How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a comfortable way to heat a room and also save energy. However, they need some level of maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. You can check 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 the sound of a woodfire can be an excellent addition to any house. It is essential to understand how to build a fire in your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to the fire not burning effectively and produces smoke or creosote. These tips will help you begin a fire that is safe and can heat your home quickly and effectively.
Before you begin a fire, check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're wet, it will smother your fire and hinder proper burning. It is also possible to open the flue to let any ash that has fallen into the stove.
Begin by placing some small, dry newspaper pieces in the stove. This will help spark the tinder and ignite your kindling. Once they start to burn, add another layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, so that there is air between each piece of wood.
If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically feed air to the fire as it expands. This will allow the fire to burn continuously without the need to open the stove's door frequently to check on it.
Be careful not to use too much tinder, as this will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and will not be able to use the fuel effectively. Once you've got a good base in your stove with tinder, kindling and embers begin the main flame by laying down two large base logs on the grate. Then, on the top of these base logs put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This "top-down" method of creating the fireplace will create an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't engulf larger base logs.
Once your fire is well established shut off the damper and keep it closed. If you open the damper too early, it can cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for proper airflow, which will reduce its efficiency.
Add Wood
Stoves are not just beautiful home décor pieces - they can help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be utilized in conjunction with a central heating system or furnace to provide additional heating for large houses. Many of the new stoves that are clean-burning utilize a superior combustion method that separates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization process, and the second stage is to supply fresh air that is pre-heated. Fireplaces & Stove improves the process of combustion and helps reduce odors.
The amount of heat that you get from your stove depends on the type of wood used and the moisture content, as well as the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, the logs should be kept in a ventilated space for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs contain excessive moisture, they'll produce steam that is in essence wasted energy.
During the burning of the fire, it is recommended to add more wood to the stack in intervals, but not all at all at. Addition of too much wood at once could cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, causing the formation of a vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that are not burned back into flames. This could decrease the efficiency of your stove.
You should avoid the use of other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, as they are not wood and have different physical properties that cannot be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. You should not burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes since they differ in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not approved by the type to be used 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 stove for proper operation and safety as well as ensure that your chimney is working properly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in top condition. They will inspect the areas accessible to your chimney for leakage, and repair any problems discovered. They will also ensure that the occupants of the house are aware of and follow the fire evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper controls the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney when you aren't cooking on your stove. In addition to this it can help you to control the flame. 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. You can adjust the damper to ensure the best flames by experimenting with different settings.
Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue while a fire is burning. This allows the fire to start a fire and helps it stay burning so that you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The proper opening will keep the fire from being starved of air, and also prevent it from blowing out smoke.
To properly adjust your damper, 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. Once these are done the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted.
After the fire has smolder a bit you should close the damper to about three-quarters of its maximum. This will stop the warm air from the room from escaping into the chimney, but still permitting smoke to escape.
This is the best way to stop the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. If you shut the damper too far it may stop the draft from working, but should it be too open, a cold wind could enter your home.
You can check to see how much the damper is open by placing your hands near the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a breeze pushing against your hand, the damper is likely in an open position.
The damper's setting can vary slightly 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 to look for, but you may need to adjust it until you find the ideal setting for your stove.
Clean Up
After a fire, it is crucial to clean the flue and stove. This can reduce the chance of an ensuing fire in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance that can accumulate inside the stovepipe, is extremely dangerous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape the fire. It can also happen when fires are not lit properly.
A regular cleaning routine helps to prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by sweeping your chimney once a year. It is also recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a every year.
It is also a good idea to clean out the ash tray and grate regularly. It is recommended to only use seasoned wood to burn, since it will create less creosote as well as ash. It is also a good idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper plastic, and other waste items. They could release chemicals that can be dangerous for the flue and air, which could be released into your home.
It is also important to wash the glass of the wood stove regularly. A lot of modern wood stoves are designed with self-cleaning glass, which means that they don't require a lot of cleaning. You can make use of stove glass cleaners on the window if you're not able get the glass as clean as you would like on your wood stove.
Other suggestions for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent off when you are not using it, and opening 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 be as active to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or keep them in the flame for long durations of time, since this could cause warping and splitting. It is best to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your wood stove since the paraffin contained within them can melt and flow into the flue, which could cause damage.