How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be a great option to conserve energy and also heat the room. However, they need an amount of care.

A majority of modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or underneath it to make sure your stove isn't releasing harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a fire made from wood can be a welcome addition to any house. It's important to understand how to build a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques may lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn well, and may produce smoke or creosote. The following tips can aid you in starting a fire that will heat your home with minimum effort and with the highest safety.

Before you start a fire, check the condition of your logs and coals. If they are too wet, they will smother the flame and stop 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 placing some small wood burning stove uk wall mounted wood burning stove (More methods) newspaper pieces that are dry into your stove. This will help spark the tinder and ignite your kindling. Once the tinder and kindling are beginning to burn, you can put the larger kindling pieces on top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern so there will be air between each piece of wood.

If your wood stove comes with an automatic control for combustion, it will automatically pump air into the fire as it grows. This allows the fire to burn for a long time without having to open the stove's door constantly to tend to it.

It's important to avoid using excessive tinder as this could result in a fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't make use of the fuel as efficiently as it can. When you have a good bed of tinder and kindling in your stove, begin the main fire by placing two large base logs on the grill. Next, place an additional layer of smaller logs parallel to these and on top of the base logs. This method of building an ember known as a "top-down" fire can result in a successful and long-lasting fire that does not overtake the larger base logs.

Close the damper when your fire has been established, and keep it shut. The fire could be smothered if the user opens the damper before it is fully established. This can also affect the efficiency of the fire.

Add Wood

Stoves are not just beautiful home décor pieces they can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be used alone or in conjunction with central heating or furnace system to provide the supplemental heating required in large homes or homes with multiple rooms. Many of the new stoves that burn clean employ a superior combustion process that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from the combustion of combustible gases and tar by providing air in two distinct stages. The first stage is for the vaporization process, and the second is to provide fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases the odors.

The amount of heat you get from a stove depends on the species and the moisture content 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 couple of months prior to burning. If the logs are not dry enough they will create a lot of steam that is essentially wasted energy.

While you're burning the fire, it is recommended to add more wood to the stack at intervals, and not all at all at. Adding too much wood at once causes the temperature in the firebox to rise, 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.

It is recommended to stay clear of any other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, as they are not wood and have different physical properties that can't be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. You should also not use compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they have a very different chemical and physical composition to real firewood, and are not suitable for use in wood burning stoves.

If you are installing a wood burning stove in your home, it is essential to have it installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure proper operation and safety, as well as ensure that your chimney is functioning properly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to keep them in top condition. They will inspect the accessible areas of your chimney to determine if there is leakage and fix any issues found. They will also ensure that all house occupants are aware of and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in the event in the event of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper regulates how much heat is lost up the chimney when you aren't cooking on your stove. In addition to this it can also help control the fire. If the flue is open but the damper is too closed, the fire won't burn properly and it will billow out smoke into your living area. You can adjust your damper to achieve the most effective flames by experimenting with different settings.

Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue when the fire is burning. This lets the fire get a good fire going and helps it stay lit so you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The proper opening will prevent the fire from starving of air and will keep it from blowing smoke.

To adjust your damper correctly it is important to first make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has an adequate draft. Once these are done the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted.

Once the fire has burned slightly, you need to close the damper to about three-quarters of its full position. This will prevent the warm air from the room from going through the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

This is the best small wood burning stoves way to keep your fire lit and prevent it from getting too hot. If you shut the damper too far it could stop the draft from working, however if it is too wide, a cold breeze could blow through your home.

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

The damper's setting can vary slightly from one stove to another 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 have to keep adjusting it until you have found the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean up

After an incident, it is crucial to clean the flue and stove. This will reduce the risk of a chimney fire which is the main reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance 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. It can be caused by improperly lit fires.

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

Also, it's an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is a good idea to use only wood that is seasoned for burning, as this will produce less creosote and ash. It is also a good idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper, plastic and other trash items. These materials can release harmful chemicals into the air and flue, which can be released into your home.

The glass that is used on the wood stove has to be cleaned regularly too. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they don't require as much cleaning. You can use stove glass cleaners on the window if you're getting the glass as clean as you'd like on your small wood burner stove.

Other helpful suggestions for maintaining your wood stove are to turn the vent down when you are not using it and cracking a window or door to allow more air flow. This will keep the fire burning more hot and more efficiently, since it won't need to work as hard to circulate air. It is recommended to not stack logs or keep them in the fire for prolonged periods of time, as this could lead to warping and splitting. It is also a good idea to not use compressed combustible logs in your wood stove because the paraffin they contain could melt and spill down into the flue, which could damage it.