How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a cozy way to heat a space and conserve energy. They do require some maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate, to ensure that your stove doesn't generate a lot of harmful pollutants.
How to Start a Wood Fire
The smell and the sound of a woodfire can be a welcome addition in any house. It's essential to know how to build a fire in your stove. Improper techniques can result in a fire that doesn't burn effectively and produces creosote or smoke. These tips will aid you in starting an fire that can heat your home with minimum effort and maximum safety.
Before you begin a fire, you should check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're damp, it will smother your fire and prevent the proper burning. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash that has fallen into the stove.
Begin by putting a few small dry newspaper pieces into your stove. This will help to ignite the fire. After the tinder and kindling are beginning to burn, you can add a layer of larger kindling pieces on top. This should be done with an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece.
If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically supply air to the fire as it expands. This will allow the fire to burn at a steady rate without the need to open the stove door to tend it.
Avoid using too much tinder, as it can cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and not utilize the fuel effectively. Once you've made a solid base in your stove with igniters, tinder, and embers begin the main flame by laying down two large base logs on the grate. Then, on top of these base logs lay a layer parallel to them. This method of building a fire called a "top-down" fire will result in an effective and long-lasting fire that will not overtake the larger base logs.
Close the damper when your fire has been established and keep it shut. The fire can be smothered by opening the damper before it is fully established. It can also decrease the effectiveness of the fire.
Add Wood
Stoves aren't only beautiful pieces of home decor - they can help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used by themselves or together with central heating or a furnace system to provide the extra heating required in large homes or houses with a lot of rooms. A lot of the clean burning stoves that are available on the market use advanced combustion principles that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar. This is done by supplying air at two different stages. The first stage permits the vaporization of the volatile compounds and the second stage supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and reduces the odors.
The amount of heat you will get from a stove will depend on the species and moisture content of the wood used as well as the size of logs. The logs should be stacked in a well-ventilated area for a period of time before you try to burn them, to allow the wood to dry. If the logs are too wet they will release a lot of steam that is basically wasted energy.
It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals and not all at once. Adding too much wood at one time 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.
Avoid using other combustibles in your stove, such as paper or cardboard, as they are not wood. They have different physical properties and are unable to be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures. You should not burn compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they are different 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 your stove to ensure it is safe and reliable. They will also check that your chimney works correctly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in top condition. They will look for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney, and fix any issues they spot. They will also ensure that all occupants of the house are aware of and follow the fire evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper regulates how much heat escapes up the chimney when you're not using your stove. In woodburner stove to this it can also help control the fire. If the flue is not open but the damper is not closed enough, the fire won't be able to burn properly and it will billow out smoke into your living area. To ensure you have the best fire with the damper properly adjusted, you should play around with different positions and observe how each one affects the flames.
Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue while the fire is burning. This will let the fire start and remain lit for a number of hours. The right opening can stop the fire from being deprived of air and stop it from blowing smoke.
In order to properly adjust your damper, you have to first make sure the fireplace is heated and the stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm and that it has a strong draft. After that, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.
After the fire has burned for a while, you should shut the damper around three quarters of the way. This will stop warm air from the room from going up the chimney while still allowing the smoke to escape from the wood stove.
This is the most effective way to stop the fire from becoming too hot, while also keeping it burning. The draft might be stopped if you shut the damper too tightly but a cold wind could enter your home in the event that the damper is not closed.
Holding your hand at the top of the flue pipe will tell you how much the damper has opened. If you feel a small draft pressing against your hand, it is probably in the open position.
The damper settings may differ from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. You can play around with different settings to get an idea of the most suitable setting for your stove.
Clean up
After the fire, it's crucial to clean the stove and flue. This will help lower the risk of a chimney fire, which is the main cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky material that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and can be very dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape the fire. It can also happen by fires that are not properly lit.
Regular cleaning can help keep away the buildup of creosote. This can be accomplished by cleaning your chimney once every year. It is recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year, too.
It is also recommended to clean the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is recommended to burn only seasoned wood because it produces less creosote. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These materials can release harmful chemicals for the flue and air, that could end up in your home.
It is also essential to wash the glass of the wood stove regularly. The majority of newer wood stoves are designed with self-cleaning glass, meaning that they don't require a lot of cleaning. You can use stove glass cleaners on the glass if you aren't getting the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove.
Other suggestions to keep your wood stove in good condition include turning down the vent when you're not using it and opening doors or windows to increase airflow. This will keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently since it will not need to work as hard to circulate the air. It is a good idea not to stack logs or place them on the fire for a long period of time. This can lead to splitting and warping. In addition, it is best to not use compressed combustible logs in your wood stove because the paraffin they contain can melt and flow down the flue which could cause damage.