How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves can be an excellent method to reduce energy consumption and heat a room. However, they require an amount of care.
Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker under or beside the grate to make sure your stove won't produce a lot of harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The scent and sound of a woodfire is an enjoyable addition to any home. It is essential to know how to build a fire on your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn effectively, and can produce smoke or creosote. The following tips can help you create a safe fire that can heat your home quickly and effectively.
Before you start an fire, make sure you check the condition of your logs and coals. If they are wet, they will smother the flame and stop it from burning efficiently. It is also possible to open the flue to let any ash out that has fallen into the stove.
Begin by putting a few small dry newspaper pieces into your stove. This will help to ignite the tinder. Once the tinder and kindling are beginning to burn, you can add a layer of larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done in a crosshatch fashion so that there is air between each piece of wood.
If your wood stove has 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 rate without the need to open the stove door to tend it.
It's important to avoid using too much tinder, as this can lead to an unburned fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't utilize the fuel as efficiently as it could. Once you've made a solid foundation in your stove that is made of sparks, tinder and kindling to start the main flame, you can do this by placing two large logs of the base on the grate. On the top of these base woods, place a layer perpendicularly to them. This method of building 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 once your fire is established, and keep it closed. The fire may be smothered if you open the damper before it is fully established. It will also reduce the effectiveness of the fire.
Add Wood
Stoves are not just beautiful home décor pieces they can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used by themselves or in conjunction with a furnace or central heating system to provide the extra heat required in large houses or houses with a lot of rooms. Many of the new clean burning stoves that are available today utilize advanced combustion principles that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is done by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization, while the second is to provide pre-heated fresh air. This enhances the combustion process and helps reduce the odors.
The amount of heat you can get from your stove depends on the type of wood used as well as the amount of moisture as well as the size of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, the logs should be stored in a well ventilated space for a few months prior to burning. If the logs contain excessive moisture, they'll produce steam that is in essence wasted power.
It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at all at. In addition, adding too much wood all at once can cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, causing the formation of a vortex that draws smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into flames. This can reduce the effectiveness of your stove.
Avoid the use of other combustibles such as paper or cardboard in your stove, because they are not wood and possess different physical properties that can't be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and excessive emissions. It is not recommended to burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes since they are different in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not approved to be used in wood-burning stoves.
It is crucial to have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test the stove for safe operation and safety, as well as make sure that your chimney is functioning correctly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in good condition. They can look for leaks in the areas that are accessible to your chimney, and fix any issues they spot. They will also make sure that the residents of the house know and follow the fire evacuation procedures in case of an emergency.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper controls how much heat escapes through the chimney when you aren't cooking on your stove. In addition to this it can also help to control the flame. If the flue opens but the damper is closed, the fire will not burn properly and smoke will pour into your home. You can adjust the damper to get the best flames by testing different positions.
Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue while a fire is burning. This will allow the fire to start and stay lit for many hours. A proper opening will stop the fire from becoming starved of air, and also prevent it from blowing out smoke.
To adjust your damper correctly first, make sure that the fireplace is preheated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has a good draft. After these steps are completed, the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted.
After the fire has been burning for some time, you need to close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will stop warm air from the room from venturing into the chimney, but still permitting smoke to escape.
This is the most effective way to keep the fire from getting too hot while keeping it lit. If you close the damper too far it could block the draft from working, however when it's too open a cold breeze could enter your home.
You can determine how much the damper is opened by placing your hand on the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a small breeze pushing against your hand the damper is probably to be open.
The damper settings may differ between stoves and even among different types of wood. You can experiment with different settings to get an idea of the best setting for your stove.
Clean up
After a fire, it is essential to clean the flue and stove. This will lower the risk of a chimney fire which is the primary reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky substance that builds up on the stovepipe's interior 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 be caused by improperly lit fires.
A regular cleaning routine can help keep the buildup of creosote at bay. The most effective method for doing this is to sweep the chimney every year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year.
It is also an excellent idea to clean out the ash tray and grate regularly. It is a good idea to only use seasoned wood to burn, since this will result in less creosote as well as ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items can release dangerous chemicals for the air and flue, which could be released in your home.
The glass on the wood burning stove needs to be cleaned frequently as well. wood burning stove outdoor come with self-cleaning windows so they do not require as much scrubbing. 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 that you can use on the window.
Other helpful tips for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent off when you're not using it and slamming windows or doors to allow more a
