How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a great way to save energy and also heat rooms. They do require some maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker under or beside the grate to make sure your stove won't produce lots of harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The smell and sound of a fire made from wood can be a wonderful feature in any house. 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 effectively and produces smoke or creosote. These tips will help you start the fire that will warm your home with minimal effort and maximum safety.
Before you begin a fire, you should check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're damp they will choke your fire and prevent the proper burning. You might want to open the chimney to get rid of any ash that has fallen into the stove.
Start by placing several small newspaper pieces that are dry in the stove. This will help ignite the tinder and kindling. After the tinder and kindling have started to burn, you can add an additional layer of larger pieces on the top. This should be done in a crosshatch fashion so that there is air between each piece of wood.
If modern wood burner have wood stoves that have an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply an air stream that is controlled to the flame as it heats. This allows the fire to burn steadily without the need to open the stove door often to keep it in check.
Be careful not to use excessive tinder since it will cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and not use the fuel efficiently. When you have a good fire and a bed of tinder in your stove, start the main fire by placing two large logs of the base across the grill. On the top of these base woods lay a layer parallel to them. This method of constructing a fire called a "top-down" fire will result in a powerful and long-lasting fire that will not engulf the larger base logs.
Close the damper after your fire is established, and keep it shut. If you open the damper too early, it can cause the fire be smothered, and it will not allow for the proper air flow, which can lower the effectiveness of the fire.
Add Wood
Stoves aren't just beautiful home décor pieces They can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be used in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide supplemental heating in large homes. The latest clean-burning stoves on the market employ a superior combustion process that differentiates the burning process of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by providing air in two different stages. The first stage allows the burning of volatile compounds and the second stage supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases the odors.
The amount of heat you will get from a stove depends on the type and amount of moisture of the wood as well as the size of logs. To allow the wood to dry, the logs should be stored in a well ventilated space for a few months prior to burning. If the logs are not dry enough they will create a lot of steam that is in essence wasted energy.
You should add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at all at. Addition of too much wood at once can cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, causing an air vortex that draws smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into flames. This could reduce the effectiveness of your stove.
Avoid the use of any other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, as they are not wood and have very 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 are different in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be used in wood burning stoves.
If you are installing wood-burning stoves in your home, it is important to have it properly installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure safe operation and safety, and also ensure that your chimney is working properly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in top condition. They will inspect the areas that are accessible to your chimney to determine if there is leakage and fix any issues that are found. They will also ensure that all residents of the house are aware of and follow the fire evacuation procedure in case of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
When you're not using your stove, a damper controls the amount of heat lost through the chimney. It can also be used to manage the flame. If the flue is opened but the damper is closed too much the fire won't burn properly and will release smoke into your living space. To ensure that you get the most effective fire using the damper properly adjusted, you should play around with different settings and observe how each affects the flames.
Typically, you should keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue while the fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and also helps keep it in good shape so that you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The right opening will prevent the fire from being starved of air and keep it from blowing smoke.
To adjust your damper properly, you must first ensure that the fireplace has been preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has good draft. After that, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.
Once the fire has smolder for a while, you can reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its original position. This will stop warm air from the room from venturing into the chimney, while still permitting smoke to escape.
This is the most effective way to stop the fire from getting too hot while keeping it lit. If you shut the damper too much, it may stop the draft from working, however should it be too wide, a cold breeze could blow into 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 can feel a small draft pushing on your hand it's probably in the open position.
The damper settings can vary between stoves and even among different types of wood. You can play around with different settings to get a sense of the most suitable setting for your stove.
Clean up
After the fire, it's essential to clean the stove and flue. This can reduce the chance of an explosion in the chimney, which is the primary reason for fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky material that builds up on the stovepipe's interior and can be very dangerous. The moisture and the unburned parts of wood that are unable to escape the fire are responsible for this chemical. This can also occur when fires aren't lit properly.
A regular cleaning routine can help keep the buildup of creosote at bay. This can be accomplished by sweeping your chimney at least once every year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally inspected and cleaned at least once a year, too.
It is also a good idea to clean out the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is a good idea to use only seasoned wood to burn, since this will result in less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These materials can release harmful chemicals into the air and flue which can be released into your home.
The glass on the wood stove has to be cleaned regularly too. Many newer wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means that they do not require much scrubbing. You can use stove glass cleaners on the glass if you aren't getting the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove.
Some other helpful tips for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent off when you're not using it and cracking the door or window to allow more air flow. This keeps the fire burning longer and more efficient. The wood stove will not need to perform as hard to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or leave them in the fire for prolonged periods of time, as this could lead to splitting and warping. Finally, it is a good idea to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove, because the paraffin they contain can melt and then flow into the flue which could damage it.