How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves can be an ideal method to reduce energy consumption and heat rooms. 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 underneath it to make sure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.
How to Start a Wood Fire
The smell and the sound of a woodfire is an excellent addition to any home. But it's important to learn the proper way to build a fire in your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn effectively, and can produce creosote or smoke. The tips below will aid you in starting an fire that can heat your home with the least effort and ensure your security.
Make sure to check the condition of your coals and logs before you start the fire. If they're too damp, they will smother the fire and prevent it from burning properly. You might also want to open the flue to let out any ash that has been deposited into the stove.
Begin by putting several small, dry newspaper pieces in your stove. This will help ignite the tinder and kindling. Once the tinder and kindling have begun to burn, you can add an additional layer of larger pieces on the top. This should be done with the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece.
If you own wood stoves that have an automatic combustion control that will automatically deliver a controlled stream of air to your fire as it builds. This will help the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to constantly open the stove's doors to tend it.
It is important to not use too much tinder, as it can cause a fire that burns at an extremely high rate and fails to make use of the fuel as efficiently as possible. If you have a nice bed of tinder and kindling in your stove, start the main fire by laying two large base logs across the grill. On the top of these base woods put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This "top-down" method of building the fireplace will create an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't engulf larger base logs.
When your fire is established, close the damper and keep it shut. Opening the damper too soon can cause the fire smother and will not allow for proper airflow, which will decrease the efficiency of the fire.
Add Wood
Stoves aren't just beautiful home decor pieces They can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heat in large homes. The latest stoves that burn clean use a superior combustion principle that differentiates the burning process of volatile compounds from the combustion of combustible gases and tar by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage is for the vaporization and the second is to supply fresh air that is pre-heated. This enhances the combustion process and reduces the odors.
The amount of heat you will get from a stove is contingent upon the type and amount of moisture of the wood used, 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 prior to burning. If the logs contain excessive moisture, they will create steam which is essentially wasted power.
While you're burning the fire, add more wood to the pile at intervals, but not all at one time. In addition, adding too much wood at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing an air vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flames. This could decrease the effectiveness of your stove.
You should avoid the use of other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, since they are not wood and have different physical properties and cannot be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and excessive emissions. You should also not use compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes because they have a very different chemical and physical properties from actual firewood and are not type-approved for burning in wood burning stoves.
It is essential that a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure safe operation and safety, as well as make sure that your chimney is operating correctly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in good condition. They can look for leaks in the areas that are accessible to your chimney and fix any issues they discover. This Internet page will also ensure that the residents of the house know and follow the fire evacuation procedures in case of an emergency.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper controls how much heat is lost up the chimney when you aren't using your stove. It can also be used to control the fire. If the flue is opened but the damper is not closed enough, the fire won't be able to burn properly and it will billow out smoke into your living area. You can adjust your damper to get the best flames by testing different settings.
Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air enter and out of the flue when a fire is burning. This lets the fire get a good fire going and keeps it in good shape so that you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The right opening will also prevent the fire from starving of air and will keep it from blowing out smoke.
To properly adjust your damper, you need to first make sure the fireplace is preheated and the stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has good draft. Once this is done the damper for the wood stove can be adjusted.
After the fire has smolder a bit you should reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its maximum. This will prevent the warm room air from escaping into the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape out of the wood stove.
This is the best way to prevent the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. If you shut the damper too far it could block the draft from working, however if it is too open, a cold wind could enter your home.
Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has opened. If you feel a slight draft pushing against your hand, it's probably in the open position.
The damper's setting can vary slightly from one stove to the next and even between different kinds of wood. Playing around with different settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you might have to keep adjusting it until you find the ideal setting for your stove.
Clean up
After an incident, it is essential to clean the flue and stove. This will help reduce the risk of a chimney fire which is the most common reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky material that can accumulate inside the stovepipe, is very dangerous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape the fire. mini wood stoves can also be caused when fires aren't lit properly.
A regular cleaning schedule can help to prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by sweeping your chimney once every year. It is also recommended to get your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and checked at least every year.
Also, it's recommended to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is recommended to only use seasoned wood to burn, since it will create less creosote as well as ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items can release dangerous chemicals for the flue and air, which could be released in your home.
It is also important to clean the glass of the wood stove regularly. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they do not require as much scrubbing. If you're unable to make the glass on your wood stove as clean as you would like you can use stove glass cleaners available that you can use on the window.
Other suggestions to maintain your wood stove include lowering the vent when you aren't using it, and opening doors or windows to improve airflow. This will ensure that the fire is burning longer and more efficient. The wood stove will not have to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is advisable not to stack logs, or let them sit on the fire for an extended period of time. This could cause splitting and warping. It is also best to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove because the paraffin in them can melt and then flow into the flue which could damage it.