How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a cozy way to heat a room and conserve energy. They will require some maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves meet EPA emissions guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or beneath it to ensure that your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The smell and the sound of a woodfire is an enjoyable addition to any home. It is essential to know how to build a fire in your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn effectively and can cause smoke or creosote. The tips below will help you begin a safe fire that can heat your home quickly and efficiently.
Examine the condition of your coals and logs before you begin a fire. If they're wet they will choke your fire and prevent the proper burning. You may want to open the chimney to get rid of any ash that has fallen into the stove.
Start by placing a few small newspaper pieces that are dry and clean in the stove. This will help ignite the tinder and kindling. Once the tinder and kindling have started to ignite, you can add the larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done with an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece.
If you own wood stoves that have an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply an air stream controlled to the fire as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn continuously without the need to open the stove's door constantly to tend to it.
It is important to not use too much tinder, as this can lead to an unburned fire that burns at an extremely high rate and fails to make use of the fuel as efficiently as it could. Once you've made a solid base in your stove with sparks, tinder and kindling begin the main flame by laying two large base logs on the grate. Then, on top of these base logs lay a layer parallel to them. This "top-down" method of creating the fireplace will create an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't consume larger base logs.
Close the damper after your fire has been established, and keep it shut. The fire could be smothered by opening the damper prior to it being fully established. This can also affect the effectiveness of the fire.
Add Wood
Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and save you money. They can be used in conjunction with a central heating system or furnace to provide supplemental heat in large houses. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available on the market use advanced combustion technology that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is done by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage allows for the vaporization of the volatile compounds, while the second step offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases smells.
The amount of heat that you can get from your stove depends on the kind of wood used as well as the amount of moisture in it, as well as the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, logs must be kept in a ventilated location for a few months prior to burning. If the logs are too wet, they will produce plenty of steam that is basically wasted energy.
You should add wood to the pile at intervals and not all at once. Adding too much wood at once causes the temperature in the firebox to rise and creates a vortex that draws smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame which could reduce your stove's efficiency.
It is recommended to stay clear of other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, because they are not wood and possess different physical properties that can't be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. It is not recommended to burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes since they differ in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved 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 the stove for proper operation and safety as well as make sure that your chimney is functioning correctly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they remain in top condition. They can look for leaks in the areas accessible to your chimney and repair any issues they spot. They will also make sure that all residents of the house are aware of and follow the evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper controls how much heat escapes up the chimney when you're not using your stove. Additionally, it can also help manage the fire. If the flue is opened but the damper is closed too much the fire won't burn properly and it will release smoke into your living area. To ensure that you get the most efficient fire, with your damper adjusted properly you should play around with different locations and observe how each affects the flames.
You should keep your damper open to let air flow into and out of the flue when a fire is burning. This allows the fire to get a good fire going and keeps it burning so that you can enjoy it for hours. The right opening will also prevent the fire from starving of air, and also prevent it from blowing out smoke.
To adjust your damper correctly it is important to first make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm, and also that it has a good draft. After this the damper for the wood stove may be adjusted.
Once the fire has smolder slightly, you need to reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its full position. This will stop warm air in the room from venting into the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove.
This is the best method to ensure that your fire is lit and keep it from getting too hot. The draft might be stopped if you shut the damper to far however a cold breeze could be able to enter your home if the damper is left open.
Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has opened. If you feel a small draft pushing against your hand, it's likely to be in the open position.
The damper setting can vary a little from one stove to another and even between different types of wood. The process of experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you might have to keep adjusting it until you find the perfect setting for your stove.
Clean up
It is important to clean your stove and flue after an incident. This reduces the chance of an explosion in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance that builds up on the inside of the stovepipe and can be 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 aren't lit properly.
A regular cleaning routine can help prevent the buildup of creosote. The best way to do this is by sweeping the chimney at least once a year. It is also recommended to get your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a yearly.
Also, it's recommended to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is recommended to only burn wood that has been seasoned because it produces less creosote. Avoid burning woodburning stove , cardboard and plastic. These can release chemicals that can be dangerous for the respiratory tract and the air, and could be released into your home.
It is also necessary to clean the glass of the wood burning stove on a regular basis. The majority of newer wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means they do not require much cleaning. If you're unable to clean the glass of your wood stove as clean as you would like, there are stove glass cleaners you can use on the window.
Other ways to keep your wood stove in good condition include turning down the vent when you're not using it, and cracking windows or doors to allow more airflow. This will ensure that the fire is burning longer and more efficiently. The wood stove will not have to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is recommended not to stack logs or place them on the fire for a long duration. This can cause splits and warping. It is recommended to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your wood stove as the paraffin that is contained in the wood can melt and then flow into the flue, which could cause damage.