How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a great option to conserve energy and also heat a room. They require some care.
Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or under it to ensure your stove isn't releasing harmful pollutants.
How to Start a Wood Fire
The smell and sound of a woodfire is an excellent addition to any home. It is essential to know how to build a fire in your stove. Improper techniques can result in the fire not to burn well, and may produce creosote or smoke. The following tips can help you start an efficient fire that can heat your home quickly and effectively.
Before you begin a fire, check the condition of your coals and logs. If they are wet, it will smother your fire and prevent the proper burning. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove.
Begin by placing several small, dry newspaper pieces in your stove. This will help ignite the tinder and ignite the kindling. Once these begin to burn, add another layer of larger pieces of tinder to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern so there will be air between each piece of wood.
If you own a wood stove that has an automatic combustion control, it will automatically feed a controlled stream of air to the fire as it builds. This will enable the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to constantly open the stove's door to tend it.
It's important to avoid using excessive tinder as this could result in an unburned fire that burns at a high rate and doesn't use the fuel as efficiently as it can. If you have a nice pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, begin the main fire by laying two large logs of the base across the grate. Then, you can lay an additional layer of smaller logs perpendicular to these and on the top of the base logs. This method of constructing a fire known as a "top-down" fire will result in a powerful and long-lasting fire that doesn't completely consume the larger base logs.
Once the fire is established Close the damper and keep 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 decrease the efficiency of the fire.
Add Wood
Stoves aren't just beautiful home decor pieces - they can help you save money by supplying efficient wood heat. They can be utilized in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heating in large houses. Many of the new clean burning stoves that are available on the market use an advanced combustion principle which separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is achieved by providing air at two distinct stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization, while the second step is to supply fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases the odors.
The amount of heat that you can get from a stove will depend on the species and the moisture content of the wood you use, and also the size of logs. The logs should be stacked in a well-ventilated space for several months prior to when you try to burn them to allow the wood to dry out. If the logs have excessive moisture, they'll produce steam which is essentially wasted power.
You should add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at one time. In addition, adding too much wood at once can cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, causing a vortex which draws smoke and volatile compounds that are not burned back into flames. This can reduce the effectiveness of your stove.
Avoid using other combustibles in your stove, like paper or cardboard, as they are not wood. They have different physical properties and are unable to be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures. It is not recommended to burn combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes because they are different in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not approved to be burned in wood-burning stoves.
If you're planning to install wood-burning stoves in your home, it is essential to have it installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician can test your stove to ensure it is safe and reliable. They will also check that your chimney works correctly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in tip-top shape. They can check for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney, and fix any issues they discover. They will also ensure that the residents of the house understand and comply with the evacuation procedures for fire in case in the event of an emergency.
Adjusting the Damper
When you're not cooking on your stove, a damper controls the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. In addition, it can also help you control the fire. If the flue opens but the damper is closed the fire won't be able to burn as it should and smoke will billow into your home. To ensure that you get the most efficient fire, with your damper set correctly, you have to play around with different positions 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 when a fire is burning. This will allow the fire to begin and stay lit for several hours. The right opening can stop the fire from becoming depleted of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.
In order to properly adjust your damper, you need to first make sure the fireplace is heated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm, and that it has a strong draft. Once this is accomplished the damper on the wood stove may be adjusted.
After the fire has smolder a bit you should reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its full position. This will stop warm air in the room from escaping into the chimney, but still allowing smoke to escape.
This is the best method to keep your fire burning and to prevent it from becoming too hot. If you close the damper too far it may stop the draft from working, but if it is too open, a cold wind could blow through your home.
You can test 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 rubbing against your hand the damper is probably in the open position.
The damper settings can differ slightly from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. Experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you may need to adjust it until you have found the ideal setting for your stove.
Clean Up
After an incident, it is essential to clean the stove and flue. This can reduce the chance of an explosion in the chimney which is the most common cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky substance that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and is extremely dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that cannot escape the fire. This can also be caused when fires aren't lit properly.
Regular cleaning can help stop the buildup of creosote. This can be done by sweeping your chimney once every year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally inspected and cleaned at least once a year.
It is also recommended to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is a good idea to use only wood that is seasoned for burning, as this will result in less creosote as well as ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals to the flue and air, which can be released into your home.
wood burning stoves is also essential to wash the glass of the wood-burning stove regularly. The majority of newer wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means they do not require any cleaning. You can use stove glass cleaners on the window if you're able get the glass as clean as you would like on your wood stove.
Other ways to maintain your wood stove include lowering the vent when you aren't using it, and slamming doors or windows to improve airflow. This will keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, as it won't have 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 long durations of time, since this could lead to warping and splitting. It is recommended to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove as the paraffin contained within them can melt and flow into the flue which could cause damage.