How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a cozy way to heat a space and conserve energy. However, they require a certain amount of maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves meet EPA emissions 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 smell and sound of a woodfire is a welcome addition in any house. However, it is important to know how to properly make a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to the fire not burning effectively and can cause smoke or creosote. These tips will assist you in starting the fire that will warm your home with minimum effort and with the highest security.
Before you begin a fire, check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're damp, it will smother your fire and hinder proper burning. You may want to open the chimney to get rid of any ash that's fallen into the stove.
Begin by placing a few small newspaper pieces that are dry and clean in the stove. This will help ignite the sparks. After the tinder and kindling have started to burn, you can put the larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done using the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece.
If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic combustion control it will automatically pump air into the flame as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn at a steady pace without having to open the stove's door to keep it in check.
Do not use excessive tinder since this will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and not use the fuel efficiently. Once you've made a solid base in your stove with sparks, tinder and kindling, start the main flame by laying two large logs of the base on the grate. Then, on top of these base logs, place a layer perpendicularly to them. This "top-down" method of creating a fireplace will produce a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't consume larger logs from the base.
Once the fire is established Close the damper and keep it closed. The fire could be smothered if the user opens the damper prior to it being fully established. This can also affect the efficiency of the fire.
Adding Wood
Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and also save you money. They can be utilized in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heat in large houses. The latest clean-burning stoves on the market utilize a superior combustion method that differentiates the burning process of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by providing air in two distinct stages. The first stage allows the vaporization of the volatile compounds and the second provides fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves the combustion process and reduces the odors.
The amount of heat you will get from a stove is contingent upon the species and the moisture content of the wood as well as the size of logs. The logs should be stored in a well-ventilated space for several months prior to when you attempt to burn them to give the wood a chance to dry. If the logs contain too much moisture, they will produce steam that is in essence wasted power.
It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals and not all at once. Adding too much wood at once causes the temperature inside the firebox to rise and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame which can decrease your stove's efficiency.
Avoid the use of other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, because they are not wood and have very different physical properties that cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles, such as wood briquettes as they have a very different chemical and physical composition to actual firewood and are not approved for burning in wood-burning stoves.
If you are installing wood-burning stoves into your home, it's important to have it properly installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician will test your stove to ensure it is safe and reliable. They will also check whether your chimney is working properly. They provide maintenance services for your chimney and stove to ensure they remain in top shape. They can check the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues discovered. They will also make sure that the occupants of the house are aware of and follow the evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
When you're not using your stove, a damper can control the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. In addition, it can help you control the fire. If the flue is opened but the damper is closed too much the fire won't burn properly and it will billow out smoke into your living space. To ensure that you get the best fire with your damper adjusted properly you must experiment with different positions and observe how each one affects the flames.
You want to keep your damper open to let air be able to enter and exit the flue while a fire is burning. This will allow the fire to start and stay lit for many hours. The right opening will prevent the fire from becoming depleted of air and keep it from blowing smoke.
To properly adjust your damper, you need to ensure that the fireplace is heated and the stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm and it also has a strong draft. Once this is accomplished, the wood stove damper 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 going through the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove.
This is the best method to prevent the fire from getting too hot, while also keeping it burning. The draft may be stopped if you shut the damper too tightly but a cold wind can enter your home in the event that the damper is left open.
Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will show you how much the damper has opened. If you can feel a slight breeze pushing against your hand, it's probably in the open position.
The damper settings can differ slightly from one stove to the next and even between different kinds of wood. You can play around with different settings to get a sense of the most suitable setting for your stove.
Clean Up
After a fire, it is crucial to clean the stove and flue. This reduces the chance of an explosion in the chimney which is the main cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance that builds up on the inside of the stovepipe and can be 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 happen when fires are not lit properly.
Regular cleaning helps to prevent creosote buildup. This can be accomplished by sweeping your chimney at least once every year. It is recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year as well.
It is also an excellent idea to clean the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is a good idea to only use seasoned wood to burn, since this will produce less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. wood stove burning can release chemicals that can be dangerous for respiratory illnesses and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home.
The glass that is used on the wood stove has to be regularly cleaned as well. Many newer wood stoves are made with self-cleaning glass, which means they don't require a lot of cleaning. If you are not able to make the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like you can use stove glass cleaners you can use on the window.
Other ways to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you aren't using it, and slamming doors or windows to improve airflow. This keeps the fire burning hotter, and more efficient. The wood stove will not have to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is also a good idea to not stack logs or keep them in the flame for long periods of time, as this could cause warping and splitting. It is also best to avoid using compressed combustible logs in your wood stove because the paraffin they contain could melt and spill into the flue which could damage it.