How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves can be an excellent option to conserve energy and heat the room. They require some care.
A majority of modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or beneath it to ensure your stove isn't releasing harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The smell and sound of a wood fire can be a welcome feature in any house. It's crucial to learn the correct method to make a fire on your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn efficiently, and produces creosote or smoke. These tips will assist you in starting an fire that can heat your home with minimum effort and maximum security.
Before you start a fire, check the condition of your logs and coals. 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 falls into the stove.
Begin by placing a few small newspaper pieces that are dry and clean in your stove. This will help ignite the sparks. When fireplacesandstove and the kindling are beginning to ignite, you can add an additional layer of larger pieces on top. This should be done using an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece.
If your wood stove has an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply air to the fire as it expands. This will help the fire to burn at a steady pace without the need to open the stove's doors to maintain it.
Be careful not to use too much tinder, as this will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and not utilize the fuel effectively. Once you've got a good base in your stove with sparks, tinder and kindling to start the main flame, you can do this by laying two large logs of the base on the grill. Then, on the top of these base logs lay a layer parallel to them. This method of creating an ember called a "top-down" fire can result in a successful and long-lasting fire that will not engulf the larger base logs.
Close the damper when your fire has been established, and keep it closed. The fire can be smothered if the user opens the damper before it has fully established. This can also affect the effectiveness of the fire.
Add Wood
Stoves aren't only beautiful pieces of home decor they can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be used alone or together 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 are clean burning available today utilize an advanced combustion principle which can separate the burning volatile substances from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is done by supplying air at two distinct stages. The first stage allows for the combustion of volatile compounds and the second provides fresh air that is pre-heated. This enhances the combustion process and helps to reduce the smell.
The amount of heat you will get from a stove depends on the type and amount of moisture of the wood, and also the size of the logs. The logs must be stored in a ventilated area for several months before you try to burn them, to give the wood a chance to dry out. If the logs are not dry enough they will release plenty of steam that is in essence wasted energy.
It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at once. In addition, adding too much wood at one time can cause the temperature of the firebox to rise, and creates a vortex that draws smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame which can reduce your stove's efficiency.
Avoid using other combustibles inside your stove, like paper or cardboard because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without producing dangerously high temperatures. You should also not use compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes, as they have a distinct chemical and physical properties from real firewood and aren't suitable for burning in wood burning stoves.
It is important that you have a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation for safe operation and safety, and also ensure that your chimney is functioning properly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in good condition. They can inspect the areas accessible to your chimney for leakage, and repair any problems discovered. They will also ensure that all occupants of the home understand and follow the fire evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
When you're not using your stove, a damper regulates how much heat is lost through the chimney. In addition to this it can also help control the fire. If the flue opens, but the damper is closed, the fire will not be able to burn as it should and smoke will billow into your home. You can adjust the damper to get the best flames by playing around with different locations.
You want to keep your damper open to let air flow into and out of the flue when a flame is burning. This will allow the fire to start and stay lit for several hours. The right opening will prevent the fire from being deprived of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.
In order to properly adjust your damper, you have to ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure the chimney is warm and it also has a good draft. After this the damper on the wood stove may be adjusted.
Once the fire has smolder a bit you should close the damper to about three-quarters of its maximum. This will stop warm air in the room from venting through the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape out of the wood stove.
This is the best way to stop the fire from becoming too hot while keeping it lit. If you close the damper too far it could block the draft from working, however if it is too open, a cold wind could enter your home.
By placing your hands on the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a small breeze rubbing against your hand, the damper is likely to be open.
The damper settings may differ from one stove to the next and even between different kinds of wood. Playing around with different settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you may need to tweak it until you find the perfect setting for your stove.
Clean Up
After a fire, it is crucial to clean the stove and flue. This can to reduce the chance of a chimney fire, which is the primary cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance which can build up in 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 also be caused by poorly lit fires.
A regular cleaning routine helps prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by sweeping your chimney at least once every year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year, too.
It is also an excellent idea to clean out the ash tray and grate regularly. It is best to burn only wood that is well-seasoned because it produces less creosote. It is also recommended to avoid burning cardboard, paper, plastic and other trash items. They can release harmful chemicals for the respiratory tract and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home.
It is also essential to clean the glass of the wood stove on a regular basis. The majority of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they don't require as much scrubbing. If you're not able to make the glass on your wood stove as clean as you would like, there are stove glass cleaners available that can be used on the window.
Other tips to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you aren't using it, and cracking windows or doors to increase airflow. This will keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, since it will not need to be as active to circulate the air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or place them in the flame for long periods of time as this could cause warping and splitting. It is advised to avoid using compressed combustible wood in your wood stove since the paraffin contained within the wood can melt and then flow into the flue, which could cause damage.