals for the air and flue, which can be released into your home.

The glass that is used on the wood burning stove needs to be regularly cleaned too. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they don't require as much scrubbing. If you are not able to get the glass on your wood US Stove Rustic Cast Iron Wood Burning Stove as clean as you would like, there are stove glass cleaners available that you can use on the window.

Other tips to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you're not using it, and cracking windows or doors to increase airflow. This will keep the fire burning more hot and more efficiently, as it won't need to work as hard to circulate air. It is recommended not to stack logs or leave them on the fire for an extended time. This could cause splitting and warping. In addition, it is best to avoid using compressed combustible logs in your wood stove as the paraffin they contain can melt and flow down into the flue, which could cause damage.