How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a cozy way to heat a space and save energy. They require some care.
Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or underneath it to ensure that your stove doesn't emit harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The scent and sound of a woodfire can be an enjoyable addition to any house. But it's important to learn the proper way to build a fire in your stove. Improper techniques can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn well, and may produce creosote or smoke. The following tips can assist you in starting the fire that will warm your home with minimum effort and with the highest security.
Examine the condition of your logs and coals before you begin the fire. If they're damp they will choke your fire and hinder proper burning. You might also want to open the flue to let out any ash that has fallen into the stove.
Begin by putting a few small dry pieces of newspaper into your stove. This will help to ignite the tinder. When the tinder and the kindling are beginning 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 will be air between each piece of wood.
If you have a wood stove that has an automatic control for combustion that will automatically deliver an air stream controlled to your flame as it heats. This allows the fire to burn steadily without you having to open the door of your stove frequently to check on it.
Do not use excessive tinder since this will cause the fire to burn at a fast rate and not use the fuel efficiently. Once you've got a good foundation in your stove that is made of sparks, tinder and kindling begin the main flame by laying two large logs of the base on the grill. Next, place an additional layer of smaller logs perpendicular to these and on top of the base logs. This method of creating a fire known as a "top-down" fire will result in a powerful and long-lasting fire that does not completely consume the larger base logs.
Close the damper when the fire is established, and keep it closed. Doing this too soon can cause the fire to smother and will not allow for the correct air flow, which will reduce its efficiency.
Adding 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 heat in large homes. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available on the market use an advanced combustion principle which is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar. This is accomplished by supplying air at two distinct stages. The first stage is for the vaporization process, and the second step is to supply fresh air that has been pre-heated. This enhances the combustion process and reduces odors.
The amount of heat that you can get from a stove will depend on the species and moisture content of the wood as well as the size of logs. To let the wood dry, logs should be stored in a well ventilated location for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs contain too much moisture, they will produce steam which is essentially wasted power.
When you are burning the fire, you should add more wood to the stack in intervals, and not all at all at. In addition, adding too much wood at once causes the temperature in the firebox to rise, and creates a vortex, which draws smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame which can reduce your stove's efficiency.
Avoid burning other combustibles in your stove, such as paper or cardboard because they are not wood. small wood burning stove have different physical properties and are unable to be burned without producing dangerously high temperatures. It is not recommended to burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes as they differ in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not approved to be burned in wood-burning stoves.
It is important to have a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician will test the stove for proper operation and safety as well as ensure that your chimney is working properly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they remain 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 discovered. They will also make sure that all house occupants are aware of and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost to the chimney when you aren't using your stove. In addition, it can help you manage the fire. If the flue is opened but the damper is not closed enough, the fire will not burn as efficiently and it will release smoke into your living space. To ensure you have the most efficient fire, with your damper adjusted properly you should play around with different settings and observe how each one affects the flames.
You should keep your damper open to let air enter and exit the flue while a fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and also helps keep it in good shape so that you can enjoy it for hours. The right opening can stop the fire from becoming depleted of air and keep it from blowing smoke.
To adjust your damper correctly first, make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has good draft. Once this is accomplished the damper on the wood stove may be adjusted.
After the fire has been burning for an extended period, close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will prevent warm air in the room from getting into the chimney, while still allowing smoke to escape.
This is the most effective way to prevent the fire from getting too hot while still keeping it lit. If you close the damper too far it may stop the draft from working, but if it is too wide, a cold breeze could enter your home.
Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will tell you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a slight breeze rubbing against your hand, the damper is likely to be open.
The damper settings can differ from one stove to the next and even among different types of wood. Playing around with different settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you might need to tweak until you get the ideal setting for your stove.
Clean up
It is essential to clean your stove and flue after the start of a fire. This will to reduce the chance of a chimney fire which is the primary cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky substance that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and is extremely dangerous. Moisture and unburned particles of wood that are unable to escape the fire are responsible for this chemical. It can also be caused by poorly lit fires.
A regular cleaning routine helps keep the buildup of creosote at bay. The best way to do this is by sweeping the chimney at least once a year. It is recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year, too.
It is also a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is recommended to use only seasoned wood for burning, as this will produce less creosote and less ash. It is also an excellent idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper plastic, and other waste items. These materials can release harmful chemicals into the flue and air, which could be released in your home.
The glass in the wood stove has to be cleaned regularly too. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows, so they don't require as much cleaning. If you're not able to make the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like you can use stove glass cleaners that you can use on the window.
Some other helpful suggestions for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent off when you're not using it and cracking a window or door to allow more air flow. This will help keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently since it won't have to work as hard to circulate air. It is recommended not to stack logs or let them sit on the fire for a long duration. This can cause splitting and warping. It is advised to avoid using compressed combustible wood in your wood stove because the paraffin in them can melt and flow into the flue which could cause damage.