How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves are an ideal option to conserve energy and heat the room. 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 underneath it to ensure that your stove doesn't emit harmful pollutants. How to start a Wood Fire The smell and sound of a wood fire could be a pleasant addition to any home. However, it is important to know how to properly 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 following tips will help you begin a fire that is safe and will heat up your home quickly and effectively. Before you begin a fire, you should check the condition of your coals and logs. If they are too wet they will choke the flame and stop it from burning efficiently. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash that has fallen into the stove. Begin by putting a handful of small dry newspaper pieces into your stove. This will help ignite the sparks. Once these begin to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done with an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece. If you own a wood stove that has an automatic combustion control, it will automatically feed an air stream controlled to your fire as it grows. This will enable the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to constantly open the stove's door to tend it. It is essential to avoid using excessive tinder as this can lead to the fire burning at a high rate and doesn't utilize the fuel as efficiently as possible. When you have a good fire and a bed of tinder in your stove, start the main fire by placing two large base logs on the grate. Then, add an additional layer of smaller logs that are perpendicular to them and on the top of the base logs. This top-down method of building the fireplace will create an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't engulf larger logs from the base. Once your fire is well established shut off the damper and keep it closed. Opening the damper too soon can cause the fire to smother and will not allow for the correct air flow, which can reduce its efficiency. Add Wood Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and also save you money. They can be used by themselves or in conjunction with central heating or furnace system to provide the supplemental heating required in large homes or homes with multiple rooms. A lot of the stoves that burn cleanly available on the market use advanced combustion principles that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is done by providing air at two different stages. The first stage permits the combustion of volatile compounds and the second offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases the odors. The amount of heat you get from a stove depends on the species and moisture content of the wood you use, and also the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, logs should be stored in a well ventilated space for a few months before burning. If the logs are too wet they will release plenty of steam that is in essence wasted energy. It is best to add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at all at. Too much wood added at once can cause the temperature of the firebox to increase and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame, which could reduce your stove's efficiency. Avoid using other combustibles inside your stove such as paper or cardboard because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and are unable to be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures. You should also not use compressed combustibles like wood briquettes, as they have a distinct chemical and physical properties from actual firewood and are not approved for use in wood burning stoves. If you are installing a wood burning stove in your home, it's crucial to have it installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician will test your stove to ensure it is safe and reliable. They can also make sure that your chimney works correctly. These experts can also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in top condition. They will inspect the areas accessible to your chimney for leaks, and fix any issues discovered. 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 escapes to the chimney when you aren't using your stove. Additionally, it can help you to control the flame. If the flue is not open but the damper is too closed, the fire will not burn as efficiently and will release smoke into your living space. You can adjust the damper to achieve the most effective flames by testing different settings. You want to keep your damper open to allow air to be able to enter and exit the flue while a fire is burning. This lets the fire get a good fire going and also helps keep it in good shape so that you can enjoy it for hours. A proper opening will stop the fire from becoming starved of air and prevent it from blowing smoke. To properly adjust your damper first, make sure that the fireplace is heated and that the wood stove is hot. cheap wood burning stoves will ensure that the chimney is warm and has an adequate draft. Once this is done the damper for the wood stove can be adjusted. Once the fire has smolder slightly, you need to shut the damper down to about three-quarters of its maximum. This will prevent the warm air in the room from venting into the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape from the wood stove. This is the best method to keep the fire from becoming too hot, while also keeping it burning. If you shut the damper too tightly, it could block the draft from working, however if it is too wide, a cold breeze could blow through your home. By placing your hands on the top of the flue pipe will show you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a slight draft pushing on your hand it's likely to be in the open position. The damper settings can vary from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. You can experiment with different settings to get an idea of the ideal setting for your stove. Clean Up After a fire, it is crucial to clean the stove and flue. This reduces the chance of an ensuing fire in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance that can build up inside the stovepipe, is extremely hazardous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape the fire. It can also happen by fires that are not lit properly. Regular cleaning helps keep away the buildup of creosote. The most effective method for doing this is by sweeping the chimney each year. It is also recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and examined at least yearly. Also, it is a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is a good idea to use only seasoned wood for burning, as this will result in less creosote and less ash. It is also an excellent idea to avoid burning paper, cardboard, plastic and other trash items. They can release chemicals that are dangerous for the flue and air, which could be released into your home. The glass that is used on the wood stove has to be cleaned regularly as well. Many newer wood stoves are made with self-cleaning glass, which means that they don't require a lot of scrubs. If you are not able to clean the glass of your wood stove as clean as you would like There are stove glass cleaners can be used on the window. Other tips to keep your wood stove in good condition include turning down the vent when you aren't using it, and slamming doors or windows to allow more airflow. This will help keep the fire burning more hot and more efficiently since it won't need to be as active to circulate the air. It is also a good idea to not stack logs or place them in the fire for prolonged durations of time, since this can lead to warping and splitting. Finally, it is best to avoid using compressed combustible logs in your wood stove, because the paraffin they contain could melt and spill down into the flue, which could damage it.
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