How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a comfortable method to heat a room and also save energy. They require some care.
Many modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker on the underside or next to the grate to make sure your stove doesn't create many harmful pollutants.
How to Start a Wood Fire
The scent and sound of a fire can be an enjoyable addition to any house. It is essential to know how to build a fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in the fire not burning efficiently and creates creosote or smoke. These tips can help you create a fire that is safe and will warm your home quickly and effectively.
Before you start a fire, you should check the condition of your logs and coals. If they are wet, they will smother the fire and prevent it from burning properly. It is also possible to open the flue to let any ash out that has been deposited into the stove.
Begin by putting a handful of small dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help to ignite the tinder and kindling. Once these begin to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern so there is air between each piece of wood.
If your wood stove has an automatic combustion control, it will automatically pump air into the fire as it expands. This will help the fire to burn at a consistent pace without the need to open the stove's doors to tend it.
Do not use too much tinder as it can cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and not use the fuel effectively. Once you've made a solid base in your stove with sparks, tinder and kindling to start the main flame, you can do this by placing two large logs of the base on the grate. Then, add an additional layer of smaller logs that are perpendicular to them and on the top of the base logs. This method of building an ember called a "top-down" fire will result in an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't overtake the larger base logs.
When your fire is established Close the damper and ensure it stays closed. The fire could be smothered by opening the damper before it has fully established. It will also reduce the effectiveness of the fire.
Adding Wood
Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and save you money. They can be utilized in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heating for large houses. A lot of the stoves that burn cleanly available use an advanced combustion principle which separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar. This is achieved by supplying air at two distinct stages. The first stage is for the vaporization and the second step is to supply pre-heated fresh air. This improves the process of combustion and helps to reduce the odors.
The amount of heat you will get from a stove will depend on the species and the moisture content of the wood used and also the dimensions of logs. The logs must be stored in a well-ventilated area for several months before you try to burn them to allow the wood to dry. If the logs are not dry enough, they will produce a lot of steam that is basically wasted energy.
You should add wood to the pile at intervals and not all at once. In addition, adding too much wood at one time causes the temperature inside the firebox to increase and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame which could reduce the efficiency of your stove.
Avoid burning other combustibles in your stove, such as paper or cardboard because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and cannot be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures. You should also not use compressed combustibles like wood briquettes because they have a completely different chemical and physical properties from real firewood and aren't type-approved for burning in wood-burning stoves.
It is important that you have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure proper operation and safety, as well as ensure that your chimney is functioning correctly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they are in good shape. They can check the accessible areas of your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues found. They will also ensure that all residents of the house are aware of and follow the evacuation procedure in case of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper regulates how much heat escapes through the chimney when you're not using your stove. In addition to this it can help you control the fire. If the flue is opened but the damper is too closed, the fire won't be able to burn properly and will release smoke into your living area. You can adjust the damper to get the best flames by testing different locations.
Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air enter and out of the flue when a fire is burning. This will let the fire start and stay lit for many hours. The proper opening will stop the fire from becoming starved of air and will keep it from blowing out smoke.
To adjust your damper properly first, make sure that the fireplace is heated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm and it also has an adequate draft. Once this is accomplished, the wood stove damper may be adjusted.
After the fire has burned for a while, you should shut the damper around three quarters of the way. This will stop the warm air in the room from escaping into the chimney, but still allowing smoke to escape.
This is the best way to keep your fire burning and prevent it from getting too hot. If you close the damper too tightly, it could block the draft from working, however if it is too open a cold breeze could blow through your home.
By placing your hands 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 likely to be in the open position.
The damper settings can differ between stoves and even among different types 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 have found the perfect setting for your stove.
Clean up
It is important to clean your flue and stove after a fire. This reduces the chance of an ensuing fire in the chimney which is the most common reason for fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky substance that can build up in the stovepipe, is extremely 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 are not lit properly.
Regular cleaning can help stop the buildup of creosote. The best way to do this is to sweep the chimney each year. It is also recommended that you get your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and checked at least year.
It is also recommended to clean the ash tray and grate regularly. It is best to burn only wood that is well-seasoned since it will create less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals to the air and flue which could be released in your home.
The glass in the wood burning stove has to be cleaned regularly too. fireplaces wood burning stoves of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they don't require as much scrubs. You can make use of stove glass cleaners on the glass if you aren't capable of getting the glass as clean as you want on your wood stove.
Other helpful suggestions for maintaining your wood stove are to turn the vent off when you're not using it and slamming a window or door to allow more air flow. This will help keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently, as it won't have to exert as much effort to circulate the air. It is recommended not to stack logs, or place them on the fire for an extended time. This could cause splitting and warping. It is best to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove because the paraffin in the wood can melt and then flow into the flue which could cause damage.