How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves can be an excellent option to conserve energy and heat rooms. However, they need a certain amount of maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker under or beside the grate to ensure your stove doesn't generate many harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The smell and sound of a woodfire is an excellent addition to any home. It's important to understand how to build a fire on your stove. Improper techniques can result in a fire which does not burn well, and may produce smoke or creosote. These tips can help you start a fire that is safe and can heat your home quickly and efficiently.
Before you begin a fire, check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're too damp they will choke the flame and stop it from burning properly. It is also possible to open the flue to let out any ash that has fallen into the stove.
Begin by putting a few small dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help ignite the fire. Once they start to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done using a crosshatch design so that there is air between each piece.
If your wood stove comes with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically feed air to the fire as it expands. This will enable the fire to burn at a consistent pace without the need to open the stove's doors to keep it in check.
Be careful not to use too much tinder as this will cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and not use the fuel efficiently. If you have a solid pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, start the main fire by laying two large base logs across the grate. Then, you can lay an additional layer of smaller logs parallel to these and on the top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of building the fireplace will create a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't consume larger base logs.
Close the damper after your fire is established and kept it shut. Doing this too soon could cause the fire to smother and will not allow for the correct air flow, which will lower the effectiveness of the fire.
Add Wood
Stoves are not only beautiful pieces of home decor they can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide supplemental heating in large homes. Many of the new clean-burning stoves on the market use a superior combustion principle that differentiates the burning process of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage allows the vaporization of the volatile compounds and the second stage supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases the odors.
The amount of heat you will get from a stove is contingent upon the type and amount of moisture of the wood and also the dimensions of logs. The logs should be stacked in a well-ventilated space 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 create lots of steam, which is essentially wasted energy.
During the burning of the fire, you should add more wood to the pile at intervals, but not all at all at. The addition of too much wood at once can cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, creating an air vortex that pulls smoke and volatile compounds that are not burned back into flames. This can reduce the effectiveness 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 can't be burned without causing 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 use in wood burning stoves.
It is important to have a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician will examine your stove to make sure that it is safe and efficient. They will also ensure that your chimney is functioning properly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in tip-top shape. They can check for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney, and fix any issues they spot. They will also make sure that all residents of the house understand and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
If you're not using your stove, a damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. In addition to this it can also help you to control the flame. If the flue is open but the damper is closed too much the fire will not burn as efficiently and it will release smoke into your living area. You can adjust your damper to get the best flames by testing different settings.
It is important to keep your damper open to let air be able to enter and exit the flue while a fire is burning. This will let the fire start and stay lit for many hours. The proper opening will keep the fire from being starved of air, and also prevent it from blowing smoke.
To adjust your damper properly first, make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm, and it also has a strong draft. After these steps are completed, the damper for wood stoves can be adjusted.
After the fire has been burning for an extended period, shut the damper around three quarters of the way. best woodburners will stop the warm room air from escaping up the chimney while still allowing the smoke to escape out of the wood stove.
This is the best method to keep your fire burning and prevent it from getting too hot. The draft might be stopped if you shut the damper too tightly, but a cold wind could enter your home when the damper is left open.
Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will show you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a small breeze pushing against your hand the damper is probably to be open.
The damper settings can vary from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. You can play around with different settings to get a sense of the ideal setting for your stove.
Clean Up
After a fire, it is important to clean the flue and stove. This reduces the chance of an ensuing fire in the chimney which is the main reason for fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky material that builds up on the inside of the stovepipe and can be very dangerous. Unburned and moist particles of wood that are unable to escape the fire are the cause for this substance. This can also be caused by fires that are not properly lit.
A regular cleaning schedule can help keep the buildup of creosote at bay. best woodburners can be accomplished by sweeping your chimney at least once a year. It is also recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a yearly.
Also, it's an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is a good idea to use only seasoned wood to burn, since this will result in less creosote and ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals into the flue and air, which could be released in your home.
The glass that is used on the wood burning stove has to be regularly cleaned too. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, so they don't require as much cleaning. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the window if you're not capable of getting the glass as clean as you want on your wood stove.
Other ways to maintain your wood stove include lowering the vent when you aren't using it, and slamming doors or windows to increase airflow. This keeps the fire burning more hot and efficiently. The wood stove will not need to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is also a good idea
