How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a great method to reduce energy consumption and also heat the room. However, they need a certain amount of maintenance.

Many modern wood stoves meet EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker under or beside the grate, to ensure that your stove doesn't create lots of harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The scent and sound of a fire made from wood can be a pleasant addition to any home. It's important to understand how to build an effective fire on your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to a fire which does not burn effectively, and can produce creosote or smoke. These tips will assist you in starting an fire that can heat your home with the least effort and ensure your safety.

Before you begin a fire, check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're wet they will choke your fire and 10kw wood burning Stove hinder proper burning. It is also possible to open the flue to let out any ash that has fallen into the stove.

Begin by placing some small wood burners for sale newspaper pieces that are dry and clean into your stove. This will help ignite the sparks. After the tinder and kindling are beginning to burn, you can put the larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, multi fuel wood burner so that there is air between each piece of wood.

If you have a wood stove with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically feed an air stream controlled to the fire as it builds. This allows the fire to burn steadily without having to open the stove's door often to keep it in check.

It's important to avoid using too much tinder, since this can lead to the fire burning at an excessive rate and doesn't make use of the fuel as efficiently as possible. When you have a good bed of tinder and kindling in your stove, start the main fire by laying two large base logs on the grate. Then, on the top of these base woods, place a layer perpendicularly to them. This method of building a fire called a "top-down" fire will result in an effective and long-lasting fire that does not completely consume the larger base logs.

Once your fire is well established shut off the damper and ensure it stays closed. The fire can be smothered if you open the damper before it is fully established. It will also reduce the efficiency of the fire.

Add Wood

Stoves are not just beautiful home decor pieces - they can help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be used by themselves or together with a furnace or central heating system to provide the additional heat needed in large homes or houses with a lot of rooms. The latest stoves that are clean-burning use a superior combustion principle that differentiates the burning process of volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage permits the burning of volatile compounds and the second stage offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases odors.

The amount of heat that you can get from your stove depends on the type of wood used as well as the moisture content and the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, the logs should be stored in a ventilated space for a few months prior to burning. If the logs are wet they will release plenty of steam that is basically wasted energy.

You should add wood to the pile at intervals and not all at one time. In addition, adding too much wood all at once could cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, creating a vortex which draws smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into the flames. This could decrease the effectiveness of your stove.

You should avoid the use of any other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, because they are not wood and have very different physical properties that can't be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures and excessive emissions. Also, avoid using compressed combustibles, such as wood briquettes, as they have a very different chemical and physical composition to real firewood, and are not approved for burning in wood-burning stoves.

It is important that you have a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician can examine your stove to make sure it is safe and functional. They can also make sure that your chimney works correctly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to keep them in top shape. They will look for leaks in the areas that are accessible to your chimney and fix any issues they discover. They will also ensure that the occupants of the home understand and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper controls the amount of heat that is lost up the chimney when you're not using your stove. Additionally, it can also help you control the fire. If the flue is opened but the damper is not closed enough, the fire won't burn properly and it will release smoke into your living space. You can adjust your damper to ensure the best flames by experimenting with different positions.

Typically, you should keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue while the fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and helps it stay lit so 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.

In order to properly adjust your damper, you have to first ensure that the fireplace is heated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has a good draft. Once this is done the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted.

Once the fire has smolder slightly, you need to reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its original position. This will stop warm air in the room from venturing into the chimney, but still allowing smoke to escape.

This is the best way to keep the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. If you close the damper too much, it could block the draft from working, however should it be too open a cold breeze could enter your home.

You can test how much the damper is opened by placing your hand on the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you feel a slight draft pushing on your hand it's likely to be in the open position.

The damper settings may differ between stoves and even between different kinds of wood. The process of experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you will need to adjust until you get the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean Up

After a fire, it is essential to clean the flue and stove. This will help to reduce the chance of a chimney fire which is the primary cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky material which can build up inside the stovepipe, is very dangerous. Moisture and unburned particles of wood that are unable to escape the flame are the reason for this chemical. It can also happen when fires aren't lit properly.

Regular cleaning can help prevent creosote buildup. The best method to do this is by sweeping the chimney at least once a year. It is also recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and examined at least year.

It is also a good idea to clean the ash tray and grate regularly. It is best to burn only wood that is well-seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals into the air and flue, woodburningstoves (botdb.Win) which could be released in your home.

The glass on the wood burning stove needs to be cleaned frequently as well. Many newer wood stoves are made with self-cleaning glass, which means they do not require much scrubbing. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the window if you're not able get the glass as clean as you want on your wood stove.

Other ways 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 keep the fire burning more hot and efficiently. The wood stove will not have to perform as hard to circulate air. It is recommended not to stack logs, or place them on the fire for a long duration. This can lead to warping and splits. It is also recommended to not use compressed combustible logs in your wood stove as the paraffin they contain can melt and flow down into the flue, which could damage it.