How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves can be an excellent option to conserve energy and heat the room. However, they need some level of maintenance.
A majority of modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker under or beside the grate, to ensure that your stove doesn't create many harmful pollutants.
How to Start a Wood Fire
The scent and sound of a wood fire could be a wonderful addition to any home. It's essential to understand how to build a fire in your stove. Incorrect techniques may lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn well, and may produce smoke or creosote. The tips below will help you begin a safe fire that will heat up your home quickly and efficiently.
Before you begin a fire, check the condition of your coals and logs. If they are wet, it will smother your fire and prevent the 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, dry newspaper pieces into your stove. This will help ignite the tinder and kindling. Once these begin to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done using the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece.
If you have a wood stove with an automatic control of combustion that will automatically deliver a controlled stream of air to the flame as it heats. This will enable the fire to burn at a steady pace without having to open the stove door 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 utilize the fuel efficiently. When you have a good pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, you can start the main fire by laying two large base logs on the grate. Next, place small logs perpendicular to these and on the top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of creating a fireplace will result in a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't engulf larger logs from the base.
When your fire is established Close the damper and keep it shut. Opening the damper too soon can cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for the proper airflow, which will reduce its efficiency.
Add Wood
Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and also save you money. They can be utilized together with a central heating system or furnace to provide additional heat in large homes. A lot of the stoves that burn clean employ a superior combustion process that separates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by providing air in two different stages. The first stage allows for the combustion of volatile compounds and the second provides fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves the combustion process and helps reduce the smell.
The amount of heat that you can get from a stove depends on the type and amount of moisture of the wood you use and also the dimensions of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, logs must be stored in a ventilated area for a few months before burning. If the logs are wet they will create a lot of steam that is in essence wasted energy.
You should add wood to the pile at intervals and not all at all at. Addition of too much wood all at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing a vortex which draws smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into flames. This can reduce the efficiency of your stove.
You should avoid the use of other combustibles like cardboard or paper in your stove, because they are not wood and possess different physical properties that can't be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures and excessive emissions. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they have a completely different chemical and physical properties from real firewood, and are not suitable for use in wood burning stoves.
If you're planning to install wood-burning stoves into your home, it's essential to have it installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician will test the stove for safe operation and safety, and also ensure that your chimney is functioning properly. They provide maintenance services for your chimney and stove to keep them in top shape. They will inspect the areas accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues that are found. They will also ensure that all residents of the house understand and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in case of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
If you're not making use of your stove, a damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to manage the flame. If the flue is open but the damper is not closed the fire will not ignite properly and smoke will erupt into your home. To get the best fire with the damper properly adjusted, you should test different locations and observe how each one affects the flames.
You should 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 several hours. The right opening will also stop the fire from becoming starved of air, and also prevent it from blowing out smoke.
To be able to adjust your damper, you need to first ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure that the chimney is warm, and it also has a good draft. Once these are done the damper for wood stoves 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 in the room from venting up the chimney while still allowing smoke to escape from the wood stove.
This is the best way to keep your fire lit and to prevent it from becoming too hot. If woodburning stoves shut the damper too tightly, it may stop the draft from working, however if it is too open, a cold wind could blow into your home.
You can check to see how much the damper is opened by placing your hand on the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you feel a breeze pushing against your hand the damper is probably to be open.
The damper settings can vary from one stove to another and even among different types of wood. You can experiment with different settings to get a sense of the ideal setting for your stove.
Clean Up
It is crucial to clean your flue and stove after an incident. This reduces the chance of an explosion in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance that forms on the stovepipe's interior and can be very dangerous. Unburned and moist particles of wood that cannot escape the fire are responsible for this substance. This can also be caused when fires aren't lit properly.
Regular cleaning helps keep away the buildup of creosote. The best method to do this is to sweep the chimney every year. It is recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year, too.
Also, it's an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and the grates regularly. It is recommended to burn only seasoned wood, as it will produce less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. They could release chemicals that are dangerous for the respiratory tract and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home.
The glass that is used on the wood stove has to be cleaned frequently too. A lot of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means they do not require any cleaning. If you're unable to make the glass on your wood stove as clean as you would like you can use stove glass cleaners that can be used on the window.
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 allow more airflow. This keeps the fire burning hotter, and more efficient. The wood stove will not need to perform as hard to circulate air. It is recommended not to stack logs or leave them on the fire for a long time. This can cause warping and splits. It is also a good idea to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove because the paraffin they contain can melt and flow down the flue which could cause damage to the stove.